You all know the blogs I mean – where
spelling is arbitrary (pallets, tanins, malo-thingummy – oh whatever), where
gushing is compulsory (utterly delicious, totally yummy) and every wine is the
perfect partner, perfectly complementing whichever perfect dish the writer is
eating that night. Serious wine writers scoff loftily from their knowledgeable
heights, taking care that their next articles are littered with judicious
references to foreign wines, obscure South African wine laws or archaic
winemaking practices. Which leaves the poor general public in a bit of a lurch.
Because the problem with these differing
approaches is that on the one hand you have writers who lack any specific wine knowledge,
but who use engaging, understandable (albeit occasionally misspelt) language, and
on the other side are those whose earnest and high-faluting discussions are
beyond the comprehension (or interest) of most wine-drinkers. So although it is
unlikely the information from the blogosphere will be either original or
insightful, it often proves more useful to the general public than the more
erudite but tortuous contributions of the better informed.
Simon Woods is a UK wine journalist, author and commentator on wine – perhaps not as trendy and well-known in this country as the fashionistas who visit SA every year, but nevertheless, a widely-read writer who actually does know what he’s talking about. We ‘met’ on Twitter a few years ago and I started following him because although he clearly loved, talked and drank (a lot of) wine, he never seemed to take it seriously, dealing lightly with heated twitter arguments and adding dashes of humour and down-to-earth Northern common sense. Coming from the North of England myself, I liked his approach of assuming no prior knowledge necessary, passing no judgement on anyone and conveying an infectious enthusiasm for the wines he enjoyed.
He sent me a couple of his books recently, and even if I hadn’t been chatting with him beforehand, anyone who can call their books “I don’t know much about wine but I know what I like” and “The World’s Shortest Wine Book” would get my support. The books drip with good, solid, practical advice – rather UK/US-based, but nonetheless useful for any wine-lover. He’s pitching them at newbie wine-drinkers, covering all the basics and gradually leading them through a series of easy steps into more mystifying terminology and confusing situations. The books are divided into comforting chapters such as “There will always be another wine” “There is nothing wrong with White Zinfandel” and “Most special offers are not very special” and it is clear they are the distillation of many years dedicated drinking, tasting, travelling and spitting.
And that is why I like them. In the same way that educational experts agree that the foundation phase of a child’s school career is the most important, I also think how we introduce people to wine, get them to feel comfy and finally get them avidly-engaged with our wonderful grape juice is the most important part of wine education. To be able to explain the fairly complicated processes, traditions, regulations and the science behind wine in easy-to-read language without dumbing anything down is not easy – I know, because I strive towards it nearly every day. Simon makes his readers feel welcome, he displays his knowledge and experience with a light touch - never overwhelming, but giving his works an authoritative air which breeds confidence and trust. This is not something that can be done by drongos, armed with freebies and let loose on social media, it needs an expert in wine who is also an expert in communication to be able to carry it off in style. Roll on your next tome Mr Woods. Even if you are from the wrong side of the Pennines.
Simon’s books can be ordered on Amazon.co.uk.