{"title":"California Wine Books","description":"\u003ch2\u003eRegional guides, travel guides and essays\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExplore our collection of California wine books for beginners, enthusiasts and professionals. Discover regional guides for travellers and in-depth studies of Californian wines by leading wine experts from the Académie du Vin Library and the Classic Wine Library.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"steven-spurrier-a-life-in-wine","title":"Steven Spurrier: A Life in Wine","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteven Spurrier: A Life in Wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe moment he was handed a glass of Cockburn 1908 vintage port by his grandfather at 13 years old, Steven Spurrier knew there was no turning back. Family holidays to France and Italy, and a first job working for Christopher’s – London’s oldest wine merchant – only confirmed that no other career would do. So, after learning the ropes by travelling France in his red sports car (fitted with a compact wine fridge in the boot), working the vintage in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, Steven’s first extraordinary move was to set up shop and sell wine to the French. As an Englishman in the heart of Paris, this seemed a remarkably bold (if not foolish) project, but the plan worked, and he went on to set up the Académie du Vin and to teach them about it too…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteven Spurrier is one of the wine trade’s most important figures. Over the years he took the role of wine merchant, buyer, wine educator and lecturer; he wrote books, wine courses and over 300 columns for \u003cem\u003eDecanter\u003c\/em\u003e magazine. He set up the breakthrough ‘Judgement of Paris’ in 1976 – a tasting in which outsider wines from California were pitched blind against Bordeaux’ finest, and won – which still sends reverberations through the wine trade today. Steven’s message from it remains clear: don’t judge until you’ve tasted – quality in wine can be found where you’d least expect it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis memoir looks back on Steven’s life charting the incidents, adventures, ideas and discoveries that formed his wine journey. Along the way, he had the privilege not only to taste the finest wines but to judge them and to work with the winemakers who created them. His famously-egalitarian acceptance of everything from the obscurest Okanagan Chardonnay to the frailest 1806 Lafite, combined with his gentlemanly elegance and dry wit, led not only to his being forgiven by the Bordelais but to his enormous popularity the world over.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Académie du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":39975517814848,"sku":"ADSPLIF008","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/StevenSpurrierALifeInWine_19609098-e0a6-41ac-bfdd-331b5c19479d.jpg?v=1718150406"},{"product_id":"steven-spurrier-a-life-in-wine-ebook","title":"Steven Spurrier: A Life in Wine – eBook","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note that you will need to install the Glassboxx app to read this eBook. After you have completed your order, please follow the link in the confirmation email to download the Glassboxx app to your phone or tablet. You will then receive a verification code to start using the app.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSteven Spurrier: A Life in Wine\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe moment he was handed a glass of Cockburn 1908 vintage port by his grandfather at 13 years old, Steven Spurrier knew there was no turning back. Family holidays to France and Italy, and a first job working for Christopher’s – London’s oldest wine merchant – only confirmed that no other career would do. So, after learning the ropes by travelling France in his red sports car (fitted with a compact wine fridge in the boot), working the vintage in Burgundy, Bordeaux and Champagne, Steven’s first extraordinary move was to set up shop and sell wine to the French. As an Englishman in the heart of Paris, this seemed a remarkably bold (if not foolish) project, but the plan worked, and he went on to set up the Académie du Vin and to teach them about it too…\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSteven Spurrier is one of the wine trade’s most important figures. Over the years he took the role of wine merchant, buyer, wine educator and lecturer; he wrote books, wine courses and over 300 columns for \u003cem\u003eDecanter\u003c\/em\u003e magazine. He set up the breakthrough ‘Judgement of Paris’ in 1976 – a tasting in which outsider wines from California were pitched blind against Bordeaux’ finest, and won – which still sends reverberations through the wine trade today. Steven’s message from it remains clear: don’t judge until you’ve tasted – quality in wine can be found where you’d least expect it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis memoir looks back on Steven’s life charting the incidents, adventures, ideas and discoveries that formed his wine journey. Along the way, he had the privilege not only to taste the finest wines but to judge them and to work with the winemakers who created them. His famously-egalitarian acceptance of everything from the obscurest Okanagan Chardonnay to the frailest 1806 Lafite, combined with his gentlemanly elegance and dry wit, led not only to his being forgiven by the Bordelais but to his enormous popularity the world over. Here, he tells his story.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Académie du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"ebook","offer_id":39985644765248,"sku":"9781913141110","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/StevenSpurrierALifeInWineEbook.jpg?v=1718253986"},{"product_id":"on-california-from-napa-to-nebbiolo-susan-keevil","title":"On California","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003eOn California: From Napa to Nebbiolo... Wines Tales from the Golden State\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOn California\u003c\/em\u003e captures the essence of California’s spectacular array of wines. Beyond the intricate flavours of Pinot Noir, the power of Cabernet Sauvignon and the elegance of Chardonnay, it asks what brought these wines to the Golden State in the first place. What were the hopes, fears and dreams of the 18th-century pioneers who first shaped them, and what motivates the 21st-century visionaries who pave the way now? It charts the triumph over phylloxera and Prohibition, the mighty influence of the Pacific, and the plus-points of being in a seismic hotzone. Then how, at the whim of one modest English wine merchant, a simple blind tasting in 1976 made the world sit up and notice the wines this extraordinary region was creating. \u003cem\u003eOn California\u003c\/em\u003e tells of the people – as iconic as the wines they’ve created – who have made California wine great. The pioneers, the boffins, the whizz-kids and the scientists, many of whom tell their stories on its pages – some via precious archive material, others through their thoughts mid-pandemic in 2021. Randall Grahm, Gerald Asher, Steven Spurrier, Paul Draper and Warren Winiarski take a bow…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe future of the wines: where will the ‘California spirit’ lead next?