A Matter of Taste: A History of Wine Drinking in Britain

From the Sack of Shakespearean England to the supermarket Chardonnay of the twenty-first century, wine tastes in this country have changed dramatically. This book takes an irreverent (yet-impeccably-researched) look the development of our national tastes. The eclectic scope of the book includes a detailed discussion of the wine list at the coronation of George VI, the impact of French Chateau legislation in 1855 upon the obsessive Victorian claret fiends of the day, the explosion of Hock as the typical plonk of the 1970s and the many frauds, marketing ploys and outrages perpetrated on the traditionally naive British market over the years. Lavishly illustrated with paintings, photographs, labels and woodcuts, this light-hearted journey through the cultural history of wine wears its learning lightly and is a wonderful book for anyone who enjoys a glass or two.