Chair Nick Lander explained that books were judged against several criteria: they needed to contain a large amount of original research; be of enduring, educational value; be a pleasure to read; and be well produced. This year, the 46th year of the awards, saw a record number of submissions, with more than 160 books entered.
Drink Award winner
The Drink Award went to Andrew Caillard for The Australian Ark (available through Amazon UK), a three-volume collection charting the history of Australian wine, which chronicles the key figures, events and ambitions shaping Australian wine from the time of the first settlement in 1788 to the present day.
Wine author, fine wine auctioneer and Master of Wine, Caillard spent 17 years working on the magnum opus, the most extensive history of Australian wine ever written, which has been published in paperback, hardback and leather-bound editions.
‘The Australian Ark was like falling into a forgotten world,’ said Caillard, who was represented at the ceremony by his publishers Angus Hughson and David Longfield. ‘The more I delved into Australia’s wine story, the more I was hooked. It’s just an incredible adventure and full of imagination, daring and grand achievements.’
Wine buyer and former sommelier Dawn Davies MW judged the drink book entries, and described Australian Ark as ‘phenomenal’. She paid tribute to the book’s incredible depth, and richness of history. It’s nothing short of a masterpiece, and is a book that you will go back to time and time again.’
Once in a generation
Hughson explained that he jumped at the opportunity to publish the work, on being approached by Caillard. ‘Very few people have the experience that Andrew has, and write with his elegance,’ said Hughson. ‘It’s the culmination of a lifetime’s work – a once in a generation book. When I read the manuscript I knew this had to be printed, especially given the challenges faced by the Australian wine industry today.’
A reprint of the book (5,000 copies were printed) is unlikely, given the cost of production, he said. ‘The project was possible thanks to donations by Australian wine producers and fine wine collectors who recognised the value of the work,’ Hughson explained. ‘Within a week of Andrew sending his first emails, A$200,000 had been pledged of the A$600,000 we raised in total for a project, which in the end has cost over $1.2m to publish.’
It was an expensive and labour-intensive project, he said. ‘The team working on it with Andrew included archivists in three libraries, editors and historians. We went through 20,000 images to choose the final selection of 1,200. We also felt it was important to print the book in Australia, even though we could have printed it more cheaply abroad, and we used the best-quality paper stock.’
Writing from Australia, Caillard said that ‘winning the André Simon Award is an incredible honour, as it recognises and validates The Australian Ark as a work of enduring value. It took 17 years of writing, but it could not have been published without the incredible support of my editorial team (especially Angus and David), family, friends and the Australian wine community’.
Shortlisted entries
Also shortlisted for the Drink Award were One Thousand Vines, by the current holder of the Decanter Rising Star Award, Pascaline Lepeltier, reviewed recently by Decanter; and The Martini, by Alice Lascelles.
In One Thousand Vines the French-born, New York-based sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier answers important questions about wine. With three main parts – Reading Vines, Reading Landscapes and Reading Wines – the book challenges preconceived ideas about the vine and its wine. It explains where we are now, how we got here, and shows us a way forward – in how grapes will be grown, made into wine, sold and enjoyed. ‘If I’d had this book when I was studying for my Master of Wine, I would have passed a lot sooner!’ commented Davies.
Food Award winner
The Food Award went to Nicola Lamb for SIFT: The Art of Great Baking (available through Amazon UK). Lamb, who trained in London and New York’s top bakeries, sets out to be the ultimate guide to becoming a better baker. Food Assessor Lennie Ware said: ‘SIFT is a wonderful, innovative and original baking book. Truly accomplished, it is so interesting in terms of the science of baking, and is a triumph in its technicality. But the book is also accessible to all levels of bakers, with fantastic recipes that are easy to follow.’
Two further awards were made on the evening. The John Avery Award went to Ned Palmer for A Cheesemonger’s Tour de France (available through Amazon UK), and the Special Commendation Award was presented to Adam Wells for Perry: A Drinker’s Guide (available through Amazon UK).
