PRESSING MATTERS
The debates, controversies, and mysteries that
have shaped the world of wine
ALAN RAMEY
About Pressing Matters
People have been drinking wine for thousands of years. So by now we must have worked out the best way to grow, make, and appreciate it – right?
In fact, if anything, our accumulated centuries of experience have only complicated the picture. Perhaps you believe in the primacy of terroir, think that organic farming is the only right way to grow grapes, or know that you can easily tell the difference between a store-bought wine and one sold via the membership list of a cult winery. But perhaps the picture is not so clear cut.
In Pressing Matters, Alan Ramey explores wine from eight angles in an effort to clarify the arguments on all sides. Experts in the subjects of terroir, farming, wine production, tasting, wine’s cultural significance, and the economic value of wine offer their insights on these key debates.
By focusing on wine through the prism of the main points of difference within each topic, the book presents readers with a story that includes the messiness, human fragility, and disagreement about core principles that so often gets skipped in discussions about wine.
Pressing Matters can’t promise to leave you with a set of neat answers on these topics but whether you are new to wine or fancy yourself something of an expert it offers a fresh way of thinking about this complex and fascinating subject.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Ramey comes from a vintner family in the Sonoma/Napa area north of San Francisco, California. He is co-president and co-owner of Ramey Wine Cellars along with his sister. He learned wine hands on through working at the winery and has also studied winemaking and apprenticed in Chile and France, including harvests at Veramonte in Casablanca and Méo-Camuzet in Burgundy. While studying for his masters degree at the University of Cambridge he was selected to join the blind wine tasting team.
First and foremost we are wine lovers! The Académie du Vin Library was founded by Steven Spurrier and friends, dedicated to publishing the finest wine writing of the past, the present and the future. The story behind the name came from Steven’s days in Paris in the 1970s, when he began running wine appreciation courses for his English-speaking friends.
Our list is small – and will never be large – because we value quality over quantity. We choose our books with care – above all for their readability, but also because we genuinely believe they have something important to say about the world of fine wine that will enhance your drinking pleasure. We are proud to publish many of the world’s leading authors and wine experts. You can read more about them here.
WHAT WE DO
We publish several kinds of wine books, having acquired the world-renowned Classic Wine Library recently.
Our newly commissioned titles aim to bring you the best of modern wine writing. Anthologies, memoirs and literary explorations provide the colour, the background and the essential understanding on which any true enjoyment of fine wine depends. The ‘Wines of‘ series are the most trusted guides to all of the key wine regions, written by world-class experts. Our books really are wine writing at its finest.
We also publish beautiful new editions of old books that we firmly believe demand a new audience. Rather than simply republishing the books, we add updates and additional material that we think will appeal to a modern readership without in any way destroying the charm or the essential wisdom of the originals. Fine wine writing, like wine itself, represents an accumulation of knowledge over the ages. Our aim is to pick the best and to let it breathe again.
We also offer a carefully curated collection of wine books from other authors; wonderful writers with great passion and knowledge of fascinating wine regions and winemakers.
Be sure to subscribe to our newsletter for more details of our forthcoming books.
JOIN THE CLUB!
We are more than just a publishing company. We aim to build a community of like-minded winos, who can exchange news and views, keep up with the latest developments in the wine industry, and participate in exciting wine tasting events across the world. Sign up to our newsletter here to hear more.
And we are always keen to work with like-minded companies in the world of wine, from educators to merchants to wine makers. If you are interested in selling our books, please see our Trade Partners page here. If you would like to work with us in any other capacity please contact us here.