I requested this book because I wanted to know more about wine and the blurb gave me a good idea as to what to expect.
I was not familiar with Tom Gilbey prior to reading this book.
A great book to help you familiarise with the sophisticated world of wine, which goes in the essentials and the basics as well as some finer details and Gilbey’s connection to the world of wine is invaluable.

Tom Gilby gained social media fame when he ran a marathon while sampling wine, and he has kept that following with his down to earth, jargon free, wine videos.
This book reinforces his image of plain speaking and no nonsense humour, but more importantly, it showcases his love for wine and and the origins of his passion. It is written in his friendly, slightly irreverent tone throughout, and the love for his subject is evident from the beginning.
We learn about Tom's introduction to the world of viticulture and his first forays in to wine buying when at university, this all serves to make his recommendations and advice more authentic. I know a little about the world of wine, but I found the explanations and descriptions of grape varieties to be really helpful and accessible, so that my knowledge has been augmented and reinforced. It would work equally well for a complete beginner who has been put off learning about wine for fear of it being too elitist.
A great present for anyone who wants to take their first steps in to appreciating wine or to build on their knowledge, but prefers not to read a textbook style explanation. Cheers!