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The New French Wine [Two-Book Boxed Set]: Redefining the World's Greatest Wine Culture
The first definitive guide to contemporary French wines and producers, from a two-time James Beard Award winner
This comprehensive and authoritative resource takes readers on a tour through every wine region of France, featuring some 800 producers and more than 7,000 wines, plus evocative photography and maps, as well as the incisive narrative and compelling storytelling that has earned Jon Bonné accolades and legions of fans in the wine world. Built upon eight years of research, The New French Wine is a one-of-a-kind exploration of the world’s most popular wine region. First, examine the land through a thoroughly reported narrative overview of each region—the soil and geography, the distinctive traditions and contemporary changes. Then turn to a comprehensive reference guide to the producers and their wines, similarly detailed by region. From Burgundy to Bordeaux and everywhere in between, this is sure to be the resource on modern French wine for decades to come.
This comprehensive and authoritative resource takes readers on a tour through every wine region of France, featuring some 800 producers and more than 7,000 wines, plus evocative photography and maps, as well as the incisive narrative and compelling storytelling that has earned Jon Bonné accolades and legions of fans in the wine world. Built upon eight years of research, The New French Wine is a one-of-a-kind exploration of the world’s most popular wine region. First, examine the land through a thoroughly reported narrative overview of each region—the soil and geography, the distinctive traditions and contemporary changes. Then turn to a comprehensive reference guide to the producers and their wines, similarly detailed by region. From Burgundy to Bordeaux and everywhere in between, this is sure to be the resource on modern French wine for decades to come.
864 pages, Hardcover
Published March 28, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
July 19, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed Jon Bonne's assessment of French wine, and would highly recommend this book to any serious wine enthusiasts. The first thing to say is that this is an enjoyable and extremely well written book - Jon is most importantly a writer and observer, and an excellent one at that - I was often struck by the quality of his prose and skill at narrating stories of places and people. The only quibble I could add is that Jon's humility prevents him from casting his own image onto the stories he tells - but I for one would welcome more personal anecdotes (which I know from our interactions are illuminating and entertaining!).
This book is a momentous project - to systematically assess the state of play of French wine in the early 21st century, with an eye for what is 'new'. New means a lot of things here; for one it means what's changed since the last time such a comprehensive assessment was done, which was likely decades ago. Meanwhile, according to Jon, France is undergoing transformations to its wine culture the likes of which haven't been seen since WWII - so the timing for such an assessment is as pressing as ever. The book is profoundly optimistic about the world's prime wine culture - a major thesis is that in a nation undergoing major cultural and political change (as the generation of 1968 phases out and is replaced by a younger France embodied by Macron), progress requires letting go of old myths and attempts to recall a bygone France, and to start to write new stories that are resonant for now. This is fundamentally the spirit Jon seeks out across the vignerons he profiles, and while this vision takes different forms in different places and styles of wine, there are some common themes that stand out in terms of how it appears in winemaking. Among these are: the growth of small domaine production replacing negociant models; emphasis on quality over quantity; rise of quality farming (including organic); and emphasis on terroir. As for terroir - the book goes into great detail on soil and geologic history, which really underscored to me that this blessing of geologic diversity is one of the great assets of French wine.
I also like that Jon doesn't blindly cheerlead and is very honest in his point of view on each region he profiles. Some of the standout winners to me were Champagne (grower movement and Burgundian lieux-dit approach), Beaujolais (emerging from the shadow of Burgundy and emphasizing its own terroir), Muscadet (a region striving to capture terroir despite its historical reputation), and the Roussillon (unbundling from the larger Languedoc-Roussillon designation and exploring better farming). The regions that are cautionary tales are driven by a few different factors: too much complexity that detracts from clarity of vision (Alsace), substituting place name for quality (parts of Bordeaux including St. Emilion), looking too much into the past to recapture the lost glory of a bygone France (Provence), and doing the 'easy' thing by prioritizing volume over quality (Languedoc).
Another common thread throughout the book is climate change, an unavoidable topic in any wine discussion in 2024. Climate change has created a fundamental inversion for French winemakers - in regions where it was historically difficult to achieve sufficient ripeness, the primary challenge has now become avoiding over-ripeness and balanced alcohol levels. Certain regions are more forward looking in approaching this future than others, and there's no one size fits all solution. Rather than becoming a repetitive message, I really enjoyed the way this topic was interwoven into sections of the book covering different regions, emphasizing solutions that make sense locally (including planting on shaded sandy soils in forested areas in the Southern Rhone, and planting at different elevations and exposures in many regions).
As a wine enthusiast, I can't help but be really energized by reading this book. There are so many moments in wine that start to feel like the end of an era, including when regions change (embracing fame and commercialism, including sales of domaines to corporations) and when market forces take certain wines out of reach. But this book was a healthy reminder to me that there is always something new at play - new regions producing quality wine, and forward looking winemakers in regions both established and new who are advancing the game through their work and narrative. And pursuing that newness and dynamism is a big part of what makes wine such an exciting field to follow. The next several decades are going to be a wild ride in the world of wine - buckle up and enjoy it!
