classic wine library

CLASSIC
WINE
LIBRARY
Infinite Ideas
INTRODUCTION
by series editor Richard Mayson
There is something uniquely satisfying about a good wine book, preferably read
with a glass of the said wine in hand. A book contributes immeasurably to the
understanding and appreciation of the growing and increasingly complex world
of wine. Terroir, that nebulous term which seems to shape and encapsulate the
character of so many fine wines, is best explained by a specialist writer who has
walked the vineyards, interviewed the wine makers and tasted the wines that
together make up a wine region.
The Classic Wine Library published by Infinite Ideas is a new series of wine books
written by authors who are both knowledgeable and passionate about their subject
matter. Each of the titles in the Classic Wine Library covers a wine region or
country and is very much the work of an individual author. Together the series
is intended to be a comprehensive guide and enjoyable read, appealing to wine
drinkers, tourists, armchair travellers and wine trade students alike.
If you would like to request a review copy of the books, or arrange an interview with the authors, please contact
Catherine on catherine@infideas.com or call 01865 514888.
‘A man will be eloquent if you give him good
wine.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson
PORT AND THE
DOURO
(THIRD EDITION)
Richard Mayson
This completely updated edition of Richard Mayson’s Port and the Douro offers a comprehensive history of
this popular wine from its Phoenician origins, detailed descriptions of the process from vineyard to bottle
and a chapter on vintage varieties. This edition includes maps of the Douro and the north of Portugal as well
as a full listing for each of the current producers.
Richard Mayson is an expert on port and Portuguese wines. He is the author of Portugal’s Wine and
Winemakers and The Wines and Vineyards of Portugal and is a contributor to the Oxford Companion to Wine
and Larousse Encyclopaedia of Wine as well as to Decanter and Wine International. In 2014 Richard won the
Louis Roederer award for International Wine Feature Writer of the Year.
‘... a fantastic read from the get-go.’ – Jancis Robinson
‘What to Read Before You Go: Port and the Douro by port wine expert Richard Mayson.’ – National Geographic
‘Richard’s tone remains down-to-earth despite his obvious authority and knowledge when it comes to this wine
region. This is a book that offers much that is new and I’m delighted that I will be able to have it to hand when I
next open a bottle.’ – winedoctor.com
‘The new edition is far superior to all editions that have gone before … beyond any doubt ‘The Bible of Port Wine’.
No port library is complete without this book!’ – BooksAboutPort.com
‘… if you need to know anything at all about port … this is the book to have at hand.’ – Spittoon.biz
‘No port library is complete
without this book!’
COGNAC
THE STORY OF THE WORLD’S
GREATEST BRANDY (THIRD EDITION)
Nicholas Faith
This fully revised third edition of Cognac: The story of the world’s greatest brandy provides an authoritative
account of how the much-loved spirit is produced and matured. Nicholas Faith, the world’s leading
authority on cognac, explores the reasons for the spirit’s complex character, and reveals its fascinating history.
Two new sections give tips on the appreciation and mixing of cognac, including a selection of cocktail
recipes, and suggestions on the best foods to enjoy with cognac. This new edition also includes a fully
updated directory of the producers and their brandies – including the author’s tasting notes.
Nicholas Faith is best known, for the books and hundreds of articles he has written on wines and spirits over
the past thirty years. His first book on wine, The Winemasters, won the André Simon award. He also edited
the prestigious magazine L’Amateur de Bordeaux. In 1996 he founded the International Spirits Challenge,
now recognised as the world’s leading competition devoted to alcoholic spirits of every description. In
September 2010 Nicholas Faith was the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award given by the
Bureau National Interprofessional de Cognac.
‘... a well-written, informative page-turner that’s definitely worth the investment.’ – Jancis Robinson
‘This book is the most up to date literature that can be found about cognac; the drink and the region, and certainly
makes for a ‘must read’ for anyone who pays homage to the wonder that is eaux-de-vie.’ – CognacExpert.com
‘If you’re looking to understand the world of Cognac this is one book worth investing in.’ – diffordsguide.com
‘a thorough and engaging resource – the essential companion for every cognac enthusiast … not a mere guide, it is
the standard to which we should all aspire.’ – Brandy Classics
‘Here, one feels, is a wine journalist who is prepared to probe beneath the surface.’ – Wine & Spirit
‘the essential companion for
every cognac enthusiast.’
