A classic book about the pleasures of wine by the editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine
Even the French admit that Jancis Robinson is the "undisputed mistress of the kingdom of wine" (Le Figaro) and her is vintage memoir of a life in wine. Internationally renowned for her work in both television and print, she is the editor of the bestselling Oxford Companion to Wine and has won more than two dozen major awards around the world. Tasting Pleasure is her compelling account of a passion that began while studying at Oxford University.Writing with Julia Child's authority, Elizabeth David's intelligence, and M.F.K. Fisher's verve, Robinson takes us on a journey through the world's finest cellars, most beautiful vineyards, and best restaurants. As she explores the universe of the grape--from Bordeaux to Australia and South Africa to California--we meet scores of colorful, wine-loving characters, including Philippe de Rothschild, Julian Barnes, Francis Ford Coppola, and Julio Gallo.There are many books about producing and rating wine; this one is about enjoying it. Witty, revealing, and knowledgeable, in Tasting Pleasure Jancis Robinson has distilled twenty years in the wine world into a hugely entertaining read.
Tasting Pleasure : Confessions of a Wine Lover
Description
Table of Contents
Tasting PleasureAcknowledgments
A Tale of Two Wine Producers
Liquid Magic - Birth of a Wine Lover
Becoming a Wine Writer
Early Days - Wine-Sodden Nights
The Old Wine Trade
Blind Tasting
First Steps Abroad
The Thirsty Tour Operator
My Very Own Imprint
Casting Adrift
A New World of Wine
Lurching Toward Respectability
Wine on the Box
Marathon Tastings, and a 1787
Mastering Wine
Distractions
The Wine Revolution, and My Cellar
A Stake in the Motherland
Discovering France's Stomach
Some Very Special Bottles
The Ball and Chain Cast Off
Half Centuries
On Writing About Wine
Vin Fin
Index
Author Description
Review quote
"She writes about wine and the people who make it in a style both personable and reporterly; she refuses to take herself too seriously; and she is something of a gossip." --Coleman Andrews, Saveur
"worth buying just for the sections on the secret world of the Gallo dynasty and Robert Parker" -- Richard Neill, Daily Telegraph
"Robinson is a jaunty writer who imparts her expertise with ease. Here she tours the vineyards of France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Australia and California (where, with a touch of show-biz pizzazz, she visits Francis Ford Coppola's Napa Valley wine estate), and along the way explains the qualities that distinguish the finest wines, introduces winemakers and gossips about major figures in the trade." -- Publishers Weekly