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe ‘Hollywood Grape’: our authors chart the path of Cabernet Sauvignon from the wish-list of Thomas Jefferson to the hallowed hillsides of Stag’s Leap and Screaming Eagle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1976? Of course it was a competition! Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher describe the motivation behind the famous Paris wine tasting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop New York sommelier Victoria James tells of her near-death introduction to the wacky world of winemaking in Sonoma.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWill the real Zinfandel please stand up? Paul Draper seeks out the true heritage of California’s versatile orphan grape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eContributors to \u003cem\u003eOn California\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eContributions from Elaine Chukan Brown, Mary Margaret McCamic MW, Karen MacNeil, Esther Mobley, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Liz Thach MW, Clare Tooley MW, and Kelli White. 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After you have completed your order, please follow the link in the confirmation email to download the Glassboxx app to your phone or tablet. You will then receive a verification code to start using the app.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003eOn California: From Napa to Nebbiolo... Wines Tales from the Golden State\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eOn California\u003c\/em\u003e captures the essence of California’s spectacular array of wines. Beyond the intricate flavours of Pinot Noir, the power of Cabernet Sauvignon and the elegance of Chardonnay, it asks what brought these wines to the Golden State in the first place. What were the hopes, fears and dreams of the 18th-century pioneers who first shaped them, and what motivates the 21st-century visionaries who pave the way now? It charts the triumph over phylloxera and Prohibition, the mighty influence of the Pacific, and the plus-points of being in a seismic hotzone. Then how, at the whim of one modest English wine merchant, a simple blind tasting in 1976 made the world sit up and notice the wines this extraordinary region was creating. \u003cem\u003eOn California\u003c\/em\u003e tells of the people – as iconic as the wines they’ve created – who have made California wine great. The pioneers, the boffins, the whizz-kids and the scientists, many of whom tell their stories on its pages – some via precious archive material, others through their thoughts mid-pandemic in 2021. Randall Grahm, Gerald Asher, Steven Spurrier, Paul Draper and Warren Winiarski take a bow…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe future of the wines: where will the ‘California spirit’ lead next?\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe ‘Hollywood Grape’: our authors chart the path of Cabernet Sauvignon from the wish-list of Thomas Jefferson to the hallowed hillsides of Stag’s Leap and Screaming Eagle.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1976? Of course it was a competition! Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher describe the motivation behind the famous Paris wine tasting.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTop New York sommelier Victoria James tells of her near-death introduction to the wacky world of winemaking in Sonoma.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWill the real Zinfandel please stand up? Paul Draper seeks out the true heritage of California’s versatile orphan grape.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eContributions from Elaine Chukan Brown, Mary Margaret McCamic MW, Karen MacNeil, Esther Mobley, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Liz Thach MW, Clare Tooley MW, and Kelli White. Hugh Johnson, Jane Anson and Fiona Morrison MW, Harry Waugh, Elin McCoy, Rex Pickett, Stephen Brook, George Taber, Dr William Kelley, Jon Bonné, Norm Roby, Bob Thompson, Harry Eyres, Adam Lechmere, Margaret Rand, John Szabo MS, Larry Walker, Brian St Pierre, Natasha Hughes MW.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Académie du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"eBook","offer_id":40348252995648,"sku":"9781917084406","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/OnCalifornia-Hardback.jpg?v=1738596798"},{"product_id":"the-wines-of-california-elaine-chukan-brown","title":"The Wines of California","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003eAbout The Wines of California\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA concise, complete, smartly delivered and cohesive book for serious readers and students of wine. Focusing on the world’s fourth largest producer of wine – California – the book takes readers on a journey through the Golden State’s wines, paying due attention to famous wine destinations such as Sonoma and Napa as well as introducing readers to exciting lesser-known regions to explore. The book is divided into three major sections. The first looks at California wine in the context of the history of the state as a whole. It addresses key issues in California wine growing such as Indigenous Peoples and land ownership, immigration and labour issues, the back-to-the land movement, environmental protest and innovations in sustainability. The second section takes each major region in turn and looks into its history, growing conditions and varieties, as well as discussing the most significant and interesting producers. A final section looks at current themes in Californian wine and discusses the future of the industry across the state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Explains all the state’s AVAs, examining the development, growing conditions and varietal trends for each\u003cbr\u003e• Profiles the main producers and individuals shaping the Californian wine industry today\u003cbr\u003e• A useful reference on California that also provides alternative insights and insider\u003cbr\u003eknowledge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e• \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSupported by colour maps and