Columnist Simon Hoggart has a new book out with a title to match a strongly shared sentiment : Life’s Too Short to Drink Bad Wine: 100 wines for the discerning drinker.
“Anyone who can take the stress and self-consciousness out of trying new wines is to be praised. Anyone who can do it with enough charm and wit and friendliness to earn the name “companion” should be reverenced. At last, someone who really, really gets it. Somewhere between complicated technical detail and chummy cosy chattiness there is a space for proper wine-writing and no one occupies that space better than Simon Hoggart. This book contains more useful information than manuals ten times the size. And, just like the kind of wine he champions, the book leaves you feeling warmer and happier – quality without snobbery, value without cheapness, pleasure without preciosity. If you want to enjoy wine, the Hoggart’s School of Wizardry and Wine-Craft is the best in the land…” — Stephen Fry
As with any selection of “the 100 best wines” by any criteria, it ends up being a personal choice rather than a definitive judgement. But the signs are good with 6 wines from respected independent wine merchant Yapp Brothers, including Menetou Salon (Loire), Cassis: Clos Sainte Magdeleine (Provence), Corsican Domaine Saparale and Richeaume Tradition (Provence).
