Academie du Vin Library

WINE WRITING AT ITS FINEST

“The books that taught me about wine were about places and people. It’s the history and stories about a wine that bring it to life and make it worth talking about.”

– Steven Spurrier–

Our Académie du Vin Library collection is specially curated for those who cherish the rich narratives of wine.

DISCOVER THE ESSENCE OF WINE WITH THE GREAT BOOKS OF ACADÉMIE DU VIN

Embark on a journey of vinous enlightenment with the esteemed collection from Académie du Vin. Our library is a treasure trove of knowledge, offering an array of books that delve into the intricate world of wines. From the historic vineyards of Burgundy and Bordeaux to the sparkling allure of Champagne, each book is a testament to the art, science, and romance of winemaking. Authored by renowned experts, these volumes are not just books but passports to the world’s most celebrated wine regions, inviting you to explore the stories, traditions, and flavors that make each bottle unique. Whether you’re a connoisseur or a curious novice, the Great Books of Académie du Vin are your guide to understanding and appreciating the timeless allure of fine wine.

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Cover of the book 10 Great Wine Families by Fiona Morrison, featuring a vineyard scene, title, and author's name.

10 Great Wine Families

FIONA MORRISON MW An up-close and personal account of 10 wine families and their trials, tribulations and successes. Not just any wine families: the likes of Frescobaldi, Gaja, Torres, Perrin, Niepoort, Knoll and Torres, known and revered across the world. Fiona Morrison was welcomed into the homes of each (with her photographer) and was able to capture the ‘behind the scenes’ excitement of wine making in the kind of vivid detail impossible to achieve in a magazine article.

BEHIND THE GLASS - The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting

BEHIND THE GLASS The Chemical and Sensorial Terroir of Wine Tasting Author: GUS ZHU MW IN BEHIND THE GLASS readers will discover the science involved in wine tasting and learn why wine tastes the way it does. Wine is chemically extremely complex, while sensory appreciation can be subjective, meaning that our perception of wine is many layered. Behind the Glass is aimed at the non-scientist curious wine lover or wine professional and uses flavour chemistry and sensory science to help readers understand what is going on when they taste a glass of wine.

WINE CONFIDENT - There’s No Wrong Way To Enjoy Wine

WINE CONFIDENT There’s No Wrong Way To Enjoy Wine by KELLI A WHITE Foreword by Karen Macneil THE SAME ELEMENTS that make wine thrilling – its breadth of regions, varieties and vintages, its ever- changing nature, rituals and the many languages of its labels – can also make it intimidating. And this breaks Kelli White’s heart.
Hand holding a glass of red wine, promoting Michael Broadbent's Wine Tasting guide, which covers wine's appearance, nose, flavor, and regional characteristics.

Wine Tasting

Michael Broadbent’s seminal guide to wine tasting is an award-winning classic, as he brought an appreciation of wine’s true qualities to a much wider audience. Few experts are as skilled as Broadbent in the subject, and he guides readers through the first principles of tasting, providing detailed explanations of the influences of grape variety, soil, and climate.
Book cover of The South America Wine Guide with colorful flowers and leaves, detailing over 70 wine regions and 500 years of wine history.

The South America Wine Guide

The South America Wine Guide by Amanda Barnes is the result of a decade of research and interviews conducted by the author while travelling around and living on the continent. In collaboration with over 60 regional specialists, The South America Wine Guide comprehensively details over 70 wine regions and maps out in stunning detail 40 wine regions — many of which have never before been mapped or documented in the English language.
Drinking with the Valkyries book cover featuring white text on a purple background, highlighting Andrew Jefford's celebrated wine writing and philosophy.

Drinking with the Valkyries

Andrew Jefford is, in the words of winemaker Randall Grahm, ‘the most thoughtful person we have writing about wine’. Discover why in this selection from Jefford’s work, celebrating the limitless beauty of wine difference. This book anatomizes the pleasure that awaits every drinker while simultaneously furnishing a philosophy of wine – one founded on astonishment, and drawing on personal discovery rather than hierarchy and mastery. There is no other wine writing like this.
Jura Wine book cover featuring illustrations of people with barrels and bottles, highlighting the region's wine culture and history.

Jura Wine
Cover of the book On Bordeaux featuring an illustration of a wine bottle and glass, highlighting themes from Bordeaux's wine history and culture.

On Bordeaux

JANE ANSON (AUTHOR), FIONA MORRISON M.W (AUTHOR), HUGH JOHNSON (AUTHOR) When things turn out right for Bordeaux, as they frequently do, its wines are sublime. They inspire many thousands of tributes, from Samuel Pepys’ succinct reviews to the most rhapsodic of Michael Broadbent’s tasting notes – in short, over 300 years of wine writing. On Bordeaux is a collection of the best bits, from our best-loved wine writers, critics, and commentators, set around 10 of the themes that make Bordeaux tick.
Men walking down stairs with wine barrels at Chateau Musar winery, highlighting the legacy of Lebanese winemaker Serge Hochar and the winery's rich history.

Chateau Musar

Chateau Musar’s story is one of war, hardship, and utter determination in the face of chaos and destruction. Serge Hochar, the heroic Lebanese winemaker who stood by his wines through the 15 years of civil war (1975–1990) dodging shells and road-blocks to get his precious grapes to safety, knew that his wines were among the brightest stars in the world wine firmament. Today we look at the uniquely complex (and often miraculous) wines he created and begin to understand how and why Serge worked in the way he did. Only now, in a new era of ‘Natural Wines’ do we fully appreciate what he was trying to achieve…
A man wearing an apron, representing A Viking in the Vineyard by Peter Vinding-Diers, a winemaker's adventurous journey across global vineyards.

A Viking in the Vineyard

A Danish aristocrat turned roving winemaker who on escaping his studies at the Sorbonne one summer found himself on Burgundy’s Côte de Beaune, suddenly besotted. Peter’s first foray into wine took him to the Cape (via a quick turn parachuting into the war-zone in Vietnam), where he learned vineyard ways and wine science. Next came a dazzling decade in Bordeaux, where his pioneering exploits began to catch the world’s attention.
A man smiling and holding a wine glass, illustrating the book Oz Clarke On Wine, which explores global wine varieties and regions.

Oz Clarke On Wine

Oz Clarke On Wine is a fast-paced, informative and witty romp around the world of wine. Crammed with Oz’s encyclopaedic knowledge and personal tastes, it explores the grape varieties key to the world’s major wine styles and the vineyards and regions where a vast trove of wine treasure lies waiting for discovery
Book cover of On Champagne featuring a glass of champagne with bubbles, highlighting the wine's history and future innovations.

On Champagne

In On Champagne the thoughts, opinions and conclusions of the world’s finest champagne writers gather to reveal this wine’s action-packed trajectory from the myth of its accidental discovery – not in France, we find, but in the cider cellars of England – to the development of a high-tech champagne fit for space travel.
Man pouring wine into a glass, promoting the book The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson.

The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson

In this unique approach to understanding wine, Hugh Johnson, the world’s best-loved wine author, weaves the story of his own epic wine journey with an embracing view of everything he has discovered along the way. Almost without realising it, the reader is drawn into a fascinating world; with each page turned, knowledge is gained and wine wisdom absorbed. Hugh takes us from the teetering ledges of the Mosel and majestic châteaux of the Médoc to the sylvan slopes of Windsor Great Park with a spring in his step and a tasting glass at the ready.
Book cover for Wines of the French Alps depicting a mountain, a town, a church steeple, and a field, highlighting unique wine stories and profiles.

Wines of the French Alps

After years hidden away in the craggy mountains, wines from Savoie and Bugey are now offered worldwide. This book tells the story of the men and women who make these characterful wines, how they have tamed the steep hillsides to plant the vines and mastered their unusual grape varieties.
Book cover of The Bordeaux Club, depicting wine bottles and glasses, highlighting the story of 12 friends celebrating extraordinary Bordeaux wines.

