wine book club

Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guides

Wines of Spain by Jan Read

Wineries, regions and vintages are reviewed in this rather useful pocket guide written by veteran wine journalist Jan Read. He is probably the most experienced contemporary writer on Spanish wines and lives, breathes, tastes – and naturally – consumes them. The guide has been published at an ideal time, as Spain is leaving behind its past image as a country with a reputation for inexpensive and moderately priced wines, which left much to be desired, into a modern European winemaking country.

Aragon to Cataluna and from Galicia to Valencia the guide charts the successes of these rapidly improving regions, as well as providing comprehensive listings of renowned favourites like Navarra and Rioja. He writes in a clear, straightforward style: ‘Penedes is a limestone region southwest of Barcelona best-known for its sparkling wines but the best of its still wines rival those of Rioja’. Many sections on the food, hotels and restaurants of the regions are also very useful. At $14.95 this hardback edition is a most helpful purchase.

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