photos\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote type=\"cite\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Académie du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55256958763390,"sku":"CWEBCAL088","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/The_wines_of_California.jpg?v=1740680544"},{"product_id":"napa-valley-the-smart-travellers-wine-guide-maria-c-hunt","title":"Napa Valley","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003eAbout Napa Valley: The Smart Traveller's Wine Guide\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Smart Traveller's Wine Guide: Napa Valley\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is the perfect companion for the wine lover and the wine-curious. We cover the history of this beautiful wine region and its visionary founders, its unique geography and the wonderful variety of wines Napa produces. From Spring Mountain to St Helena, Carneros to Coombsville, we list where to stay and where to eat, which wineries to visit, wine routes to drive and cycle, the best downtown tasting rooms – and how to get to the places most tourists never see.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p2\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Smart Traveller’s Wine Guide: a series of regional guides for the wine-curious\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Academie Du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55560941404542,"sku":"ADMHNAP124","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/Napa3Dcover1.jpg?v=1748521544"},{"product_id":"the-wines-of-california-elaine-chukan-brown-ebook","title":"The Wines of California – eBook","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlease note that you will need to install the Glassboxx app to read this eBook. After you have completed your order, please follow the link in the confirmation email to download the Glassboxx app to your phone or tablet. You will then receive a verification code to start using the app.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"p1\"\u003eAbout The Wines of California\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eA concise, complete, smartly delivered and cohesive book for serious readers and students of wine. Focusing on the world’s fourth largest producer of wine – California – the book takes readers on a journey through the Golden State’s wines, paying due attention to famous wine destinations such as Sonoma and Napa as well as introducing readers to exciting lesser-known regions to explore. The book is divided into three major sections. The first looks at California wine in the context of the history of the state as a whole. It addresses key issues in California wine growing such as Indigenous Peoples and land ownership, immigration and labour issues, the back-to-the land movement, environmental protest and innovations in sustainability. The second section takes each major region in turn and looks into its history, growing conditions and varieties, as well as discussing the most significant and interesting producers. A final section looks at current themes in Californian wine and discusses the future of the industry across the state.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Explains all the state’s AVAs, examining the development, growing conditions and varietal trends for each\u003cbr\u003e• Profiles the main producers and individuals shaping the Californian wine industry today\u003cbr\u003e• A useful reference on California that also provides alternative insights and insider\u003cbr\u003eknowledge\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e• \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eSupported by colour maps and photos\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote type=\"cite\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Académie du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"eBook","offer_id":55869582508414,"sku":"9781917084710","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/The_wines_of_California.jpg?v=1740680544"},{"product_id":"the-judgement-of-paris-susan-keevil","title":"The Judgement of Paris","description":"\u003ch2\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout The Judgement of Paris\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePARIS, MAY 1976. A young Englishman and an American journalist decide that California’s emerging wine stars should be better known in France. They set up an expert panel to blind taste them against the best of Bordeaux and Burgundy and, contrary to every expectation, the California wines emerge triumphant. The wine world was shocked to its core... The tasting came to be known as ‘The Judgement of Paris’; it was the trigger for California’s winemakers to grow in confidence and stature – and it allowed other ‘pretenders’ to make their claim to the French wine throne. 50 years on, this book takes stock. Top wine professionals from California, Bordeaux, Burgundy and the UK reveal what it was like to ride the shock waves... how the JOP benefited California (and, in turn, Bordeaux), and why the reverberations of this seismic event still benefit wine regions around the world today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Warren Winiarski of Stag’s Leap shares the journey of the winning wine\u003cbr\u003e• Profiles and tasting notes of the competing wines – plus, stunning photography of the wineries then (1970s) and now...\u003cbr\u003e• The Response from Bordeaux: was losing to California all bad?\u003cbr\u003e• Interview with Steven Spurrier and Patricia Gallagher: did they know they were stirring up something big?\u003cbr\u003e• Was it all a Storm in a Parisian Wine Glass? ... or just 1970s clickbait?\u003cbr\u003e• The JOP in Context: seven other events that shook the wine world\u003cbr\u003e• Aubert de Villaine (Domaine de la Romanée-Conti), Jasper Morris MW, David Gleave MW, Jane MacQuitty, William Kelley (Wine Advocate), John Williams (Frog’s Leap), Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson MW, Karen MacNeil, Jane Anson (and many more) on what the JOP means for the wine in our glass...\u003cbr\u003e• The Judgements that Followed: Chile vs Bordeaux, Champagne vs Franciacorta, Sonoma vs Burgundy...\u003cbr\u003e• Presented as a beautiful Wibalin-covered limited edition with rare archive photography and colour images\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Académie du Vin Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57079930651006,"sku":"ADSKJUD135","price":70.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0566\/3490\/0544\/files\/Judgement_of_Paris.1_af285822-401d-459d-9985-ab870fdfd593.jpg?v=1777393824"}],"url":"https:\/\/academieduvinlibrary.com\/collections\/california-wine-books.oembed","provider":"Academie Du Vin Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}