SHERRY
(SIXTH EDITION)
Julian Jeffs
In 1956 Julian Jeffs got a job (by chance) in the sherry bodega of Williams & Humbert. Having decided he
needed to learn all there was to know about sherry he read everything he could lay his hands on regarding
the subject. It quickly became evident to him that there was no single accurate, reliable book on the subject
and so he decided to write his own. Since then fashions in sherry-drinking have changed dramatically but
Jeffs’ book has remained the standard work, published in every decade over the last fifty years.
This sixth edition of Sherry brings the story right up to date. Much has changed since the first edition.
Technological advances have transformed the way the wines are made, market forces have seen many great
names in the trade disappear and changing fashions have ensured that we are drinking different types of
sherry than we were fifty years ago. Sherry covers everything the sherry enthusiast might want to know and is
also a comprehensive guide for anybody involved in the sherry trade.
After leaving Cambridge, Julian Jeffs worked in a bodega in Jerez de la Frontera, where he saw every stage in
the production of wine. He was then called to the Bar but took two years off to write the first edition of this
book, and to pay other visits to Jerez before practising. A successful career in law did not prevent him from
writing two further books on wine. Jeffs is a former President of the Circle of Wine Writers and General
Editor of Faber Wine Books.
‘The classic book … since 1961 when it first came out this has been rightly regarded as the standard work.’’ – The
Times
‘As a combination of history, description and appreciation it is difficult to believe that it will be supplanted.’
– Financial Times
JEFFS
Co 6t
m he
an plet di
d ely tio
up r
da ev n
te ise
d d
ion of history, description and appreciation it is
lt to believe that it will be supplanted.”
Financial Times
SHERRY
… since 1961 when it first came out this has been
htly regarded as the standard work.”
The Times
Fully revised and updated for its sixth
edition, this benchmark book recounts
the exciting and turbulent evolution
of the sherry region and explores
the timeless combination of its
history, culture and the development
of the sherry trade. Julian Jeffs
chronicles the changing face of
sherry – its viticultural methods, the
complex production techniques, its
growing trade and the region itself.
He also provides extensive details
of the traditional family firms and
the new boutique bodegas, while
comprehensively unravelling the
timeless appeal of one of Spain’s
greatest wines.
SHERRY
www.infideas.com
£30.00
“If penicillin can cure those that are ill,
Spanish sherry can bring the dead back
to life.”
AlexanderFleming
JULIAN JEFFS
‘The classic book … rightly
regarded as the standard work.’
THE GUIDES
FACTS AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Nicholas Faith’s Guide to Cognac is a directory supplement
to his best-selling book Cognac: The story of the world’s
greatest brandy, winner of the Veuve Clicquot award in the
US and the Deinhard/Wine Magazine award in the UK.
The second edition won the André Simon prize, Britain’s
premier wine and spirit writing prize.
The book contains contact details for more than 100
cognac producers along with tasting notes on the cognacs
they make. The directory is backed up with an insightful
introduction to the creation of the world’s greatest brandy,
including details on cultivation, distillation and blending.
To finish there is a selection of tempting cocktail recipes
for those who’d like to try a different way of enjoying their
favourite spirit.
Currently available
Nicholas Faith’s Guide to Cognac
Nicholas Faith is renowned for the books and hundreds of
articles he has written on wines and spirits over the past
thirty years. His first book on wine, The Winemasters, won
the André Simon award. He also edited the prestigious
magazine L’Amateur de Bordeaux. In 1996 he founded the
International Spirits Challenge, now recognised as the
world’s leading competition devoted to alcoholic spirits of
every description. In September 2010 Nicholas Faith was
the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award given
by the Bureau National Interprofessional de Cognac.
NICHOLAS FAITH’S GUIDE TO COGNAC
To accompany each new title in the Classic Wine Library, Infinite Ideas also publishes
directories. Each directory is available to download as a free ebook on all ebook
platforms or as a free PDF from our web site, and makes an excellent quick reference.
