Wine Grapes

This thousand-plus-page monument combines 21st-century science with the ambition, scale and authority of 19th-century scholarship. It may be the nerdiest wine book ever published (and, trust me, that's a competitive title) but it's also a work of astounding scholarship, and as a piece of book-making, is an outright masterpiece -- John Lanchester * Guardian, Books of the Year 2012 *
Features extraordinarily detailed profiles of close to 1,400 vine varieties employed in the production of wine around the world ... I learned a huge amount ... What struck me most, though, was how engaging and passionate it was. This wasn't a dry cataloguing of grapes, a microscopic look at their DNA; this was a heartfelt exploration of wine history. -- Max Allen [Australia’s best-known wine writer] * Weekend Australian *
This book is a thing of beauty - classic, well written and splendidly illustrated - and will be a point of reference for decades to come. With Christmas coming it may well be worth considering as a present for those wine enthusiasts amongst your friends and family. I am going to put it on my list when I write to Santa that's for sure! * Bordeaux Undiscovered *
A fantastic Christmas present for any wine geek, and one that will provide an endless source of fiendish questions for quiz-setters -- Fiona Beckett * Guardian *
A magnificent achievement: colossally informative, illuminating and intriguing -- Andrew Jefford * Decanter.com *
A phenomenal book in its detail and research ... the definitive guide to grape varieties ... an incredible piece of work, detailing 1,368 varieties (out of a possible 10,000 worldwide) with 80 beautiful colour plates - essential for all wine students, wine lovers, wine growers keen to experiment with new grapes - and anyone with a passing interest in grapes -- Rose Murray Brown * The Scotsman *
This has got to be the wine reference book to top all such guides -- S Irene Virbila * Los Angeles Times *
Definitely the WINE BOOK of the decade, if not the century! * Wine Appreciation Guild, San Francisco *
Even for the already knowledgeable and deeply well versed, the book offers countless new discoveries, surprises about grapes' true origins and kinships, and a plethora of varieties you've never even heard of -- Michel Jamais * LivetsGoda.se *
It is almost bible-like, which is perhaps quite fitting. I found the overall appearance quite beautiful. I was especially pleased to see many varieties have a description of the taste of their wines. From a drinker's perspective this must be the most important information -- Steve Slatcher * Winenous.co.uk *