This book is a momentous project - to systematically assess the state of play of French wine in the early 21st century, with an eye for what is 'new'. New means a lot of things here; for one it means what's changed since the last time such a comprehensive assessment was done, which was likely decades ago. Meanwhile, according to Jon, France is undergoing transformations to its wine culture the likes of which haven't been seen since WWII - so the timing for such an assessment is as pressing as ever. The book is profoundly optimistic about the world's prime wine culture - a major thesis is that in a nation undergoing major cultural and political change (as the generation of 1968 phases out and is replaced by a younger France embodied by Macron), progress requires letting go of old myths and attempts to recall a bygone France, and to start to write new stories that are resonant for now. This is fundamentally the spirit Jon seeks out across the vignerons he profiles, and while this vision takes different forms in different places and styles of wine, there are some common themes that stand out in terms of how it appears in winemaking. Among these are: the growth of small domaine production replacing negociant models; emphasis on quality over quantity; rise of quality farming (including organic); and emphasis on terroir. As for terroir - the book goes into great detail on soil and geologic history, which really underscored to me that this blessing of geologic diversity is one of the great assets of French wine.
I also like that Jon doesn't blindly cheerlead and is very honest in his point of view on each region he profiles. Some of the standout winners to me were Champagne (grower movement and Burgundian lieux-dit approach), Beaujolais (emerging from the shadow of Burgundy and emphasizing its own terroir), Muscadet (a region striving to capture terroir despite its historical reputation), and the Roussillon (unbundling from the larger Languedoc-Roussillon designation and exploring better farming). The regions that are cautionary tales are driven by a few different factors: too much complexity that detracts from clarity of vision (Alsace), substituting place name for quality (parts of Bordeaux including St. Emilion), looking too much into the past to recapture the lost glory of a bygone France (Provence), and doing the 'easy' thing by prioritizing volume over quality (Languedoc).
Another common thread throughout the book is climate change, an unavoidable topic in any wine discussion in 2024. Climate change has created a fundamental inversion for French winemakers - in regions where it was historically difficult to achieve sufficient ripeness, the primary challenge has now become avoiding over-ripeness and balanced alcohol levels. Certain regions are more forward looking in approaching this future than others, and there's no one size fits all solution. Rather than becoming a repetitive message, I really enjoyed the way this topic was interwoven into sections of the book covering different regions, emphasizing solutions that make sense locally (including planting on shaded sandy soils in forested areas in the Southern Rhone, and planting at different elevations and exposures in many regions).
As a wine enthusiast, I can't help but be really energized by reading this book. There are so many moments in wine that start to feel like the end of an era, including when regions change (embracing fame and commercialism, including sales of domaines to corporations) and when market forces take certain wines out of reach. But this book was a healthy reminder to me that there is always something new at play - new regions producing quality wine, and forward looking winemakers in regions both established and new who are advancing the game through their work and narrative. And pursuing that newness and dynamism is a big part of what makes wine such an exciting field to follow. The next several decades are going to be a wild ride in the world of wine - buckle up and enjoy it!
August 28, 2024
"The New French wine exists because the struggle to revive has finally won, and then some. The future isn't about trying to preserve the past so much as to find wisdom in it and build something even greater. This current generation is arguably the first one to move forward without phylloxera's shadow hanging overhead. They have come up without being weighted down by the sense of loss that defined previous generations. Or rather, they have opted to revive the best of what came before, to repair many bad decisions made along the path to recovery, and to forge something entirely new."
This brand new two-volume set is arguably the most comprehensive analysis of French wine -- but not just the wine; also the history, the soil compositions, and especially, the terroir. Bonne leads us through every since region in France. What becomes evident fairly quickly is his emphasis on certain aspects of winemaking, namely: with organics, biodynamics, adapting to climate change, using local varietals, and making lighter style wines. I agree with the majority of what he is saying: there are plenty of vignerons who focus too much on extraction and heavy oak, but Bonne seems to believe that there can be no such thing as a good Big wine (one with plenty of weight, and potentially alcohol). What I found really unfortunate was how much he was essentially shit-talking the southern Rhone and Languedoc regions -- as if there are no quality wines coming out of these areas. Even in an area as problematic as Bordeaux, he still gave these winemakers the benefit of the doubt -- choosing to be more optimistic/hopeful. I don't disagree with Bonne's experience and knowledge, but it makes this book feel less like a study of the region than a platform for his preferences. With that being said, if you are geeky about wine (especially French wine), I think this is a worthwhile acquisition. It is well-written with lots of great pictures and expressions of various regions. Just be sure to take his preferences with a grain of salt.
This brand new two-volume set is arguably the most comprehensive analysis of French wine -- but not just the wine; also the history, the soil compositions, and especially, the terroir. Bonne leads us through every since region in France. What becomes evident fairly quickly is his emphasis on certain aspects of winemaking, namely: with organics, biodynamics, adapting to climate change, using local varietals, and making lighter style wines. I agree with the majority of what he is saying: there are plenty of vignerons who focus too much on extraction and heavy oak, but Bonne seems to believe that there can be no such thing as a good Big wine (one with plenty of weight, and potentially alcohol). What I found really unfortunate was how much he was essentially shit-talking the southern Rhone and Languedoc regions -- as if there are no quality wines coming out of these areas. Even in an area as problematic as Bordeaux, he still gave these winemakers the benefit of the doubt -- choosing to be more optimistic/hopeful. I don't disagree with Bonne's experience and knowledge, but it makes this book feel less like a study of the region than a platform for his preferences. With that being said, if you are geeky about wine (especially French wine), I think this is a worthwhile acquisition. It is well-written with lots of great pictures and expressions of various regions. Just be sure to take his preferences with a grain of salt.
December 20, 2023
Possibly the most insightful contemporary literature on French wine. A must! Cheers!
July 31, 2024
Read both volumes
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews