TONY ASPLER'S CELLAR BOOK; how to design, build, stock and manage
your wine cellar wherever you live (Random House Canada, 2009, 340
pages, ISBN 978-0307357113, $32.95 CAD hard covers) is by Canada's most
well-known wine writer and Member of the Order of Canada. It comes
complete with printed wine stains, an interesting innovation. I
contributed to this book, so I am not allowed to be overly-excited by
it (conflict of interest rules). But Tony does have a memoir-ish style
since most chapters are expressed in the form of his journeys through
life. His book is about guidelines without boundaries for modest to
expensive wine safekeeping, whether in a professional cellar or
temporarily in a kitchen. Aspler's suggestions for general approaches
to establishing a cellar, specific bottles and even themes will help
one create a near-perfect, big or small collection. Basic techniques
for evaluating the right cellar for one's needs are accompanied by
sidebars of cellaring experience and advice from well-known wine
celebrities. Of importance is his chapter on condos (he recently bought
a condo and had to make his wine cellar work). He has recommendations
for what wines should be in a wine cellar, to accommodate most budgets
and expenses. There are plenty of charts and tables for wine names,
grape comparisons, regions, and wine styles, plus food and wine matches
(and wine and food matches) and "dream" cellars. Other sections include
a wine vocabulary.
Audience and level of use: collectors, libraries
Some interesting or unusual facts: The major grape varieties for
storage are: Cabernet Sauvignon (especially from cooler regions like
Bordeaux), Cabernet-Merlot blends (Meritage), Nebbiolo
(Barolo/Barbaresco), Syrah/Shiraz (Rhône, Australia), Tempranillo
(Spain), and Sangiovese (Italy).
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
your wine cellar wherever you live (Random House Canada, 2009, 340
pages, ISBN 978-0307357113, $32.95 CAD hard covers) is by Canada's most
well-known wine writer and Member of the Order of Canada. It comes
complete with printed wine stains, an interesting innovation. I
contributed to this book, so I am not allowed to be overly-excited by
it (conflict of interest rules). But Tony does have a memoir-ish style
since most chapters are expressed in the form of his journeys through
life. His book is about guidelines without boundaries for modest to
expensive wine safekeeping, whether in a professional cellar or
temporarily in a kitchen. Aspler's suggestions for general approaches
to establishing a cellar, specific bottles and even themes will help
one create a near-perfect, big or small collection. Basic techniques
for evaluating the right cellar for one's needs are accompanied by
sidebars of cellaring experience and advice from well-known wine
celebrities. Of importance is his chapter on condos (he recently bought
a condo and had to make his wine cellar work). He has recommendations
for what wines should be in a wine cellar, to accommodate most budgets
and expenses. There are plenty of charts and tables for wine names,
grape comparisons, regions, and wine styles, plus food and wine matches
(and wine and food matches) and "dream" cellars. Other sections include
a wine vocabulary.
Audience and level of use: collectors, libraries
Some interesting or unusual facts: The major grape varieties for
storage are: Cabernet Sauvignon (especially from cooler regions like
Bordeaux), Cabernet-Merlot blends (Meritage), Nebbiolo
(Barolo/Barbaresco), Syrah/Shiraz (Rhône, Australia), Tempranillo
(Spain), and Sangiovese (Italy).
Quality/Price Rating: 90.
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