Oz Clarke S Bordeaux

Bordeaux has always been the center of attention in the wine world, with some of the greatest wines, the most historic châteaux, and the highest level of glamour and prestige. And, despite increasing competition from new classic wine areas around the world, it still accounts for more than 90 percent of global wine futures and auction markets.In his trademark A-to-Z format, Oz profiles more than three hundred of Bordeaux's most important châteaux as well as their second wines and discount brands, and recommends and describes hundreds of other châteaux. With color photos, wine labels, charts, and maps throughout, this volume covers each of Bordeaux's subregions in sumptuous detail--fully exploring the area's history, geography, soils, and grape varieties.Oz is at his witty, incisive best on this region, which he has both championed and challenged for years. With his vivid descriptions of the area as well as his knowledge of classic and best-value wines, this is an essential book for all lovers of Bordeaux wine.

Refreshingly witty and readable guide to the world's most famous wine region. Every producer in the world with ambitions to make great red wine still looks to Bordeaux for inspiration and the region is brought to life by Oz with his evocative descriptions and personal anecdotes, accompanied by stunning photographs and maps. Oz turns his spotlight on each of the famous Bordeaux wine areas (including St-Emilion, Pomerol, Margaux and Pauillac). He also recommends hundreds of affordable modern Bordeaux wines for drinking today. Returning to his wine roots, Oz shows how, whatever crises may be affecting the French wine industry in general and the lower end of the market in particular, Bordeaux, is on the whole, in optimistic mode. However much we now appreciate wine from all over the world, there is still nothing quite as magical as the best bottles from the best producers in this historic wine region. 'There is no better introduction to the world's most dazzling wine region.' Decanter 'A well-planned, well-executed, approachable book packed with information and illustrations.' The Sunday Times

Oz Clarke, who knows his way round both ends of the wine market better than anyone, has produced this guide offering extensive coverage of this diverse wine-making region, from truly classic wines to the more everyday wines.

Winemaking is as old as civilization itself and wine has always been more than just a drink. For thousands of years, from its origins in ancient Mesopotamia to its current status as a vast global industry, the history of wine has been directly related to major social, cultural, religious and economic changes. This fascinating and entertaining book takes a look at 100 bottles that mark a significant change in the evolution of wine and winemaking and captures the innovations and discoveries that have had the biggest impact on the history of ‘bottled poetry’. From goatskin to the German Ratskeller casks and invention of the glass wine bottle, from the short onion-shaped bottles of the 1720s to the tall cylindrical bottles of the 1780s, why Bordeaux, Burgundy and Hoch have their own distinctive bottle shape to the distinctive Paul Masson carafe of the 1970s. Other stories cover the first cork-topped bottles to screw caps, bag-in-box, cans and cartons, early wine labels once glue was strong enough, the first wine labels to be produced by a vineyard (and not a merchant as previously) and commissioned artwork by the 20th century’s most iconic artists for labels on high-end bottles; historically important and unique bottles: the oldest unopened, the most expensive sold at auction, the rarest; wines from the oldest vineyard in production, from the driest place on earth, from the highest and lowest vineyards and the most northern and southern. Oz Clarke also writes about the people who have influenced wine through the centuries, from the medieval Cistercian monks of Burgundy who first thought of place as an important aspect of wine’s identity, through scientists like Pasteur and Peynaud who improved key technical aspects of winemaking, to 20th-century giants like Robert Mondavi and Robert Parker Jr. Oz also talks about famous vintages, from the 1727 Rüdesheimer Apostelwein to the first Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc in 1979 and today’s cult wines from Bordeaux and California. Word Count - 55,000

Oz Clarke is recognized the world over as one of the leading experts on wine and this new book, Oz Clarke's World of Wine, is an entertaining yet authoritative guide to the world of wine that has grown out of all recognition in the last 20 years. The book covers all you need to know about Oz’s favourite wines, grapes and top vineyards and wine regions. In his trademark lively and opinionated prose, Oz takes the reader on a 'grand tour' of the great wine regions of the world, explaining the flavours behind different wines and how to find the wine you want, from Vancouver Island in the west to the coast of China in the east. He will inspire the reader to be adventurous in his choices of wines to drink and to make the best of the wonderful world of wine. Illustrated with photographs of stunning wine landscapes and detailed, maps of key wine countries and regions, this book illustrates and explains the vital connections between wine and its landscape. Fundamental to the understanding of wine is a sense of place – knowing which country, which region, which hillside and which vineyard a wine comes from adds enormously to the pleasure of drinking it.

Oz Clarke’s now-classic pocket wine guide has been thoroughly and meticulously revised and updated for 2008, with much-anticipated lists of favorite wines, top values, producers and regions to watch, new vintage reports, and a country-by-country index.

One of the world's leading wine experts offers the first authoritative, illustrated reference book in nearly 20 years on the world's great wine grapes. Full color throughout.

You don’t need to know all about wine regions or how wine is made to choose wine with confidence. If you like the sound of intense, blackcurranty reds or aromatic whites, this book will tell you how to find these flavours in the wines you buy, regardless of whether the wine is labelled by grape variety or by country. Drinking wine is all about enjoyment. Oz explains how to get maximum enjoyment out of every bottle you buy, from dealing with broken corks, to learning basic tasting techniques, spotting faulty wine, and matching food and wine, whether at home or in a restaurant. In Oz’s down-to-earth guide to all the world’s major wine regions you’ll find everything you need to know to navigate your way round a wine shop or wine website. Oz explores grape varieties, flavours and styles, giving equal consideration to classic wine regions – such as Bordeaux and Chianti – and the newer wine-producing countries such as New Zealand, Australia, Chile and Argentina. Do vintages matter? Are the wines good value for money? Oz tells you everything you really need to know. Gradually building your knowledge with expert tips, information boxes and wines to try, this is a complete guide for the beginner wine enthusiast. Word Count: 55,000