THE LIFE AND WINES OF HUGH JOHNSON ‘‘Any fool can make a subject complex and any fool can say it is simple. But how much do you have to understand to grasp the essentials? If I can risk another riddle I would say most people try either too hard at wine or not hard enough…” Hugh JohnsonIn this unique approach to understanding wine, Hugh Johnson, the world’s best-loved wine author, weaves the story of his own epic wine journey with an embracing view of everything he has discovered along the way. Almost without realising it, the reader is drawn into a fascinating world; with each page turned, knowledge is gained and wine wisdom absorbed. Hugh takes us from the teetering ledges of the Mosel and majestic châteaux of the Médoc to the sylvan slopes of Windsor Great Park with a spring in his step and a tasting glass at the ready. No one writes so infectiously on every aspect of wine, whether human or cultural, technical or historical. This book is peppered with anecdotes and personal recollections, infused with the sheer delight Hugh finds in his subject. It is a book with a story to tell and a mastery of wine to impart.

‘Who better to supply us with our first comprehensive historical survey than the wine writer with the magic pen, Hugh Johnson?’ Jancis Robinson MW Widely acclaimed as Hugh Johnson’s longest, most ambitious and enthralling book, The Story of Wine is a book of enormous richness, a biography of wine. Winner of every wine award in the UK and USA, writing it, according to Hugh, was like trying to get ‘a quart into a liqueur glass’. It is not just one story but a collection of many, scanning the wine world from Noah to Napa, from Pompeii to Pomerol, as illuminating to our understanding of civilization as it is to our appreciation of wine.As historian Andrew Roberts says in his foreword: ‘The genius of The Story of Wine derives from the fact that it is an adventure story, full of mysteries, art and culture.’

“Serge was so much more than a winemaker and the driving force behind Lebanon’s best-known winery.” Jancis Robinson MWEdited by Susan Keevil, photography by Lucy Pope. Published by the Académie du Vin Library with the full participation and approval of the Hochar family – thank you Ronald, Gaston, Marc and Ralph. With contributions from:Jancis Robinson MW Michael Broadbent Steven Spurrier Bartholomew Broadbent Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) Fongyee Walker MW Edward Ragg MW And many other admirers and friends Chateau Musar’s story is one of war, hardship and utter determination in the face of chaos and destruction. Serge Hochar, its heroic Lebanese winemaker who stood by his wines in the Beka’a Valley through the 15 years of civil war (1975–1990) dodging shells and road-blocks to get his precious grapes to safety, knew that his wines were among the brightest stars in the world wine firmament. Today we look at the uniquely complex (and often miraculous) wines he created and begin to understand how and why Serge worked in the way he did. Our new book celebrates Chateau Musar – its history, its terroir, the philosophy of its winemaker, and the legacy of natural winemaking that the Hochar family continues today, alongside its remarkable catalogue of vintages and stunning new releases from the winery in 2020.Chateau Musar: The Story of a Wine Icon is the fifth title from Steven Spurrier and the Académie du Vin Library team.

"Reading this book for the first time, I was struck by how much the wine world has changed over the past half century, as well as by how much Broadbent still influences the way we taste and appreciate wine. Washington Post An essential book for all budding wine students - Demystifies the subject while bringing it alive - A wine book classic Michael Broadbent, wine critic, writer, auctioneer and much-admired expert revolutionised the wine trade with his first edition of Wine Tasting in 1968 and has continued to capture the magic of wine for over 50 years, bringing it to the page and to the public in compeling detail, always tinged with his uniquely wry sense of humor. Michael's original text (from the 1975 edition) updated with the latest vintages and footnotes revealing Michael's reactions to the changing wine scene. Personal tributes to Michael from Hugh Johnson OBE, Jancis Robinson OBE MW, Steven Spurrier, the late Gerard Basset OBE MW MS, and international wine auctioneers Paul Bowker and Fritz Hatton.