This is yet another Footprint guide and it’s well up to the standard of their regular travel books, but this one is rather unique. It’s a guide specifically for anyone who travels and enjoys wine. It doesn’t focus on any one wine growing region but includes ALL wine-producing areas.
The book is divided by country and has an introduction with a bit of general information, and then goes on to Travel Essentials, offering us tips on the history of wine in that region, planning your trip, to eating local foods. It’s well illustrated with lovely photographs as well as numerous maps showing the locations of the wineries. The listing for each of those wine producers included gives information about facilities such as restaurant, cooking school, tastings and accommodation. Very comprehensive.
The beauty of this book is that it is truly a global reflection of the industry. The section on Asia is fascinating. It’s a fast-growing industry with India and China both producing and importing wines. The market is growing at about 30% per year and some of the new wines receive very good reviews.
Wine Travel Guide to the World directs us to wineries, restaurants, bars and hotels around the world that offer memorable wine-related experiences. It’s packed with information to enable you to make the most of the increasingly popular and ever more accessible “Wine Tourism”. There’s an extensive glossary of wine-related terms that will enable the most ignorant (in viticulture terms) to expand their horizons and enjoy the growing wine culture. There is also a list of useful websites and a section on tasting wine that tells you why you should spit, swirl and sniff!
The guide would be useful to not only the casual but enthusiastic wine swiller but also those who have already developed an educated palette. There is a lot of information about cultivation and popularity of different types of vines as well as the best vintages.
One of the sections that I found most interesting was the Food list which tells you what to drink with which food. OK, so it can’t list every meal that you might make but it’s enough to give the right idea!
Wine Travel Guide to the World is an attractive and informative book and well worth the price.
Wine Travel Guide to the World
Author: Robert Joseph
Published by: Footprint
Price: £19.99
ISBN 1-904777-85-6
Guidebook review by Chrissie Walker © 2018
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