I was asked to review this book and it sat in my in tray for a couple of weeks, before I decided to have a look. It's very moreish and gently amusing. £12.99 (University of Buckingham Press) and a nice little book for the wine lover in your life at Christmas. I'm not sure I'd buy it for a wine expert because it does a surreptitious job of educating at a certain level - and I think it's a sensible level - but might be beneath the average MW type. However, it is tremendous fun.

Graham Mitchell is a wine merchant who has been all over the world, buying wine and storing anecdotes along the way. The anecdotes are amusing - again, the wine expert might be a bit yawny about them. The accompanying letter described the book as a "light-hearted romp" but I think that's a little mean-spirited. It pulls you along and gives the inside story, which I think is what people want. There are some notes on traditional food and wine matches, which are tried and tested and then a grid of food/grape matches. Some are sound but some made my gag-reflex twitch. Egg mayonnaise with riesling, fish pate with sweet wine, leek and potato soup with syrah, nachos and riesling, olives with viognier and spinach and cheese dip with pinot noir.

However, it's a great book. Entertaining, full of amusing quotes and, for those of you with fading eyesight, the print is in 1.5 or double line spacing and so it's nice and easy to read.

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mel

The pocket book sounds good fun for the practical wine lover, who likes to know a thing or two about wine stories and jolly anecdotes......

Now lets test out Mel's 'gag-reflex' twitch.

Shall we have smoked mackerel pate with a touch of horseradish in the mix with say a fortified muscat Beaumes-de-venise at 15% alc - does that do it for you Mel ?

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Duncan

Thanks Mel, how's life? Done all your christmas vino shopping?

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Yep, Im still here.

I was in Marks today, and I thought this a good deal for casual wine buyers this festive season.
1) Les Ruettes '12 sancerre at 7.99 - a fiver off
2) The Coonawarra cab at 7.99 - a fiver off or was it Shiraz ?
3) Marquis de riscal reserva '07 at 8.99 - £4 off
Buy any three wines and get another 5% discount. That is an intelligent offer from Marks

I just checked these against online, and the Ruettes was a £1 less in store. I think large store managers are allowed to manipulate offers. I could have sworn I saw a Meursault for £18 or a shelf label mistake ? I will check again & confirm when next in that large store

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Duncan

Guys, on the subject of vino xmas shopping, I don't know if you've seen my email today....?

I did Shez, cheers, the Secana is very tempting, I will wait until this time next week and hope the offer is still on, its my birthday weekend coming up and my inlaws usually give me a M&S giftcard, that NW pinot will taste even sweeter when it costs me next to nothing....

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Yep, Im still here.

Secano Estate on previous vintages has been a good standard (not confected, a very light touch of smoke and cold beef) I seem to remember. Ages positively as well. At the price, a real snip for sure.

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Duncan