Here’s an interesting proposition for wine students: Stephen Skelton MW’s new book snappily entitled Viticulture – An introduction to commercial grape growing for wine production that can be read online before you buy.
Skelton has already written two comprehensive books on English wine based on his experiences making wine in a cool climate from 1977 until 1991. He originally trained at Geisenheim and is now a consultant and wine judge but took three years off from 1999 to do a BSc in Multimedia Technology and Design at Brunel University.
I wouldn’t say this book is a triumph of design but it’s set in a very attractive and readable font and is littered with useful illiustrations and photographs, many taken by Skelton himself. It is most notable however in that it is self-published via POD (printing on demand) and sold exclusively through the internet. The book is thus available worldwide at a standard price, priced in local currency and at local delivery costs.
Unlike Tom Stevenson’s Fizz Guide 2003, downloadable for you to print via wine-pages.com here, Viticulture is not free. You can read it all however here at www.lulu.com where, if you want to buy this 238-page very fully illustrated paperback, you can order it at £16.50 or $29.92.
I started to read about training systems and was rather surprised to be referred to our very own Oxford Companion to Wine for more detail but Viticulture is particularly good on the practicalities of viticulture. Definitely useful for those with vines to plant and/or exams to take.