The new benchmark
Pascaline Lepeltier is one of the favorites for the next world sommelier competition to be held in Paris in 2023. The renowned sommelier has just published thousand vinesa masterful work of 360 pages which brings together everything you need to know about the vine and wine. In the introduction, the author says that at the beginning of her career, she dreamed of “a synthetic work, simple enough to accompany [ses] first steps and who, instead of [l]encourage me to learn by heart without thinking, [l]’would invite us to try to understand the how and the why’. Almost 20 years later, she publishes this book of her dream. thousand vines is undoubtedly the most complete French language reference at the moment. The book is divided into three themes: the vine, the terroir and the wine. Highly theoretical subjects, such as vine diseases, are very well explained, and the many colorful illustrations help reading. Throughout the pages, the sommelier wonders about the future of vine growing and its methods, without however being pessimistic. For any wine lover, regardless of the level of knowledge, this is the essential reference. If it is possible to order it online, the book will be in bookstores in Quebec in January.
A thousand vines — Thinking about the wine of tomorrow
Pascaline Lepeltier
Hatchet
360
The last wine guide
The wine guide, created by Michel Phaneuf in 1981, identifies each year the best wines available at the SAQ. The 43e edition, published this fall, marks the end of an era. Nadia Fournier, who took over writing the guide more than 10 years ago, announced that this edition would be the last. “In its paper form, the guide hardly competes with the practical aspect of the smartphone,” she notes. A few years ago, nearly a dozen different guides were published each year in the province. The wine guide was the last. For this final edition, Nadia Fournier added a lot of content. It publishes again the table of vintages as well as the index of producers.
The 2023 wine guide
Nadia Fournier
Editions de l’Homme
296 pages
Adventure!
Now that the borders are open and the risks associated with the pandemic seem increasingly low, the second volume by sommelier Natalie Richard is timely. Three years after the publication of its work on the most beautiful wine routes in the world, the sommelier sets out to discover the vineyards of North America. From the improbable vines of the state of Coahuila, Mexico, through the vineyards that border the Missouri River to those of Quebec. In total, the author offers 50 routes, the majority of which are off the beaten track. For example, in British Columbia, it features the Similkameen Valley and Vancouver Island, two lesser-known regions than the Okanagan Valley. “These two places really impressed me in terms of quality and diversity,” she explains. It is essential for planning your next stay in the vineyards.
North American Wine Routes: 50 Dream Routes
Natalie Richard
Ulysses
208 pages