This year again delivered diverse and meaty releases of beautifully-written and designed wines and spirits books. There was a palpable shift in mood, no doubt catalysed by events from within the drinks industry and beyond: brows have lowered and the hedonistic, poetic and humorous sense the subjects at hand have come vividly to the foreground. For the benefit of all readers and wine and spirits lovers – and arguably of authors – such is the sense of enjoyment that runs through the pages of the titles below.
No doubt a sign of the times, there seems to be an ever-greater appetite to explore the essence of the enjoyment of all these unique drinks; an urgency to deploy knowledge while also validating the poetry – and fun – of the pursuit of both storytelling and drinking. This is the thread that runs through all the stand-out titles of 2024 – now sit down and enjoy, each sip and page at a time.
Best wine books 2024 One Thousand Vines: A New Way to Understand Wine
By Pascaline Lepeltier; Mitchell Beazley, £45/$55
Originally published in French, the English edition – beautifully illustrated by Loan Nguyen Thanh Lan – of Pascaline Lepeltier comprehensive oeuvre retains a pure, unapologetic francophone edge, in point of view as well as sensibility. Nothing wrong there, especially given that One Thousand Vines is not an academic pursuit: while it offers in depth technical knowledge, it’s foremost a guide to a personal, poetic (albeit informed) interpretation
