Wednesday, November 14, 2012

THE WILD BUNCH - Movers, shakers and groundbreakers of the New Zealand wine industry


By Joëlle Thomson
Foreword by Tim Atkin MW
Published by New Holland • Publication date, this Friday, 16th November • RRP $39.99

‘There have been other well-written overviews of the Kiwi wine industry, but no one has sought to tell this extraordinary tale through the eyes of the people at the sharp, or rather sticky, end: Joëlle Thomson’s magnificent wild bunch.’ — Tim Atkin MW from his foreword in The Wild Bunch

Wine writer, journalist, author, teacher and wine lover, Joëlle Thomson shares stories from the vineyards to the wine glass, in her new book The Wild Bunch: Movers, shakers and ground-breakers of the New Zealand wine industry.

The 18 ‘quietly powerful individuals’ who are also ‘philosophers, modernists, scientists, hedonists and party animals’ – as she calls them – have revolutionised our burgeoning New Zealand industry and with each chapter she tells of their successes mixed with trials. Critically, these ‘movers’ and ‘shakers’ exhibit the perseverance, ingenuity and sheer dedication to making the best wine possible.

The Wild Bunch peels off the label from the bottle: Joëlle’s ‘wildest’ winemakers are the men and women who traipse the vineyards, drive the tractors and get their hands and feet dirty to pursue their passions to make bloody good wine – the winemakers worth popping a cork for.
I found it absolutely fascinating, a great addition to books on the NZ wine industry and the folk who make it what it is. Well illustrated too.

About the author:
Joëlle Thomson is a leading New Zealand wine writer whose weekly wine column now appears in The Dominion Post in Wellington; Christchurch Press and Waikato Times. She edits Drinksbiz, writes for New Zealand Wine Grower and teaches at the NZ School of Food & Wine. Joëlle has judged wine competitions in New Zealand and Australia, and is a member of the British-based Circle of Wine Writers.








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