Introduction to wine books abound. The problem with almost all of them is that they are formulaic, repetitive and just plain boring. But there’s a new one out, and it’s different. It’s small, perfectly formed, cheap and, most importantly, it’s really interesting.
Simon Woods’ I don’t know much about wine…but I know what I like may have an awkward title (if you are buying this as a gift for a friend they might think you are saying something about their lack of wine knowledge), but it works really well. The text is broken up into 50 short chapters, all of which add something to the book, and which are then grouped in 10 larger sections.
Simon’s writing style is lively, interesting and balanced. He’s jokey without being forced, and critical without being an iconoclast. Best of all, he talks good sense – if I were to recommend an introduction to wine book for someone new to the subject, this would definitely be the one. I opened it up and found myself reading through it chapter after chapter, agreeing all the way.
Publishers Mitchell Beazley have done Simon proud: the design is excellent. The use of typography breaks the text up into digestible little chunks, and Roman Grey’s black and white illustrations are superb, giving the book a real sense of coherence. For just £4.99 this is a perfect stocking filler that almost anyone with a slight interest in wine would welcome.
“I don’t know much about wine…but I know what I like” by Simon Woods
Paberback 144 pages, November 2003
Mitchell Beazley
ISBN: 184000844X)
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