3 out of 4 stars
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Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France by Michael C. Higgins is a travel guidebook. The author recounts extensive details of his oenology research during his twenty-one week stay in the Bordeaux region of France. This book is an educational read, filled with stunning high-resolution photographs accompanying the text. This makes it an ideal coffee table book for anyone who has an appreciation for the enchanting world of French wine. Having said this, the detailed insider’s guide is a must-have for wine aficionados, and those who are keen to take their first steps into learning about all the factors involved in the process of making fine wine.
What I like most about Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France is the author’s enthusiastically conversational style of writing. The tone is light-hearted and rich with detailed descriptions of the topology of the land, and this has the effect of allowing the readers to visualise the experience of touring through Bordeaux. Higgins thoughtfully includes full addresses, maps, websites and telephone numbers of every restaurant, hotel and chateau mentioned in the text. A table of wines and tourism is also included, and this is useful for readers who may wish to make further inquiries about planning a visit.
Higgins’ Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France feels like an authentic guidebook from the very start, since all the places mentioned are recommendations from the author’s personal travels. The information included in the book serves to give readers an all-round idea of what to expect while exploring Bordeaux. While there is much praise for the various delights to enjoy in Bordeaux for adults and children alike, I was disappointed to discover that there was a lack of mention of vegan wines for those who follow a plant-based lifestyle.
Even though Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France is a well-researched book, I did not like that there was no contents page. A contents page would have been a helpful aid for readers to effortlessly find the relevant page for the region they wish to read about. Since I failed to find any grammatical errors, it is evident that the book has been edited well. I rate it 3 out of 4 stars. The reason I cannot give it full marks is because I found certain parts rather tedious to read.
I would recommend Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France to anyone who is genuinely excited about discovering the history and geography of what makes French wine unique and memorable. I would hesitate to recommend this book to those who are disinterested in wine.
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Exploring Wine Regions – Bordeaux France
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