South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers [Hardcover]

Paul Strang (Author), Jason Shenai (Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 17, 2009

Between Bordeaux and the Spanish border, reaching east to the Massif Central and the river valleys of the Dordogne and Lot, and south to the foothills of the Pyrenees, lies a unique and little-known viticultural landscape. South-West France is a wine lover's paradise that cultivates an astonishing array of grape varieties, many that grow nowhere else, and produces a fascinating assortment of wines. In this book, Paul Strang covers the South-West with enthusiasm and keen expertise, providing a history of its wine industry, including a near collapse and unlikely rebirth, and introducing readers to a region that seems to defy globalization. The outstanding local wines--made by idiosyncratic growers motivated by a passion for their profession--range from inky Tannats to honeyed late-harvest Semillons. Intrepid readers are invited to rediscover this beautiful part of France, already well known for its cuisine, castles, and cave art, for its earthy and intriguing wines.
Winner of the 2009 GOURMAND World Cookbook Awards "Best Wine Atlas/Tourism Book in the World"

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An invaluable guide to some of France's most original wines."--Decanter

"The potential for discovery is unequaled anywhere else in France."

--Wine & Spirits Magazine

"It made me want to board the first TGV to see the landscapes, meet the characters, and taste the wines for myself."--The World of Fine Wine

About the Author

Paul Strang is the author of Wines of South-West France, which was named one of 1994's best wine books by Decanter magazine, and Languedoc-Roussillon: The Wines and Winemakers, as well as Take 5000 Eggs: Food from the Markets and Fairs of Southern France.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 376 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press; 1 edition (November 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520259416
• ISBN-13: 978-0520259416
• Product Dimensions: 10.5 x 7.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,037 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Off the beaten path, April 17, 2010

By 

Chambolle (Bainbridge Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers (Hardcover)

I believe I'm as well-versed in the niceties of French wine as any passionate amateur/one-time member of the wine trade, but I'll admit it, I had no idea the Cotes du Brulhois and Pacherenc du Vic-Bilh existed, much less who is making the best wine there and why -- until I decided to buy and start reading this book. Burgundy, Bordeaux, the Loire, the Rhone, Bandol, Champagne, Alsace, all of these have grabbed plenty of my attention, time and money over the course of decades, but Pacherenc? Saussignac?

Paul Strang is to Southwest France what Livingstone-Learmonth is to the Rhone -- a man with a good palate and an encyclopedic, first hand knowledge of the land, the wines and the people. His book is an eye opener for a lover of French wines, like me, who has not even dipped his toes into this corner of the French wine universe.

As attention to detail and the quest for higher quality in the vineyard and the cellar comes to these out of the way corners of France, and as the paths in places like Bordeaux and Burgundy become increasingly well, if not over-trodden, Southwest France could certainly be a place to look for a new source of wines of character and sense of place that are for drinking, not "collector's items."

Strang's book is the best place I know of to begin learning about the area and its wines. A really valuable source of info.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful must read about little known area, January 9, 2010

By 

D. Donegan (Oakland, California) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers (Hardcover)

Paul Strang's stories and pithy insights about the wines, politics and passionate growers of South-West France makes for entertaining reading. The tasting notes are spot on as well as the description of the lesser know grape varietals. Strang advocates for these diverse wines that are not well known in the U.S. and even in greater France, but should be. The photographs project the reader into the region and allows the appreciation of the winemakers themselves. My wife and I are using this book to buy wines and also to plan our next visit to South-West France: Cahors, Gaillac, Gascony, Dordogne etc.

5.0 out of 5 stars great writer, grreat book, June 19, 2010

By 

Dan S. Higgins - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: South-West France: The Wines and Winemakers (Hardcover)

I've read extensively about the wines of California, Bordeaux, Italy, France, but it's great to see a book so well written on the unheralded areas of Marcillac, Gaillac, Cahors, Monbazillac, Jurancon, Madiran, just to name a few. There are actually about 40 sub-regions explored in Strang's book where you'll learn which varieties are grown depending on the region and whether the wine is made in an Old World style fermented in stainless steel, concrete, or used barrique, or perhaps in a New World style in new oak barrels. I thank Mr Strang for expressing his taste for balanced wines, low in alcohol, and not tasting predominantly of oak. He awards wines up to three stars but is in no way hung up on his tasting notes but more on the actual estate and the people growing the grapes. Bravo!