I was recently sent this book to review by Gibson Square publishers.

So who is Malcom Gluck?

I quote from the press release -

"MALCOLM GLUCK is one of the nations best-known wine critics. He wrote the first column on supermarket wines for the Guardian and the first annual guide to bargain wines, Superplonk, a number-one best seller for almost a decade. He also presented his own BBC wine series. He is currently wine critic of The Oldie and wine consultant to several London restaurants. After publishing this guide he lost his wine column in Harper's the wine trade magazine."

Here are my thoughts on the book -

'Malcolm Gluck's The Great Wine Swindle' is like running into machine guns firing long obscure flowery words in no particular order. Even Countdown's dictionary corner may struggle. Its tone is angry and isolated, and hard to comprehend. At times if feels like the author is trading on controversy and despite making some very good observations with his lifetime of experience in the industry, it is hard to listen when someone is shouting at you all the time.

So will this review be wholly scathing and add to the 'there is no such thing as bad publicity' mantra out there?

Well no, it won't be.

Despite the book being more than a little 'full on', it does educate on some level and opens your eyes to a few of the shadier practices in the wine industry.

I found it hard to put down.

Yes, the author appears to be a walking contradiction, but then we all are to some extent, as we are only human. This is what rises up from the book. The scatter gun approach in the way he conveys his thoughts, no embarrassment holding him back, no treading carefully trying to protect other peoples feelings at the price of half truths. A full emotional outpouring of mostly frustration about the wine trade. Raw and often difficult to swallow (like lots of the wines he mentions), it is nice to have real opinions on a plate, no dressing, no spin.

The book was of particular interest to me as I am slowly discovering wine, an outsider not intimately involved in the industry itself. Some of the observations I have made in my blog are echoed (loudly) in this book, and others I am sure the author would drown me into a vat of Superplonk for airing.

I was surprised that despite a large proportion of the book dedicated to the art of wine writing, Malcolm (I hope it is OK to be on first name terms here) does not seem to mention wine blogs at all. He does make reference to the Internet, implying awareness of the beast, but leaves us bloggers alone. I am not sure if that is a seal of approval, or that we are so low on his food chain we do not make it to the table.

The book makes me feel I have been brought up with a building fantasy and spin around wine, a propagating myth promising to deliver all of my greatest drinking desires. But when the cork is out, the spell is broken. All you have left is alcopop in a glass, brought to you by money grabbing unscrupulous globalised companies, who play on your emotions. A bit like Father Christmas is to Coke. I have to admit to feeling rather flat after reading it. I may even stop leaving my stocking out.

If you buy wine regularly it's certainly worth a read, but it is also worth balancing with other more positive prose, otherwise despair may well set in.

I recommend hiring a mediator to read the book to you gently.

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