Is it naff to take a bottle of wine to a dinner party? Are red wine and cheese really a match? Should you stick to the house plonk in restaurants? What's so funny about wine? Is it the fact that we take it so seriously? Ned Halley's affectionately irreverent wine jaunt unearths some of the quaint histories and dark secrets of many of the world's most famous wines. Instead of lordly suggestions for the cellar, here is vulgar advice on investing in wine for profit. Wine and health also comes under the spotlight: is it good for us or bad for us? And then there's wine criticism: are writers who tell you what to drink, and what not to drink, simply insane? There's a look, too, at wine marketing: are the biggest-selling brands as good as the hype?

Marguerite Thomas, a contributing editor for Wine News and author of an acclaimed cookbook, The Elegant Peasant. In addition to her work with Wine News, Thomas regularly contributes to the Los Angeles Times syndicate and Saveur and Sant magazines. In addition, she writes about food, wine, travel, and people for a variety of publications, including National Geographic Traveler and Travel Holiday. She divides her time between Baltimore, MD, and New York City.

'An essential addition to your library' Russell Norman 'A genuine ode, written with style and substance in equal measure' Gill Meller 'A joy filled double whammy. Great drinks require as much artistry as food and this book proves the case mightily.' Jeremy Lee Vermouth is currently experiencing a revival, and we can't seem to get enough of it. In A Spirited Guide to Vermouth, Jack Adair Bevan celebrates this versatile drink and its botanicals, drawing out vermouth's history and its delicate herbal flavours with recipes for cocktails, and some food to accompany them. As an award-winning food and drink writer, and one of the first restaurateurs to make his own vermouth, Jack Adair Bevan is the perfect guide through vermouth's rich history and recent resurgence. As well as Jack's original recipes, A Spirited Guide to Vermouth also contains recipes contributed from the likes of Russell Norman, Olia Hercules, Gill Meller and Jeremy Lee. With cocktails ranging from a Toasted Nut Boulevardier to a Perfect Manhattan, and from a Blood Orange Vermouth and Tonic to a Rosemary Bijou, the book also has dedicated sections exploring classics such as the Martini and the Negroni. This book will take you on a botanical journey of discovery and teach you not only how to make your own vermouth, but also how to use it in your cooking, from vermouth-braised red cabbage to Negroni Bara Brith, along with plenty of food and drink recipes to accompany the aperitivo hour.

Now in its 33rd edition, the Penin Guide Spanish Wine 2023 is the definitive guide to Spanish wine. Each year our team of tasters travels to every wine-growing area of Spain to taste and review new varieties, labels and vintages, and this year's edition of the guide contains information on more than 9,900 new wines. Whatever your budget, the Penin Guide is the indispensable guide for those who want to discover the best of Spanish wine. Text in Spanish.

Between Bordeaux and the Spanish border, reaching east to the Massif Central and the river valleys of the Dordogne and Lot, and south to the foothills of the Pyrenees, lies a unique and little-known viticultural landscape. "South-West France" is a wine lover's paradise that cultivates an astonishing array of grape varieties, many that grow nowhere else, and produces a fascinating assortment of wines. In this book, Paul Strang covers the South-West with enthusiasm and keen expertise, providing a history of its wine industry, including a near collapse and unlikely rebirth, and introducing readers to a region that seems to defy globalization. The outstanding local wines - made by idiosyncratic growers motivated by a passion for their profession - range from inky Tannats to honeyed late-harvest Semillons. Intrepid readers are invited to rediscover this beautiful part of France, already well known for its cuisine, castles, and cave art, for its earthy and intriguing wines. This book is the winner of the 2009 GOURMAND World Cookbook Awards' 'Best Wine Atlas/Tourism Book in the World'.

Following in the footsteps of other illustrious Italian gastronomic successes - from pizza to pasta, from mozzarella to Parmesan and mortadella - Prosecco is the most recent "made in Italy" product to have colonized the world. But what is its history, and how did it come to be a global phenomenon? Luigi Bolzon retraces the origins of Prosecco's immense popularity back to the story of the Italian emigrants who left their country in the second half of the nineteenth century and the experiences of those who, knowingly or not, were most instrumental in cementing Prosecco's reputation in the UK and worldwide. Peppered with anecdotes and containing a rich tapestry of direct testimonies from the protagonists of Prosecco's ascent in the world of wines, Bolzon's book delves deep into the Italian soul to offer an insightful look behind the production and the continuing success of Britain's most loved bubbly.