wine - a way of life by STEPHEN SPURRIER
Wine – A Way of Life
ISBN: 978-0-9562387-8-8
RRP: £20
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This is the story of Steven Spurrier’s rich and eventful life in and around wine.
From being inspired by a glass of Cockburn 1908 Vintage Port at thirteen years old, Steven Spurrier joined London’s oldest wine merchant in 1964; he bought a wine shop in Paris (“Your wine merchant speaks English”), and organised what became known as the Judgement of Paris, when, at a blind tasting, nine of the best tasters in France placed Californian wines, both white and red, above the greatest French wines, changing the wine world forever.
Wine – A Way of Life is a brilliantly told story of unexpected fame (the Judgement of Paris became a film starring Alan Rickman) and of fortunes lost, stolen, or strayed, a story of sustained optimism in the face of difficulty, and a story of wines and the people who make them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Steven Spurrier was 2017 Decanter Man of the Year, a title generally reserved for the greatest of the world’s wine makers, and is currently President of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. He has recently planted a vineyard in Dorset to produce sparkling wine.
REVIEWS
"This is an incredibly important book, and not just because it's about Spurrier. it's a unique and fascinating insight into the culture and seismic changes of the British wine trade and wine in general over more than fifty years.
After reading this, I'd like nothing more than to be seated next to Steven Spurrier at dinner. I'd love to meet this quicksilver man and have a glass of wine with him."
– Tamlyn Currin in Purple Pages, JancisRobinson.com
"Were Steven a grape, he would be a noble, versatile & tonic cèpage. A stand alone that blends extraordinarily well. While never deviating from his hallmark enthusiasm for all things vinous, he has, as an artist, evolved & explored, enriched his chosen World endlessly, tirelessly. He is someone who has influenced & generously involved many others with his creativity and perpetual energy over, - dare I say it, - half a century. His fearless challenging mind has inspired far more change than he will ever be given credit for."
– Mark Williamson, Willi's Wine Bar
"This is a peek into the world of wine that comes with affluence, influence and the most charming personality in the wine trade."
– Christine Austin, Yorkshire Post