Larousse Wine [Hardcover]

This is the English edition of Grand Larousse du Vin, not exactly an encyclopaedia of wine but a guide and geographical reference, beautifully presented in a large format with hundreds of photographs, maps, tables, and "did you know" tips and panels. The book has a luxury feel, complete with a ribbon marker, and considering the research that has gone into it and the high quality production, the price is very reasonable.

There are two parts to Larousse Wine, each of which occupies around half of the 528 pages. The first half, which is the part I enjoyed most, is a comprehensive guide to wine that you can enjoy reading through; in other words, not just a reference. There are chapters on the origins of wine, how it is made, how to choose it, buy it and store it; how to serve it and how to taste it.

I found it fascinating and learned a lot, though those who are already wine experts will find much of it familiar. I like the approach though, which is to assume no prior knowledge on the part of the reader other than that wine is something to be enjoyed.

I was intrigued to learn, for example, that horse-drawn ploughing is reviving in some areas, because it compacts the ground less and is easier than a tractor on steep slopes.

There is a fascinating section on controversial modern practices. Is manual harvesting better than mechanical harvesting? Is it wrong to add sugar during winemaking? There is even a section on how to make a barrel.

The world of wine has its own vocabulary which is amusing from one perspective, but necessary from another when you consider the subtleties of flavour and quality it tries to convey. Here you will find a glossary complete with example tasting notes; all you need to know to come up with phrases like "a refulgent intensity with fine, flowing legs, peppery aromas and a delicate floral hint", and some chance of even understanding them.

The book is translated from French and though the translation is well done this gives the writing a certain flavour which I rather enjoyed. Sometimes it is almost poetic, such as "within the dark coolness of the cellar a silent alchemy occurs".

I do not mean to imply that the book is not practical. It really is; and if you are wondering how long in advance of a meal to open the bottle, you will find it explained here. There is also a table which matches wines to food; personally I tend to be liberal when it comes to such choices, but it is good to have a well-reasoned starting point. Another handy spread covers how to decode the information on a label.

What about the second half of the book? This covers the great wine regions of the world, and while it is full of information I found it less satisfying than the first half. One of the problems is that there is not much space for each region and they do tend to be brief descriptions and lists. It is also obvious that the book is tilted towards French wines and winemaking (something which is also evident in the first half). France gets 108 pages, Italy 20 pages, Australia 11 pages ... you get the idea. I did not mind this; France is the premier wine nation, this is a French book, and it is just part of the book's personality; but it is worth knowing if you plan to give the book to your Australian friend.

The index is not as comprehensive as it should be. For example, I did not find Fitou in the index, but it is mentioned in the section on Languedoc-Roussillon.

Never mind; I love the book which would make a fantastic gift, or if you enjoy wine why not treat yourself?

'Larousse Wine' is really a wonderful book. For both beginner and aficionado it
is a veritable treasure trove of useful information about the wines of the world :
their origins, provenance, manufacture and the joys of enlightened imbibing.

It is a hefty tome, running to over five hundred pages; solid, consummately
designed and full of fine photography. Amusing anecdotes sit comfortably
alongside more technical details and the format follows a logical progression
from 'The Origins Of Wine' to a country-by-country compendium with lucid
descriptions of the best that each has to offer. Tips on tasting, choosing and
storage are also helpfully elucidated. It's hard to think how it might have been
bettered. The researchers and writers can be truly proud of their achievement!

The book has taken pride of place in The Wolfcave library next to my much-loved
and much-used copy of 'Larousse Gastronomique'. They make a very pretty pair!

Highly Recommended.

This is a beautiful book, expertly bound with wonderful full colour photos and at over 500 pages seems on the first sight a comprehensive compendium on all aspects of wine, wine varieties and vineyards.

The chapters are wonderfully set out and teach you everything about the history of wine, how to choose it, how to store it and how to serve it. From this aspect it is as comprehensive as one would want. The problem I have is it does not cover all wines. An example is my favourite, Pinot Noir. This wine is not covered at all in this tome. I am also aghast that a vineyard such as Hugel from Alsace is not even worthy of a mention even though it is one of France's oldest vineyards and produces Grand Cru's. This is just one of many wines/vineyards that is left out. When you realise this, you see that in fact the book is a very selective. If you buy this book you will find other wine varieties missing, other great vineyards not mentioned and a heavy focus on France at the expense of other countries and regions.

This is not a bad book. In fact as far as it goes it is a great book with some very interesting chapters and facts and figures. It is beautifully put together and the photo's are exquisite. My one and only gripe is it is selective and for a book that is this expensive and should be comprehensive, it leaves out references to several grape varieties and vineyards and is heavily focused on French wines. I am not saying this is a bad book, as far as it goes it is fantastic but please be aware it is not as comprehensive as it may first appear.

Recommended but with reservations.