Book Review: Henry Jeffreys - Vines in a Cold Climate

Simon reviews Henry Jeffreys' book Vines in a Cold Climate, which deals with the English wine revolution of the last few decades.

If you need proof that English Wine is serious business these days, just look at the number of recently published books on the subject. Stephen Skelton's The Wines of Great Britain was published in 2019, followed by Oz Clarke's English Wine in 2020 (Already in its 2nd edition, published 2022). Ed Dallimore's The Vineyards of Britain (2022) profiles no less than 140 estates, all visited personally by the author. Abbie Moulton and and Maria Bell's New British Wine (2023) bravely tries to re-purpose a term that has been demeaned by regulatory madness for decades.

All of these publications fit broadly into the guidebook paradigm. Skelton's is the driest and most textbook-like, Dallimore's the most encyclopedic. Oz Clarke's offering is typically breezy and well produced. Moulton and Bell's visually stunning work presents a more niche selection of winemakers, in a hip coffee table format. Given these diverse options, do we really need another book on the topic?

Henry Jeffreys' Vines in a Cold…