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Wine Books: Tom Stevenson

Stevenson's interests are Champagne and Alsace, and his words on these regions are invaluable.

Wine Report 2008
Tom Stevenson
Available from Amazon
1-4053-2233-0
 

You know that the end of the year must be approaching when the latest edition of Wine Report arrives in the post. Having missed out on the 2007 edition, it has already been a pleasure to be able to dip into the cumulative knowledge of Tom Stevenson's band of merry men (and women, of course), assembled to report on all that is new, be it good or bad, in the world of wine. The team in question remains strong, with many familiar faces, on the whole nicely paired up with their specialist subject - Bob Campbell MW for New Zealand, John Radford for Spain, Julian Jeffs for Sherry, and so on. The format is also unchanged as far as I can see, with all sections still receiving an equal weighting, but I wonder if this isn't a strength rather than a weakness? The world is awash with information on developments in Bordeaux or Burgundy - a trawl through any wine magazine's news section or preferably their website will keep you well informed - but where else can you find eight pages on what is hot and happening in the vineyards of Luxembourg, Belgium, the Atlantic Northeast of the USA or the new wineries (now 800 in 12 countries, I am informed) in Asia?

The non-regional reports remain interesting, and no doubt there is something here for everybody. Wine on the Web receives its usual run down from Tom Cannavan, who has his finger on the pulse with his treatise on myspace.com and newly developing wine sites that are run on a similar theme, and he expresses some interesting opinions on recent developments in the team of writers over at Robert Parker's site. Beverley Blanning MW does a good job of reporting news on Wine and Health, although it still has the feel of the regurgitation of medical opinion rather than a critical appraisal. I would like to see more of Beverley's views on what is published, interpreting the data for her readers, rather than her simply directly quoting what the authors have said. Nevertheless, for those with an interest in the field, this is an unrivalled resource and a very good starting point for discovering what is newly published in recent months. Overall this is a simple 'must buy' text that will be invaluable to all with an interest in wine, and what is more it remains excellent value, with a cover price that remains less than £10 - although it is considerably cheaper on Amazon. As a stocking filler, you can't go wrong.

The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia
Tom Stevenson
Available from Amazon
0-7513-3740-4

This noble tome returns in its fourth incarnation, newly updated and hidden inside a stylishly fresh black and gold dust jacket. Despite its trendy new exterior, however, this book remains as academically comprehensive as ever, with as complete a coverage of the world's established wine regions as you could possibly wish for. Each appellation, DOC or AVA is accompanied by a useful shortlist of recommended producers, and a number of significant regions - the Bordeaux communes, Port, Napa, to name just three - see a little more detail in the assessment of their respective winemakers. Valuable information, but the gold dust within this book are the data on the wine producing regions themselves, rather than the recommendations.

Pore through this attractively illustrated (decent maps, labels and appropriate use of colour photography) book and you will find unrivalled detail on, for instance, the Grands Crus of Alsace; a full account of each of the fifty-ish (the book explains why it isn't undisputedly fifty) classified vineyards, the terroir, varieties successfully grown on each, associated regulations, the style of the wine and, of course, those recommended producers. It's high quality information that knocks my own account of the classification into a cocked hat. The quality of data isn't surprising of course; Tom is an Alsace (and Champagne) guru. Outside of Tom's specialist areas, though, the information remains of reassuringly high quality, and inordinately useful; even I can forget where Jasnières is once in a while. And when I next receive an enquiry about Napa's Wild Horse Valley AVA, Chile's Marga Marga Valley or South Africa's Tulbagh WO, I know to which book I will turn.

That doesn't, however, quite complete the picture. Certainly worthy of mention are the additional sections that precede and follow the wine region reviews; help on wine tasting, an account of terroir, some excellent articles on vine training, viticulture, vinification, oak, grape varieties, a vintage guide, a glossary of technical terms and even some advice on food and wine matching. On second thoughts, academically comprehensive doesn't sufficiently describe it; this is an absolute must for those who really want to understand what they're drinking.

Wine Report 2006
Tom Stevenson
Available from Amazon
1-4053-1161-4
 

As I have written before on these pages, it's difficult to come up with new concepts in wine writing. With Wine Report, however, now in its third year, author and editor Tom Stevenson has done it. What sets Wine Report apart from other annual wine guides is the sheer scale of the task undertaken by Tom and, secondly, how this massive venture gives rise to a fabulously informative text.

Tom assembles a crack team of authors who each have a specialist interest. Many of the names are comfortably familiar, such as Julian Jeffs QC on Sherry, Rosemary George on French Vin de Pays and Serena Sutcliffe's vintage guide, but some are less well known. Fear not; all have a pedigree suitable for their position on the team, the newest addition being Charles Sydney for the Loire. Sydney writes very well, and as this is a region I am wholly familiar with it was straightforward for me to judge if this new member has earned his place. Clearly he has; I am pleased to see due recognition given to Jo Pithon, an under-rated producer of stunning Anjou and Coteaux du Layon, Pithon being ranked in the Loire's top ten alongside luminaries such as Claude Papin, Alphonse Mellot, Charles Joguet and Jacky Blot. Sydney's chapter continues with the usual collection of recommendations, gossip, news and tips for up-and-coming producers that make this guide so strong.

