Inside Burgundy – The iBook
Author: Jasper Morris MW
Inside Burgundy is starting to show signs of repainting the Forth Bridge syndrome. No sooner, it seemed, was the text for the hardback book finally signed off than work on revisions began – firstly amendments for the Japanese edition which was published last month, and now for the electronic version of which the first two units have just appeared in Apple’s iBookstore.
656 hardback pages translated into an iBook with pictures and videos added would be impossible to download onto your iPad, so the book will be delivered region by region, starting with the Côte de Beaune.
Revising has been stimulating as well as time-consuming. Firstly we needed to incorporate amendments of various minor errors – and nobody was better at identifying inconsistencies than our four Japanese translators! Then there were the amendments to take into account factual developments since the hardback edition, as growers have added or lost vineyards, or changed locations. I also wanted to develop more detail for certain appellations, most notably Corton Charlemagne. There is now a chart identifying whose holdings are in which lieu-dit within the grands crus.
I am hugely grateful to Chris Foulkes and Carrie Segrave for their publishing nous and for their time spent developing the iBook concept, along with our brilliant designer Lizzie Ballantyne. Also to Michel Joly for his brilliant photographs, ably supported by Jon Wyand. Then there are the videos – I am easily recognisable: windswept hair and shirt not always completely tucked in….
At the same time, we have produced a slightly simpler (no videos) iBook to cover the Vintages section of the book, along with notes on Appreciating Burgundy. There are also tasting notes on the Three Year On tastings I attend each summer (2009 vintage) and the Ten Year On tasting (2002 and some 1992s). The good news is that this inaugural edition of the Inside Burgundy Annual Report is free this year! We plan to release a new edition every year, incorporating more tasting notes, verticals, commentaries and a new essay on some major topical theme in future.
Now to start work on the Côte de Nuits. I have already been doing some sleuthing work, tracking down the different parcels of Richebourg by walking the vineyards and identifying different styles of viticulture. Watch out for some detailed vineyard maps in the next edition. It is amazingly stimulating, but the Forth Bridge seems to be stretching way into the far distance!
For your chance to win one of two copies of this fascinating new iBook, simply tell us via the comments below what interests you most about Burgundian Wines.
Of all the wines in the world, Burgundy (both red & white) are (in my opinion) the most nuanced and humbling. To experience a fine burgundy is one of life’s true pleasures !
Having come of age in the US Pacific Northwest, my wine education began with Pinot Noir from the Willamette Valley. Over time, my interest has shifted to the spiritual home of Pinot, where the wines have a much longer story to tell.
multifacet nature of wines – can take a whole life to explore always (almost) in elegant, lofty style – so two things a man should develop in himself: education (with pleasure) and refinement (at least try to)
What interests me about Burgundy is how the world looks to the laws of Burgundy to mask their own Pinot Noir, for example, Willamette Valley. That in itself speaks volumes of the prestigious Pinot produced.
The diversity of wines in France is immense. Ranging from the north with the cool climate Loire wines to the deep south with the warm weather wines from the Rhone valley and the Languedoc. The most diverse however is the Burgundy region. Every square meter has its own characteristics and the differences in smell and taste are hardly comprehensible. Looking at detailed maps of the region shows difficult it is to fully master this region. Life long learning here is a must and a joy!
What interests me most about Burgundy is the personalities of the wines and wine growers – as well as the subtle differences of terroir. Also the “hit and miss” phenomenon makes discovering Burgundian wines sometimes frustrating but never boring.
All great responses – our winners are Peter and Thomas. Congratulations! Please email us at competitions@bbr.com and we’ll send you a code to download the book.
Lucy
Berry Bros. & Rudd
Unfortunately this is not available in the Hong Kong iBook store. Would you consider releasing it to HK?