The Platter’s by Diners Club South African Wine Guide 2017 was launched at Cape Town’s The Table Bay Hotel on 31 October 2016 with over 200 guests in attendance, the VIPs including wine producers who had achieved the maximum five star rating in the new edition – reserved for wines that are “South African classics”.

The guide’s ultimate accolade, Winery of the Year, this year was awarded to the iconic Nederburg Wines, making this the second time that they have won, the last time being six years ago in the 2011 edition. In this 2017 edition, they achieved no fewer than four Five Star results, the most of any producer.

The prestigious Red Wine of the Year accolade went to The Winery of Good Hope for the Radford Dale Black Rock 2014 and White Wine of the Year was awarded to Stellenrust for the 51 Barrel Fermented Chenin Blanc 2015. The Dessert Wine of the Year award again went to last year’s Dessert Wine winner, and 2016 Winery of Year, Mullineux & Leeu Family Wines, for their Straw Wine 2015.

A total of 94 Five Star wines, as well as one new Five Star brandy, are featured in the 2017 guide. Publisher of Platter’s by Diners Club, Jean-Pierre Rossouw, says: “As per last year, all wines that were scored 4.5 stars or higher in the primary assessment went into a second round of tasting, conducted blind (without sight of the label) by small panels including experienced palates from outside the team. It is testament to the exceptional quality of the highly regarded 2015 vintage that we saw a good run of results, particularly in the white wine categories. Hearty congratulations to all winners!”

Emerging from this thorough review process with their first ever Five Star ratings were the following 17 producers: Artisanal Boutique Winery, Bartinney Private Cellar, Bosman Family Vineyards, Diemersdal Estate, Donkiesbaai, La Vierge Private Cellar, Laibach Vineyards, Môreson, Mount Abora Vineyards, Olifantsberg Family Vineyards, Perdeberg Winery, Restless River, Ronnie B Wines, Skaap Wines, Stellar Winery, Thorne & Daughters Wines and Trizanne Signature Wines.

Also worthy of note are a fantastic run of three Five Star ratings for Cape Chamonix Wine Farm, David & Nadia, Kleine Zalze Wines, Newton Johnson Vineyards and Sadie Family Wines.

Every wine has a story. In this collection of elegantly written essays from the past thirty years, updated with a new introduction and endnotes, renowned author Gerald Asher informs wine enthusiasts with insightful, engrossing accounts of wines from Europe and America that offer just as much for those who simply enjoy vivid evocations of people and places. Asher puts wine in its context by taking the reader on a series of discursive journeys that start with the carafe at his elbow. In his introduction, Asher says, "Wine ...draws on everything and leads everywhere". Whether the subject is a supposedly simple red wine shared in a Parisian cafe or a Napa Valley Cabernet tasted with its vintner, every essay in "A Carafe of Red" is as pleasurable as the wines themselves.

"A History of Wine in America" is the definitive account of winemaking in the United States, first as it was carried out under Prohibition, and then as it developed and spread to all fifty states after the repeal of Prohibition. Engagingly written, exhaustively researched, and rich in detail, this book describes how Prohibition devastated the wine industry, the conditions of renewal after Repeal, the various New Deal measures that affected wine, and the early markets and methods. Thomas Pinney goes on to examine the effects of World War II and how the troubled postwar years led to the great wine boom of the late 1960s, the spread of winegrowing to almost every state, and its continued expansion to the present day. The history of wine in America is, in many ways, the history of America and of American enterprise in microcosm. Pinney's sweeping narrative comprises a lively cast of characters that includes politicians, bootleggers, entrepreneurs, growers, scientists, and visionaries. Pinney relates the development of winemaking in states such as New York and Ohio; its extension to Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas, and other states; and its notable successes in California, Washington, and Oregon. He is the first to tell the complete and connected story of the rebirth of the wine industry in California, now one of the most successful winemaking regions in the world.

Which Wine When offers brilliant wine matches to the food we eat every day.

This is for anyone who knows their sourdough from their sliced white but still finds themselves standing in the wine aisle making panicked decisions about what to drink based on special offers, a vague memory or a nice-looking label.

Now you’ll be able to look up dish or style of cooking and find three recommendations – and if the shop doesn’t have what you want, Bert and Claire give you the words to ask for the type of wine you’re looking for. From take aways and snacks to Sunday lunches, home cooking classics, cheese and desserts, these expert wine matches are fun, affordable and simple enough you can pop to a supermarket or local wine shop.

Whether you’re ordering a curry, taking a bottle to a friends, going out for dinner, or vegging out on the sofa with a bowl of pasta, Which Wine When will turn even the most down-to-earth meal into a magical combination of what’s on your plate and what’s in your glass.

