The Best New Books for Wine Lovers

Baby, it’s cold outside. Curl up indoors with a good book and perhaps a glass of wine or port. Here are some literary suggestions to fill your bookshelves this holiday season.

The Art and Design of Contemporary Wine Labels

By Tanya Scholes, with a foreword by Michael Mondavi (Santa Monica Press, $50)

This beautiful, oversized hardcover is so much fun to look at, and to read, too. Tanya Scholes, a Toronto-based writer, has found label gems from wineries from around the world, including Dirty Laundry in the Okanagan Valley and Southbrook Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Food Network South Beach Wine and Food Festival Cookbook: Recipes and Behind-the-Scenes Stories from America’s Hottest Chefs

By Lee Brian Schrager with Julie Mautner, foreword by Anthony Bourdain (Clarkson Potter, $40)

One for the Food Network junkies in the house. This book will thrill anyone who follows North America’s celebrity chefs like Charlie Trotter, Nobu Matsuhisa, Tom Colicchio, Thomas Keller and so, so many more. The annual festival is one of the biggest in the U.S., with more than 50,000 attendees each year.

Grandi Vini: An Opinionated Tour of Italy’s 89 Finest Wines

By Joseph Bastianich (Clarkson Potter, $27.99)

Joseph Bastianich is one of North America’s leading authorities on Italian wine and he co-owns several restaurants with Mario Batali. He’s also a highly entertaining writer, as this book proves. One to pick up for anyone who loves Italian wine and for anyone who wants to know more about it.

Had a Glass: Top 100 Wines for 2010 under $20, $25 and $30

By Kenji Hodgson and James Nevison (Whitecap, $15)

This handy little bestseller is celebrating its fifth edition this year; you’ll find food pairing suggestions, recommendations for every occasion and a detachable wine list for shopping, too.

John Schreiner’s Okanagan Wine Tour Guide (expanded and updated edition)

By John Schreiner (Whitecap, $15)

John Schreiner is one of the country’s most prolific wine writers, especially when it comes to his myriad books. This one — like many of his others — makes a great gift for anyone who enjoys roaming around the wineries of the Okanagan Valley.

Oz Clarke’s ‘Let Me Tell You About Wine’ — A beginner’s guide to understanding and enjoying wine

By Oz Clarke (Sterling Epicure, $25.95)

Britain’s Oz Clarke is a legend amongst the world’s wine lovers, and this book will introduce a new generation to his writing. Geared toward neophyte wine lovers, it packs basic wine knowledge into colourful, bite-sized and interesting bits. Full-colour photography throughout, too.

Uncorked! The Definitive Guide to Alberta’s Best Wines under $25

By Shelley Boettcher (Whitecap, $19.95)

Wine Access executive editor Shelley Boettcher has released a bargain wine shopping guide to her 150 favourite wines under $25 in the Alberta market. Find label art, food pairing suggestions, plus interesting trivia about wineries, winemakers, grapes and more.

The Ocean Wise: Seafood Recipes that are Good for the Planet

Edited by Jane Mundy (Whitecap, $34.95)

This beautiful book contains recipes from top chefs across Canada as well as fantastic (and mostly Canadian) wine pairings from Wine Access National Tasting Panel member Tom Firth. Ocean Wise is a national conservation program that was started by staff at the Vancouver Aquarium; it seeks to raise awareness of sustainable seafood around the world.

Wine by Design, 2nd edition

By Sean Stanwick and Loraine Fowlow (Wiley, $55)

More than 40 wineries are featured in this book, which highlights some of the world’s most beautifully designed wineries; the list includes estates designed by Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron and Santiago Calatrava and more. Stanwick, by the way, is an architect in Toronto and Fowlow is a professor at the University of Calgary.

The 500 Best-Value Wines in the LCBO, 2011

By Rod Phillips (Whitecap, $15)

An occasional Wine Access contributor and the wine columnist for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, Phillips has included more than 150 new wines in the latest edition of his bestselling guide to wines listed in the Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores.