On Bordeaux - Introduction by Jane Anson

On Bordeaux is an anthology of writing about Bordeaux and its wines, introduced by Jane Anson.

Published by the Académie du Vin Library, which has built a whole series of these thematic collections, the book gathers three centuries of Bordeaux writing and sorts it under ten headings covering what makes the region tick. Samuel Pepys and his brisk verdicts sit not far from Michael Broadbent at his most lyrical. Jane Anson, who has lived in and reported on Bordeaux for years, supplies the introduction and describes the collection as clear-eyed, moving and frequently very funny. The virtue of the format is that the voices contradict each other, which is closer to Bordeaux than any single account.

It suits anyone whose Bordeaux knowledge is patchy in the usual way — solid on classifications, thin on history. Short pieces make it good for reading in bursts, and it works as a present for a claret drinker who already owns the reference shelf.