About the Book
"An entrancing companion for wine lovers. Celebratory, discerning writing with all the variety and unexpectedness of the wines explored." — Michèle Roberts, author and Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia
"This book is about feeling, tasting and describing the beauty of wine, as well as understanding the intensity of emotion that wine can engender." — Decanter Magazine
"So precise and dancing, so chiselled and so free, as complex and delicious as your favourite bottle of wine, you will enjoy the world of wine differently after reading through Jefford’s words." — Pascaline Lepeltier on Instagram
“A new sort of literary gumption arrived on the scene with Andrew Jefford; a powerful blend of science and poetry. Here is a writer who does his interviews, delves deep into motives and methods, and then lets fly with whatever imagery he finds winging by.” Hugh Johnson (2019)
Poet, philosopher, author, radio presenter and journalist, Andrew Jefford lives in France; but buried deep in one wine country what does he miss most about the rest? The answer: “Drinking young port. It’s the wine drinker’s equivalent of zorbing, wing-walking, base-jumping … you won’t fully understand it unless you have tasted it young, in its ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ stage, when it comes hurtling out of the glass and puts the screamers on you...”
Andrew is the ideal companion for anyone wine-curious. In this collection of his essays, opinions and articles he shares his fascinating observations from half a century of discovery. For Andrew, wine should be listened to and admired, wherever it comes from; old-school pretentions turned on their head; style-points disdained; stellar prices dismissed; questions asked...
Table of Contents:
Foreword, Preface, Chapter One: Origins, Chapter Two: Some Soils, Some Skies, Chapter Three: Taste and Tasting, Chapter Four: Some Beautiful Wines, Chapter Five: A Tea Break, Chapter Six: Interrogations and Impieties, Chapter Seven: Wine Shadows, Chapter Eight: Wine in a Life, Chapter Nine: Against Wine Worldliness, Chapter Ten: Three Last Wines, Glossary, Chronology, Index
About the Author :
Andrew Jefford writes and broadcasts about different places on earth, and the foods, drinks and scents connected with them. He has written for most of the UK's wine and food press and has columns in Decanter and World of Fine Wine. Andrew and his family live near Montpellier in France. “One of my favorite wine journalists, and a guy who is up in the top echelon with Matt Kramer and Jancis Robinson….Andrew Jefford, has an exceptionally fair and balanced piece on the free Decanter magazine website called….”Wither Tasting Notes”….most people would think this goes to the heart and soul of many wine magazines, blogs, etc. but he ,as he usually does, analyzes it in a rational way, something often missing in winespeak. BTW, his books, which I have consistently recommended, are another of his strengths. So heads-up.” Robert Parker
Review :
"An entrancing companion for wine lovers. Celebratory, discerning writing with all the variety and unexpectedness of the wines explored." - Michèle Roberts, Author and Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia
"This book is about feeling, tasting and describing the beauty of wine, as well as understanding the intensity of emotion that wine can engender." - Decanter Magazine
"…indispensible book in which the formidable strengths of this writer are on full display." - Terry Theise
"So precise and dancing, so chiseled and so free, as complex and delicious as your favorite bottle of wine, you will enjoy the world of wine differently after reading through Jefford’s words." - Pascaline Lepeltier, Instagram
"Reading through Drinking with the Valkyries — the title refers to the experience of drinking young vintage port — it struck me that Jefford is a throwback to a less specialised age." - The Critic
"But while Jefford’s lyrical, almost literary language is his calling card, I’ve long found the most impressive element of his writing to be the rigour." - Club O Enologique
"Jefford’s essays are like that glass of wine at day’s end — restorative, uplifting and enlightening. You may want to read another before putting down the bottle — I mean, the book." - Washington Post
"…the standout read has to be the recently published Drinking With The Valkyries, the writings, thoughts, and wine philosophy of Andrew Jefford." - The Irish Sun
"I open Jefford’s books to skim through and find myself drawn in." - The Telegraph
"He writes so beautifully." - Kylie Minogue, The Guardian
"If there was a single wine book that Tam would beg wine lovers to buy in 2022, it would be this one." - Tamlyn Currin
"Andrew Jefford is the wine writer’s wine writer. To read his words is to be drawn far away from the everyday world of professional wine-tasting." - Falstaff
"His prose is poised and purposeful, each word carefully considered yet never weighed down by pointed effort. He is a rarity in the world of wine: a writer whose (main) topic happens to be wine." - Fine+Rare
"Jefford consistently unearths and illuminates ways of looking at wine that continually deepen my appreciation and passion for the subject. I can assure you, if you love wine, this book will do the same for you." - vinography
"… devoted to the pleasure of wine, the experiences and all the reasons you are interested in the subject." - Yorkshire Post
"This current volume is a collection of essays culled from the period 2007 to 2022 and it is safe to say that Jefford hasn't lost his touch." - Sommelier India
"Jefford consistently unearths and illuminates ways of looking at wine that continually deepen my appreciation and passion for the subject. I can assure you, if you love wine, this book will do the same for you." - vinography
"… devoted to the pleasure of wine, the experiences and all the reasons you are interested in the subject." - Yorkshire Post
"In a candid and wide-ranging interview to mark the publication of his superb new book Drinking with the Valkyries, WFW contributing editor Andrew Jefford looks back over his distinguished career, opening up about the art and craft of (wine) writing, his abiding love of wine, and his hopes and fears for its future." - The World of Fine Wine
"This is, instead, all about eloquent, open-minded, and generously inclusive wine appreciation: We’re all invited, and reminded how much there is to enjoy." - Wine Conversation
"One of the great pleasures of Andrew's writing, and of this volume, is the great variety of pace, dynamics, tempo, and tone between his pieces." - The World of Fine Wine
