Ralph Steadman's passion for wine had characteristically novel beginnings. Renowned as an illustrator, he was commissioned to illustrate an award-winning wine list, and was lucky enough to travel with experienced wine buyers around California, France, Australia, Portugal, Germany, Italy and other countries. It was during these trips that he found himself captivated, not only by the landscapes, but more importantly by the quirky characters he met and by the wine itself.The Grapes of Ralph is the result of his journeys of discovery. Given the opportunity to interview top winemakers and buyers, spend time in the vineyards and meet some of the wine world's most fascinating characters, Steadman has created an amusing, informative and vibrant work. Structuring the book around each country he visited, he offers fresh insight into the methods of production and qualities of the wines, and, just as important, into the characters who produce them. Whether he is in Italy, where Giuseppe Quintarelli 'can discover in a grape dimensions that can make Verona's Roman arena look like a multi-storey car park' or in California, where his ruthless pen captures such habitues of the wine world as The Great American Wine Slob, his observations are rarely reverent, invariably witty and always perceptive. Read Less