Volcanic Wine book wins André Simon award

A book on volcanic wines by John Szabo MS was named the winner of the André Simon Award in the drinks category at a ceremony last night.

Publisher Jacqui Small with John Szabo’s ‘Volcanic Wines‘

Wine writer Fiona Beckett, who headed up the judging for the drinks books this year, praised the book not just for its excellent content – covering geology, volcanism, viticulture and soil science – but for its striking production and presentation.

Publisher Jacqui Small (pictured) was also praised for having the foresight to publish a book of this kind, which, as Beckett pointed out, was very timely and “on-topic” in the world of wine currently.

Beckett said: “I really have to congratulate John Szabo for coming up with such an original take on the wine world. This is the first book I’ve come across to focus on a specific terroir – and it’s totally absorbing.

“From Etna to the Azores and Santorini to the Canary islands, Volcanic Wines covers some of the most challenging wine producing areas in the world. With its beautiful and dramatic photography this is a book that should appeal to everyone who is interested in the natural world, not just wine lovers.”

Beckett also reiterated how wide-ranging and eclectic the drinks category had been last year and had high praise for the other books in the shortlist: Patrick Comiskey’s ‘American Rhône’; Bill Nesto MW’s ‘Chianti Classico’; Pete Brown’s ‘The Apple Orchard’ and Tristan Stephenson’s ‘The Curious Bartender’s Gin Palace’.

In the food category, Fuschia Dunlop’s book on Chinese cuisine, ‘Land of Fish and Rice’ was named the winner while the John Avery Award went to ‘Longthroat Memories’, a book on Nigerian cusisne by Yemisi Aribisala, and Ruby Tandoh’s ‘Flavour’ received a special commendation.

An extract from each of the drinks books shortlisted in this year’s awards was published on the drinks business. To read an extract from Szabo’s ‘Volcanic Wines‘ click here.