The Bordeaux Club

The story of 12 friends who gathered to share and celebrate the extraordinary wines of Bordeaux. Like-minded in their love of wine, they differed wildly (often alarmingly!) in their personal wealth, life and circumstances – their opinions, always voiced, had the power to ignite anger and divide friendships just as easily as they bound them together.
Book cover of From Bordeaux to the Stars: The Reawakening of a Wine Legend featuring a wine bottle and grapevine logo.

From Bordeaux to the Stars: The Reawakening of a Wine Legend

From Bordeaux to the Stars: The Reawakening of a Wine Legend by Jean-Michel Cazes is a captivating journey through the revival of Bordeaux's esteemed vineyards. This insightful book delves into Cazes' visionary leadership and innovative approaches that breathed new life into the legendary wine region. Perfect for wine enthusiasts and history buffs alike, it offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of fine wine and the enduring legacy of Bordeaux.
Ethos Priorat book cover depicting a serene vineyard landscape and hills, emphasizing the wine region's nature, spirit, and transformation journey from vineyard to cellar.

Ethos Priorat

Ethos Priorat is an experience, a journey into the life within the wines of the Priorat. Despite its isolation it has quickly become one of the most important wine regions in the world. The reasons for this are explained in three simple chapters: Nature, Spirit and Wine. Nature provides an in-depth look at the Priorat terroir as well as growth and sustainability. Spirit is the human part of the story recollecting history through the formation of the villages along with the people’s relationship with the vines through the seasons.
Academie du Vin Library – Marchesi Antinori book showcased among several wine bottles, highlighting the Antinori family's rich history and their renowned wine estates.

Academie du Vin Library – Marchesi Antinori

Marchesi Antinori are a Florentine wine family and at the same time one of the most innovative and important wine dynasties of the world. Their wines fascinate enthusiasts and connoisseurs on all continents. Wine icons like Tignanello and Solaia have their origin in the singular way in which the house of Antinori sees its role in wine culture.
Klein Constantia book cover depicting a white house amidst trees and mountains, showcasing the winery's history and the renowned Vin de Constance wine.

Academie du Vin Library – Klein Constantia

‘The Constantia Valley is far more than the cradle of wine culture in South Africa, just as Klein Constantia is not merely the present embodiment of a long-forgotten estate, or Vin de Constance the modern incarnation of a wine of legend.’ So writes Michael Fridjhon in his foreword to this beautiful book which tells the dramatic and inspiring story of Klein Constantia through its people, vineyards and wines – most notably Vin de Constance, truly a modern icon in the world of fine wine.
Cover of the book Academie du Vin Library – Georgia, featuring white airplane graphic and text, detailing Georgian wine's history and producers.

Academie du Vin Library – Georgia

With Georgian wine, it is one of, if not the most ancient wines made in the world. For 8,000 years this small country has continually produced wine within their borders making for a fascinating crossroads of viticulture. A storied past, including being one of the republics of the USSR, this band of green valleys and mighty rivers on the Black Sea is finally getting recognition for its unique and wonderful wines.
Cover of the book On Burgundy, featuring white text and a topographic map, discussing Burgundy wine, its grapes, regions, and winemakers.

On Burgundy

From teeth-gnashing outrage to tonsil-tickling euphoria: burgundy can baffle with its unwillingness to charm in the glass, then dazzle and astound us when we catch it at its best. It is elusive yet addictive. Those who know burgundy frequently never love another wine – not least the authors and experts in this book, whose insights here embrace the two grapes (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), the two slopes (the Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune) and the hillsides that surround this region.

Exploring the Rich History and Impact of the Académie du Vin Library

The Académie du Vin Library stands as a beacon of knowledge and culture in the world of wine. Founded with a vision to cultivate a comprehensive understanding of wine, its history, production, and enjoyment, the library has evolved into an invaluable resource for oenophiles, sommeliers, and wine enthusiasts globally.