NICHOLAS FAITH’S GUIDE TO
COGNAC
Contains Nicholas Faith’s tasting notes on nearly 200 cognacs, a comprehensive list of
shippers and producers and even some cognac recipes for those who want to get a bit
more adventurous with their brandy.
A guide to all the vintages back to 1960 plus tasting notes on other years as far back as
1844. Also includes a full directory of port producers and shippers.
Coming in March 2015
Richard Mayson has worked as a freelance wine writer and
lecturer since 1989. His first book, the award-winning Portugal’s
Wines and Wine-Makers, was published in 1992. The first edition
of Port and the Douro, published in 1999, was short-listed for
the André Simon Award and the second edition, published in
2004, won the Symington Award of Excellence. His book The
Wines and Vineyards of Portugal won the André Simon Award
for the Drinks Book of the Year in 2003.
Richard writes regularly for Decanter and World of Fine Wine,
and in 2014 won the Domaines Ott International Wine Feature
Writer of the Year award at the prestigious Louis Roederer 10th
International Wine Writers’ Awards.
Julian Jeffs’s Guide to Sherry
£20.00
RICHARD MAYSON’S GUIDE TO VINTAGE PORT
Richard Mayson’s Guide to Vintage Port
Richard Mayson’s Guide to Vintage Port is a directory supplement
to his bestselling book Port and the Douro, comprising a guide to
vintage Port and a directory of producers and shippers.
The guide to Port vintages takes each year in turn, noting
relevant weather conditions, market considerations and the
overall style of the wines, and highlighting particularly successful
shippers. Richard includes every ‘modern’ Port vintage back
to 1960, along with more recent Single Quinta Vintage Ports
(SQVPs). Each year is given a star rating from 0 to 5 stars. Fully
declared vintages prior to 1960 are also described in detail with
the oldest of the notes dating back to 1844.
The directory of producers and shippers provides full
contact details and tasting notes for more than fifty vintage
Port producers and shippers. The guide also includes
interesting asides on bottling vintage port, serving and tasting,
and passing the Port, along with special features on Quinta do
Noval Nacional and Vargellas Vinha Velha.
RICHARD MAYSON’S GUIDE TO
vintage
port
This is a comprehensive guide to the world of sherry, including Julian Jeffs’ tips on
tasting sherry and details of current shippers and their best wines.
For those without an e-reader, or who would prefer to own the print copy, printed books can be purchased from
Amazon for £20.
GIFT SET
THE INFINITE IDEAS CLASSIC WINE
LIBRARY COLLECTION 2014
The ideal Christmas gift for the wine
connoisseur: buy all three of the current
titles for £70 (rrp £95).
The collection contains:
Port and the Douro, Richard Mayson
(rrp £30)
Cognac, Nicholas Faith (rrp £30)
Sherry, Julian Jeffs (rrp £35)
Email Catherine Holdsworth at
catherine@infideas.com or call
01865 514888 and quote CWL14.
Available for a limited time only.
SAVE
£25
COMING IN 2015 ...
Madeira: the islands and their wines
Richard Mayson
Madeira is without doubt one of the most difficult wines to describe but it is
certainly the most uplifting. There is a short section on the language of tasting
madeira as well as information on buying, keeping and serving the wines. The book
concludes with a travel guide for anyone visiting the islands.
Available: 15th May 2015
The wines of Austria
Stephen Brook
Stephen Brook’s The wines of Austria introduces Austrian terroir and grape varieties
and the rules and regulations that govern the production of Austrian wine before
supplying a comprehensive guide to the 12 wine regions. A final chapter assesses
vintages, with a star rating for each, and a separate rating for Niederoesterreich
whites, Burgenland reds, and sweet wines. The most recent ten vintages are
considered in detail.
THE WINES OF
AUSTRIA
STEPHEN BROOK
Available: 30th September 2015
ALSO AVAILABLE
Spirits distilled
Mark Ridgwell
Lovers of spirits will find this book an invaluable resource for understanding
and appreciating spirits from a qualitative rather than quantitative perspective.
Professionals too will find the quizzes in Spirits Distilled a particularly useful tool
for understanding better the spirits they sell. An essential book that belongs on the
reference shelf of everyone who works with or enjoys spirits, Spirits Distilled is a
classic in the making.
Available: 15th January 2015