The Auswine Forum

Forumites,

my cellar is predominantly OZ plonk with a smattering of Oregon and NZ pinot and a few barolos and brunellos, but no french wine at all.

I just don't know where to start with french wine, so is there a quality reference book that I could buy which gives the low-down on all things french.
Preferably a book that also gives a history and narrative of the regions and the various wines / houses worth following.

Thanks in advance

Gianna,

A couple of suggestions.

The New France by Andrew Jefford would be a good start.

The Sotheby's Encyclopaedia of Wine by Tom Stevenson gives you a rundown of regions and winemaking (all over the world), and lists producers worth checking out.

I would also suggest asking advice at a good bottle-shop. If you happen to live in Adelaide there are a couple of people ITB I can recommend you talk to.

One of the problems in Oz is that, even though there are tonnes of interesting and reasonably priced French wines, so little of it finds its way to these shores; and when it does it arrives with a massive mark-up.

Hope this helps.

Regards

Nayan

I second The New France by Jefford.

Also may I encourage your interest in broadening your cellar with some French wines.........I was initially deterred from doing so in the 1990's by the usual Australian suspects and for me that advice was misleading........which is not to denigrate our local wines at all.....if you're interested and enjoy these good French wines after taking a few chances ( ie attend a tasting or buy a Chablis and contrast with a local Chardonnay at the same price ) then go for it.

I reckon if you don't at least broaden your cellar to include say 20% foreign wine you are being overly parochial..........or for some just happily set in your ways - which is no crime.

Once you understand these wines then Broadbents Vintage Wine book is a pretty handy guide when perusing Auction catalogues.

Pelican wrote:Once you understand these wines then Broadbent's Vintage Wine book is a pretty handy guide when perusing Auction catalogues.

Good call

N.

If you are going to try french you may also wish to try wines from other european countries such as italy,germany Austria, Spain and portugal to name a few. Hence i don;t think you can go past reference standards such as

The World Atlas of Wine (Hardcover)by Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson

obviously at a regional level there is Anthony Hansen's bible on Burgundy as well as Clive Coates Cote D'Or, Parker's books on Rhone and Bordeaux etc.

Cheers

paul

ps have to second Jefford's book on New france - excellent.

By the way i ordered about 4 wine books from Amazon and got them to Sydney within 2 weeks and half the price of what they were selling in specialist book stores in Sydney!!