Why volcanic wines may blow your mind

There’s not much innovation in wine publishing. Having judged two awards in the last 12 months (the Louis Roederer and Andre Simon), I get the impression that publishers think wine-lovers want only beginners’ guides and outsize volumes on the world’s poshest wine regions. So credit to Jacqui Small for publishing our Andre Simon drink book winner, the refreshingly original Volcanic Wines, by Canadian sommelier John Szabo. Szabo doesn’t claim that soil is the only factor at play; the preservation of indigenous varieties and ancient growing methods in these hard-to-work vineyards also make the wines distinctive.