According to Tim Atkin, wine correspondent of the Observer, “The World of Fine Wine is by far the best wine magazine in the world. It’s scholarly, opinionated, well written and a delight to read.” Bold words, but I am compelled to agree with them.
The world of wine publishing is not as crowded as you might think. Decanter is a great monthly read, Harpers Wine and Spirit is really only for the trade, Big Bad Bob’s Wine Advocate is a veritable bible but not exactly a relaxing read and the Wine Spectator is very lifestyle, but very American.
Unsurprisingly there is a proliferation of on-line material, from Jancis Robinson’s excellent subscription-only Purple Pages (including her new Twitter feed) right the way to any number of discussion forums where you can simply chat about the bottle you had last night.
However if you are a bit of a traditionalist like me and do favour the printed word, you cannot do better than the World of Fine Wine. It is published quarterly and you really do need a good three months to get from cover to cover. And even then it is much too gorgeous to be consigned to the bin. Properly bound like a paperback book with glorious pictures, this is one for the coffee table or bookshelf that you will find yourself going back to over and over again.
The content defies synopsis – a heady blend of the traditional and new, philosophical and practical, esoteric and firmly down-to-earth. It is seriously scholarly without being too rarefied, and is not afraid of the complicated or controversial.
It is of course gratifying that the wine-makers we are lucky enough to work with often grace its pages. Here is a sneak preview of an article on Domaine Joseph Voillot and the wonderful Jean-Pierre Charlot. Article on Joseph Voillot 1990 – 2006
It is worth pointing out that in their 20-point scoring system 14.5-16.5 is “Very good wine, with some outstanding features” while 17-18.5 is “Outstanding wine of great beauty and articulacy”. Hence, a seemingly modest score can actually be a huge vote of confidence. The fact that five out of twelve wines tasted were in the 17-18.5 category is a mark of the serious quality of this producer.
The World of Fine Wine has agreed to give Goedhuis customers a trial discount subscription at a great 5 for 4 deal. Here’s the link to this exclusive offer:
Goedhuis/World of Fine Wine Introductory Offer
You can also see a selection of articles – including write ups of the most recently released vintages in Burgundy and Bordeaux, a review of Chateau Haut-Brion and an insight into Fake Wine – which will give you a taste of what the magazine is all about.
Or call +44 1795 414 681 quoting code GOEDHUIS9 (lines open Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm BST). Or go to www.finewinemag.com then enter the code GOEDHUIS9 in the code box on the SUBSCRIBE page.
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.