cover image Wine Tours in the South of France

Wine Tours in the South of France

Florence Hernandez. Flammarion-Pere Castor, $35 (160pp) ISBN 978-2-08-030474-2

These heartbreakingly beautiful photos create a virtual tour of the world's most desirable wine territory; crisp inset detail photos tempt readers with bottles just pulled from their cellar-tombs, each begging for a corkscrew. Although French wine insider Hernandez offers nuanced information on region-specific wines, even the neophyte enthusiast can benefit from her extraordinary explanations of wine characteristics and food accompaniments. She explores the wines of Languedoc, Roussillon, Southern Cotes-du-Rhone, Provence and Corsica, always encouraging readers to seek out lesser-known vineyards and appellations. The author's flair for sketching the personalities of vintners further sets the book apart. Here, the author fleshes out Monsieur Parce of Banyuls: ""...he lectures...about the wine known as L'Oublie, produced thanks to the discovery of a forgotten barrel.... This father of nine is indifferent to the vagaries of fashion and rejects the idea of being the creator of his wines. As far as he is concerned, they are part of history."" The book's most helpful element is the extensive ""Useful Addresses"" section in the back, which provides contact information for hotels, restaurants and chateaux in each region covered. Perfect for readers planning a wine trip to France (Hernandez provides several itineraries) or those merely fantasizing about such an excursion, the book spilleth over with behind-the-grape-press secrets.