The Genesis and Evolution of the Académie du Vin Library

The journey of the Académie du Vin Library began as a dream to create a singular repository for the world’s wine knowledge. The foundation of the library was laid with the acquisition of rare books, manuscripts, and publications, some dating back several centuries. These historical texts provide an unparalleled glimpse into the evolution of viticulture and wine production through the ages.As the library expanded, it began to include contemporary works, research papers, and publications from leading wine experts. The library’s growth mirrored the evolving complexities of the wine industry, ensuring that it remained at the forefront of wine education and appreciation.

Treasure Trove of Wine Literature

The Académie du Vin Library boasts an extensive collection of wine literature, encompassing everything from the technical aspects of winemaking to the art of wine tasting. The library’s holdings are not just limited to books and journals but also include multimedia resources, providing a holistic and immersive learning experience.

The Role of the Library in Wine Education

Education is at the heart of the Académie du Vin Library. The library serves as an educational hub for aspiring sommeliers, wine producers, and enthusiasts. Through workshops, seminars, and tasting sessions, the library imparts knowledge that is both theoretical and practical, shaping the future of the wine industry.

Impact on the Global Wine Community

The influence of the Académie du Vin Library extends far beyond its physical walls. Through its comprehensive collection and educational initiatives, the library has played a pivotal role in shaping the global discourse on wine. It has fostered a community of informed and passionate wine lovers, contributing to the appreciation and enjoyment of wine worldwide.

Embracing Technology and Innovation

In an age where digital access is paramount, the Académie du Vin Library has embraced technology to reach a wider audience. The digitization of its resources and the creation of online platforms have made the library’s wealth of knowledge accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world.

The Future of the Académie du Vin Library

As the world of wine continues to evolve, so does the Académie du Vin Library. With a commitment to staying abreast of the latest trends and developments in the wine industry, the library is poised to remain a leading authority and resource for generations to come.

Conclusion

The Académie du Vin Library is more than just a collection of books and resources; it is a living, breathing entity that continues to grow and adapt. Its contribution to the world of wine is immeasurable, and its impact will be felt for many years to come.

Explore wine books that resonate with your wine journey:

  • “On Burgundy”: Dive into the heart of Burgundy’s vineyards.“
  • Academie du Vin Library – Marchesi Antinori”: Unveil the legacy of the Antinori family.“
  • Academie du Vin Library – Klein Constantia”: Discover the hidden gems of South Africa’s wine heritage.“
  • Academie du Vin Library – Georgia”: Journey through the ancient wine culture of Georgia.“
  • Ethos Priorat”: Experience the rugged beauty of Priorat’s wines.“
  • From Bordeaux to the Stars”: A tale of Bordeaux’s ascent in the wine world.“
  • Wines of the French Alps”: Explore the Alpine slopes and their unique wines.“
  • Jura Wine”: Delve into the distinct wines of the Jura region.“
  • The Bordeaux Club”: Join the ranks of Bordeaux’s elite wine circle.“
  • On Champagne”: Celebrate the effervescent world of Champagne.“
  • Drinking with the Valkyries”: Embark on a Nordic wine adventure.“
  • The South America Wine Guide”: Traverse the diverse wine regions of South America.“
  • The Life and Wines of Hugh Johnson”: Follow the journey of a wine legend.“
  • Oz Clarke On Wine”: Gain insights from a renowned wine critic.“
  • On California”: Discover the golden vineyards of California.“
  • A Viking in the Vineyard”: Explore the bold world of Viking winemaking.“
  • Wine Tasting”: Refine your palate with expert guidance.“
  • 10 Great Wine Families”: Meet the dynasties shaping the wine world.“Chateau Musar”: Experience the storied winery of Lebanon.

Each book in our collection is a gateway to the enchanting world of wine, offering a blend of history, culture, and expert knowledge. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned enthusiast, these books will deepen your understanding and appreciation of wine. Indulge in our collection and elevate your wine experience! Find the full selection here.