I opened a grand cru burg for a friend. He is interested in going down the rabbit hole.
My favorite burgundy reference book is Jasper Morris’s Inside Burgundy.
Is there a better book for a new burgundy learner? Maybe shorter/less overwhelming or more recent?
TIA
I’m fairly new to Burgundy and I’ve found just diving into Inside Burgundy and lurking in the Burgundy threads here to be extremely helpful. It’s not a book I’ve read cover to cover, but I’ve probably covered about 30% of the meat of the book so far in my exploration.
This one is a recent publication & is available on Kindle. The author is a MW & has written for World of Fine Wine.
The Complete Burgundy (Guides to Wines and Top Vineyards) Amazon.com
I like Bill N’s book but it is not as recent
InsideBurgundy.com website is a great resource as well. Unlike Burghound, you get everything for one subscription price. Does a great job of looking at vinification of almost every major producer. Exhaustive vintage surveys, regularly updated
I used Inside Burgundy as my first burg text. It’s a beast as you know, but I feel like if the reader understands that getting your arms around that book is a years long pursuit then it’s a singular work to take your first burg steps with. The beginning portion that covers history and production before getting into the vineyards and producers is a great resource and I don’t think it requires many prerequisites.
But if I had to pick one that is a little less intimidating I might choose The Sommelier’s Atlas of Taste. Not burgundy specific, but the burgundy rundown is considerably more bite-sized while still being informative I think.
While none are comprehensive on their own, I have greatly enjoyed these three:
https://www.amazon.com/clp/1614288089
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Domaines-Burgundy-Finest-Producers/dp/1402778821
https://www.amazon.com/Grand-Crus-Burgundy-Norman-Remington/dp/1856269205
The top one, the 100 Burgundy is gorgeous book and a joy to read.
It’s not current, it’s not even close to being all about Burgundy, but any Burgundy drinker should read. Adventures on the Wine Route by Kermit Lynch. It’s a very personal in depth look at the wines and winemakers who he thinks are worthwhile, and the Burgundy section in particular, was awakening for me.
.I cannot recommend it highly enough; and there are plenty people on this board who have learned a good deal from Kermit’s writing.
Jasper’s book is excellent, and I think the two together would be an excellent pair to learn about Burgundy.
+1 for Kermit Lynch’s Adventures On the Wine Route
Great read and an Ur-text for French wine lovers.
Sometimes (often) I want a writer who loves wine to tell me a story, rather than a critic to go on about what’s not precisely right about name-that-juice.
Not Burgundy per se, but both collections of Jay McInerney’s articles from his time as wine columnist for House and Garden are entertaining, informative and sometimes hilarious. (Bacchus and Me and Hedonist in the Wine Cellar).
On the difficulty of picking a wine for a vegetarian meal: “Like boys and girls locked away in same-sex prep schools, most wines yearn for a bit of flesh.”
On telling the difference between Burgundy and Bordeaux: “If it’s red, French, costs too much, and tastes like the water that’s left in the vase after the flowers have died, it’s probably Burgundy.”
On the fungus responsible for the heavenly flavor of the dessert wine called Sauternes: “Not since Baudelaire smoked opium has corruption resulted in such beauty.”
-from “Bacchus and Me”
Absolute banger. A Berserker favorite.