The First Complete Guide to the 1855 Bordeaux Classification—A Fascinating Account for Wine Lovers and an Authoritative Reference for Wine Industry Professionals The 1855 Bordeaux Classification has been a fixture of the wine world for almost 150 years, yet the origin of the system and the thinking behind it have never been thoroughly researched and presented in detail—until now. How was the 1855 classification drafted? Who was responsible? What was the rationale for the cru classé rating, and what criteria were used to determine inclusion and ranking? 1855: A History of the Bordeaux Classification answers these central questions and more. Drawing on primary source material gleaned through professional organizations, municipal archives, and author visits to each Médoc, Graves, and Sauternes property listed in the 1855 classification, this immaculately researched book demystifies every key aspect of the subject. Appendices give readers direct access to documents from the archives of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce, selected Bordeaux wine price quotations, and other valuable information. With thoughtful conclusions on the continued viability of the 1855 classification today, this book is essential reading for informed wine industry professionals and wine lovers alike.

Here's the inside scoop on the wine world. Globalization has pushed back the borders of the wine world, creating a complex, interconnected market where Old World and New World wines and producers compete head to head. Writing with wit and verve, Mike Veseth (a.k.a. the Wine Economist) tells the compelling story of the war between the market forces that are redrawing the world wine map and the terroirists who resist them. This is the battle for the future of wine--and for its soul. The fight isn't just over bottles bought and sold, however; power and taste are also at stake. Who will call the shots in the wine market of the future? Who will set the price? Whose palate will prevail? Veseth masterfully brings all of these questions together in the only book on the wine business written for all lovers of wine. Wine Wars II begins by exploring wine globalization, where readers follow "Missionaries, Migrants, and Market Reforms" to faraway New Zealand and learn how to unlock the secrets of their local retail "Wine Wall" by mastering the "DaVino Code." Globalization brings a world of wine to our doorsteps. Commodification helps us make sense of the resulting embarrassment of riches, but at a cost. Readers must decide if they are Martians or Wagnerians, consider why "They Always Buy the Ten Cent Wine," and then probe the puzzle of "Outlaws, Prisoners, and the Great Escape." Who stands in the way of the global wine market's assault on wine's very soul? The"Revenge of the Terroirists!" Resistance is not futile, because 'We Are All Terroirists Now," but that doesn't mean the future of wine is secure. A final section explores "Wine's Triple Crisis," environmental crisis plus economic crisis, plus identity crisis. Taken together these crises pose the most serious threat to wine as we know and love it. Each section of Wine Wars II ends with a suggested wine tasting that invites readers to experience the book's ideas and arguments with all their senses by sampling a few carefully chosen wines. Can the soul of wine survive - and thrive - in this unfriendly environment? You'll have to read Wine Wars II to find out!

Burgundy has a far stronger hold over the imagination and passions of wine lovers than the relatively modest number of bottles it produces. Over the centuries, hundreds of plots of vineyard land were demarcated, farmed, and individually named. The monks who did this work noticed that each vineyard had a slightly different character, and that this difference was consistently expressed each year in the wine it produced. Today we call this phenomenon terroir, and in Burgundy it finds its fullest expression through the region's signature varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. This sumptuously illustrated and beautifully produced guide, complete with maps and more than 150 full-color photographs, leads readers on a journey through the well-worn vineyard paths and into the cellars of the Cote d'Or. Bill Nanson's informative narrative describes the region's vineyards and vintages, as well as the cultural, historical, and personal realities involved in their translation into wine.

No poems can live long or please that are written by water-drinkers. Horace, Roman poet I like [champagne] because it always tastes as though my foot is asleep. Art Buchwald In Wine Froth, Washington Post wine columnist Dick Rosano celebrates 8,000 years of wine-stained history with this droll, profound, bizarre, hilarious, charming, and totally entertaining collection of wine quotes, anecdotes, and trivia. Here s another sample: Richard Nixon knew his wines, and which were being served at White House dinner functions. He instructed the serving staff to hide the labels of certain bottles, and that he was to be poured the best of them, and particular guests were to get the other stuff. Also included in this richly illustrated little book are scores of tips to help make wine a little easier to enjoy, such as: adding kosher salt to your bucket of ice will chill wine faster. Merlot is French for little blackbird"

Is this the right book for me? Wine Tasting will help you to discover wines you enjoy, and to feel confident about your choices in every situation. It will give you a step-by-step guide to wine appreciation and explain the facts you need to find wines that suit your taste. It covers all the major grape varieties and wine-making styles, and offers plenty of practical information about how to buy, store and serve wine, whatever your personal preference. Wine Tasting includes: Part one: where to begin Chapter 1: Getting started Chapter 2: How to taste wine Part two: the flavours of wine Chapter 3: Grape varieties Chapter 4: Climate and place Chapter 5: The winemaker Chapter 6: Understanding your own taste Part three: Wines of the world Chapter 7: How to identify wine styles Chapter 8: Wine regions: Europe Chapter 9: Wine regions: the new world Part four: Buying, serving and storing wine Chapter 10: Wine with food Chapter 11: Serving wine Chapter 12: Understanding wine labels Chapter 13: Buying wine Chapter 14: Storing wine

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?