There is no book without imperfection, however, although it is hard to find much fault with Tom's annual Wine Report, the publication of which is eagerly awaited by wine drinkers across the UK (and the world). Serena's vintage chapter is succinct by necessity, but contains rather too many omissions to be really useful. Perhaps less tasting notes and more vintage information, on a wider selection of regions, would have been more appropriate? The Wine Science, Viticulture and Grape Variety chapters are as fascinating as ever; no other regular publications include this sort of information. But one section, on Wine and Health, is the weak link in the chain; an unreferenced trawl through some recently published studies, this sometimes self-conflicting chapter displays a lack of critical appraisal of research publications and a questionable understanding of medical statistics (this became clear after I tracked down some of the original papers, where I could identify them). But, I implore you, take this single mote of criticism in context; this guide remains the best buy of the year for anyone with a true appreciation of wine. I highly recommend it, and I readily put my money where my mouth is; every edition thus far sits on my shelf.

Wine Report 2005
Tom Stevenson
Available from Amazon, but superseded by the above
1-4053-0517-7

The Wine Report concept began with the 2004 edition and continues with the 2005, which has been expanded to include the minority interests of Luxembourg and Belgium, Netherlands & Scandinavia. These regional reports, which also cover the less esoteric regions of Europe including such interesting ports of call as Switzerland, Austria, Greece and Lebanon before moving onto the New World, are the meat and drink of this annual review. The strength is with the detail hidden in these short little chapters, which stems from Stevenson's decision to farm each one, other than Champagne and Alsace which he attends to himself, out to a knowledgeable expert. If you want to know what's what in the world of wine at the moment, this is the place to find out. The book finishes up with some useful chapters on organic & biodynamic wines, grape varieties, viticulture and wine science. This is without doubt a book for the true enthusiast wishing to supplement his/her knowledge rather than gaining a basic grounding in wine, and a worthwhile book it is too. 

World Encyclopaedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine (2003)
Tom Stevenson
Available from Amazon
1-8997-9189-2

The ultimate Champagne guide has received a makeover and update for 2003, and for any wine lover it's the perfect gift. For any Champagne lover it is a vital purchase. Both the 1998 and 2003 editions provide extensive coverage of sparkling wines outside of Champagne, but for me it is the first 140 or so pages that really make this book a vital addition to my library. It opens with detailed explorations of the winemaking process, the soil and climate of Champagne, the likely effect of global warming on the Champagne region, an analysis of Champagne flutes and more. This is before Stevenson, number one when it comes to Champagne in my opinion, begins his house by house analysis of Champagne's producers. Big names and small, some familiar - Veuve Clicquot, Bollinger, Krug - some less famous but still, going by Stevenson's write up, stuffed with quality (and value for money) - Cattier's Clos du Moulin, Clos des Goisses, LeClerc Briant and more. Following on from the Champagne section, Stevenson deals very well with the rest of France and the world, covering important wineries such as Roederer Estate, J Winery and Domaine Chandon in as much meticulous detail, and with as much enthusiasm, as their Champagne counterparts. Glossy and well presented text, label images and photographs is the style here. A brilliant book that I wouldn't be without.

The Wines of Alsace (1993)
Tom Stevenson
Available from Amazon
0-5711-4952-9 (hardback), 0-5711-4953-7 (paperback)

Tom Stevenson’s two areas of expertise are Alsace and Champagne, and although this guide to all things vinous in Alsace is not given the glossy treatment that Champagne receives in his Encyclopaedia, it is no less authoritative. Stevenson opens with a fascinating history of wine in Alsace, revealing how radically the region has changed over just the past century. Like many of the other books in this Faber series on wine regions, there is a lot of valuable technical detail, with subsequent chapters covering viticulture, vinification and terroir. Stevenson then moves on to a full account of the wine villages of Alsace, and more importantly he discusses the Grand Cru system and its inherent problems, before an in-depth analysis of all the vineyards currently accorded this status. There is also a useful section on other named sites, such as châteaux, clos and other lieux-dits. This chapter, in particular, has yielded many valuable nuggets of information when researching a particular wine or producer. The book, which approaches 600 pages in size, rounds off with an alphabetical assessment of significant (and not so significant) Alsace producers, including contact details, very useful for those choosing and locating producers to visit in the region as well as those looking to buy Alsace wine at home. A great book, and although the presentation of the Faber wine series books often leaves a lot to be desired (coarse quality paper, and the only nod here towards the need for illustrations are the 50 monochrome Grand Cru maps, which look as though they have been coarsely embellished by hand) it is nevertheless indispensable.

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