Now that the Glenfiddich Awards for food and drink communicators are no more, the André Simon Food and Drink book awards share the UK field for awarding wine writers with the Louis Roederer Awards, and are the only ones to concentrate on books. Founder of the Wine & Food Society André Simon is seen here with his protégé, the young Hugh Johnson.
Nick is a Trustee and so every autumn our house is invaded by daily deliveries of jiffy bags. The judges, helped by special advisors Joanna Simon and Jill Norman, deliberated last week and came up with the following shortlist for the 2009 awards. There seemed to be a few more drinks books than in the previous year, which is heartening, even if an increasing proportion of them, such as Ben Lewin's below, are self-published. Kyle Cathie (who back in 1983 published my Masterglass, on which How to Taste is based) seems to be on a winning streak with food books. Two of the shortlisted authors became Masters of Wine last year.
The shortlisted drink books are:
Asian Palate by Jeannie Cho Lee MW published by Asset Publishing and Research
Collio by Carla Capalbo published by Pallas Athene
The Finest Wines of Champagne by Michael Edwards published by Aurum Press
What Price Bordeaux? published by Benjamin Lewin MW published by the Wine Appreciation Guild/Vendange (see Hugo Rose MW's review)
The shortlisted food books are:
Adventures with Chocolate by Paul A Young published by Kyle Cathie
Catching Fire by Richard Wrangham published by Profile Books
Forgotten Skills of Cooking by Darina Allen published by Kyle Cathie
The Italian Cookery Course by Katie Caldesi published by Kyle Cathie
The Song of Sapa by Luke Nguyen published by Murdoch Books
The Vegetarian Option by Simon Hopkinson published by Quadrille Publishing
The winners will be announced in spring 2010