In "Thomas Jefferson on Wine," John Hailman celebrates a founding father's lifelong interest in wine and provides unprecedented insight into Jefferson's character from this unique perspective. In both his personal and public lives, Jefferson wielded his considerable expertise to influence the drinking habits of his friends, other founding fathers, and the American public away from hard liquor toward the healthier pleasures of wine.

An international wine judge and nationally syndicated wine columnist, Hailman discusses how Jefferson's tastes developed, which wines and foods he preferred at different stages of his life, and how Jefferson became the greatest wine expert of the early American republic. Hailman explores the third president's fascination with scores of wines from his student days at Williamsburg to his lengthy retirement years at Monticello, often using Jefferson's own words from hundreds of immensely readable and surprisingly modern letters on the subject. A new epilogue covers the ongoing saga of the alleged wine swindle involving bottles of Bordeaux purported to belong to Jefferson.

An epic, scandal-plagued story of the immigrant family that built--and then spectacularly lost--a global wine empire

Set in California's lush Napa Valley and spanning four generations of a talented and visionary family, "The House of Mondavi" is a tale of genius, sibling rivalry, and betrayal. From 1906, when Italian immigrant Cesare Mondavi passed through Ellis Island, to the Robert Mondavi Corp.'s twenty-first-century battle over a billion-dollar fortune, award-winning journalist Julia Flynn brings to life both the place and the people in this riveting family drama.

The blood feuds are as spectacular as the business triumphs. Cesare's sons, Robert and Peter, literally came to blows in the 1960s during a dispute touched off by the purchase of a mink coat, resulting in Robert's exile from the family--and his subsequent founding of a winery that would set off a revolution in American winemaking. Robert's sons, Michael and Timothy, as passionate in their own ways as their visionary father, waged battle with each other for control of the company before Michael's expansive ambitions ultimately led to a board coup and the sale of the business to an international conglomerate.

A meticulously reported narrative based on thousands of hours of interviews, "The House of Mondavi" is bound to become a classic.

Features:

• Exciting New Drinks
• Frozen Blender Drinks
• Beer and Wine
• Punch
• Low-Calorie Drinks
• After-Dinner Drinks
• Non-Alcoholic Drinks
• Hot Drinks
• Aperitifs
• Holiday and Seasonal Drinks

Plus...

• Stocking the Bar
• Selecting Barware
• A Guide to Ingredients
• Making Toasts
• Responsible Bartending
• Responsible Drinking
• Party Planning
• Creating Theme Parties

Wine drinkers are generally healthier and often live longer. They have less heart disease and diabetes, and are less likely to suffer from dementia in old age. Is this the wine, their diet or their lifestyle? THE WINE DIET is a complete nutritional lifestyle and contains the very latest groundbreaking research from an internationally renowned scientist and his team. * Proved at last: drinking red wine really is good for you. * Identified! The antioxidant that unlocks the real secret of the French Paradox. * As well as wine you can get the same benefits from a variety of delicious foodstuffs, including chocolate. * Lose weight - and keep it off - as a result of straightforward lifestyle adjustments. * Enjoy 40 delicious new recipes and benefit from the author's practical cooking tips and eating plans.

For most people giving up the day job and moving to a beautiful area of France and living off the vines is an impossible but delicious dream. In 1990, Patricia Atkinson and her husband decided to sell up in Britain and emigrate to the Dordogne. Their idea was to buy a house with a few vines attached and employ someone to tend to the wine while they earned their living with some financial consultancy work. There followed a series of disasters: the stock market crashed leaving their small holding as their sole source of income; the first red wine harvest turned to vinegar; and Patricia's husband returned to Britain, unable to cope with the stress. He never returned. Patricia Atkinson, whose only knowledge of wine up to that moment was 'that it came from a bottle' and who had not a word of French, was left to salvage their life savings form the vineyards. What follows is a remarkable story of struggle and transformation whereby her tiny 4 hectare plot has become a major estate of 21 hectares, where her Clos d'Yvigne wines have won awards and been adopted by wine merchants throughout the world and where she has been hailed as a superstar by UK wine writers.

The perfect Christmas 2012 gift for everyone who enjoys life, love, laughter and good wine. Delightful, imaginative, full-colour illustrations with witty descriptions of winemakers' phrases and expressions.