| Title | Vineyards, Rocks, and Soils: The Wine Lover’s Guide to Geology |
| Author | Alex Maltman |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press |
| Date | 2 april 2018 |
| ISBN | 978-0190863289 (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 256 |
| Excerpt | google.com/books/edition/Vineyards_Rocks_and_Soils/W2lNDwAAQBAJ |
| Synopsis | Vineyard geology is the new “hot topic” among wine connoisseurs, and is rapidly becoming a must-know when selecting a wine. Few wine writers have geological training, and geology is a highly conceptual subject, not easy to pick up quickly; author Alex Maltman, a trained geologist and longtime wine enthusiast, offers his expertise in an easy-to-read manner. Maltman points out many of the geological errors, misconceptions and misunderstandings rife in wine literature and description |
About Alex Maltman
Alex Maltman is emeritus professor of Earth sciences at Aberystwyth University, in Wales, UK. He has written extensively about geology and, more recently since retiring, about how geology relates to wine.
- www.aber.ac.uk/en/dges/staff-profiles/listing/profile/ajm
- https://research.aber.ac.uk/en/persons/alex-maltman
Some articles
- Brisk wine from granite but delicate from sand: The geological legacy of James Busby (1802–71) – WFW 2023
- Five fabled vineyard soils – WFW 2023
- Clay: What it is and why it matters – WFW 2022
- Flint: A striking story – WFW 2022
- Limestone: Holy grail or charismatic illusion? – WFW 2022
- Between a rock and a hard place Vineyard Soils – WFW 2022
- Vine rootstocks: Getting to the root of the matter – Decanter 2020
- On rocky ground: The science of soil and wine taste – Decanter
- Minerality in wine: Where are we now? – Decanter 2020
- Minerality in Wine: Towards the Reality behind the Myths 2018
and coming up…
Podcast
Book Review
Wineries are busy proclaiming the unique soils in which their vines grow; journalists assert the special qualities this or that bedrock brings to wine; plenty of enthusiasts are now convinced that the vineyard geology can actually be tasted in their wine glass. Unfortunately, people tend to get the geology wrong.
- Wine-savvy geologist publishes volume on vineyards
- Book Review: Vineyards, Rocks, & Soils – Mike Sommerfield, WFW
- Jefford on Monday: Redressing the balance – Andrew Jefford, Decanter
No student of wine should be without this book; every wine writer and sommelier should read it, several times.
After a lifetime of teaching undergraduates, Maltman writes with clarity and limpidity. His breadth of culture is palpable in his literary references and evident interest in etymology. Nothing in this book is opaque; much is entertaining. - https://wine-economics.org/jwe_reviews/vineyards-rocks-soils-the-wine-lovers-guide-to-geology – Neal Hulkower, AAWE
Not a review, but with the insights applied to Swiss wine geology
