On the grapevine

Clarke of course: There is a formula to many wine books. Start with grapes, briefly touch on winemaking, then head off around the world and talk about regions, soils and producers.

And then you pick up Oz Clarke on Wine (www.AcademieduVinlibrary.com, £30) and he doesn’t stick to the formula. For a start, he confesses that he started drinking aged three. There’s a long story there, and what follows is a series of stories, as an actor, a taster, a judge and a writer. But this book isn’t about Oz, it covers the grapes, regions, producers and wines as if he was sitting down next to you, having a conversation about wine. Oz is the ultimate communicator – unstuffy, perceptive, and he has been everywhere, he knows everyone, and he has opinions which he is not afraid of sharing. This is a book to sink into and rediscover your enthusiasm about wine. It wont guide you around the vineyards of the world, but it will certainly inspire you to taste, drink and, when possible, travel widely.

A rum do: Charbonnel et Walker is renowned for the quality of its chocolates and its Blackwell Jamaican Rum Truffles are delicious (£16, from its County Arcade shop in Leeds). The rum for these is exceptional too and the “Blackwell” refers to Chris Blackwell who founded Island Records, introducing the world to Bob Marley, U2 and many others. With a family history in Jamaica stretching back generations, Blackwell returned to his roots and created a fabulous aged, dark rum. He bought Ian Fleming’s house, Golden Eye where the James Bond novels were written. That’s why there is a limited release of Blackwell Fine Jamaica Rum, bearing the 007 logo (Amazon, £36.89).

Why not mix up a Golden Eye cocktail and settle down to watch a Bond film over the festive season, and follow up with those rum truffles? Shake equal parts of Blackwell Rum and pineapple juice, strain into a glass and garnish with lime or a pineapple wedge.