André Simon Awards shortlist revealed

The shortlist for this year’s André Simon Food & Drink Book Awards has been revealed with Oz Clarke and Suzanne Mustacich in the running.

Three wine books have been shortlisted in the ‘drink’ category, they are: Thirsty Dragon by Wine Spectator contributing editor, Suzanne Mustacich, Madeira by fortified expert Richard Mayson and Oz Clarke’s The History of Wine in 100 Bottles.

Mustacich’s book chart’s China’s “lust” for Bordeaux and its designs on becoming a global wine power and how Bordeaux’s fortunes are becoming increasingly entwined with the “thirsty dragon”.

Mayson’s book on Madeira explores the islands and the renaissance of its wines, from the physical character of the archipelago to production methods, current producers and a detailed appraisal of wines dating back to the 18^th century.

Finally, Clarke’s book follows the development of wine and the industry as we know it, from the clay urns of Georgia in c. 6000BC to, to Pompeii’s taverns, the Englishman who “invented” Champagne (maybe) and the infamous fraudsters of more recent years.

Also in the drink category is Marion Nestle’s Soda Politics on “taking on ‘Big Soda’ (and winning)”, while in the food books shortlist there are tomes on Ukrainian and Korean cuisine, fermented foods and how food habits are shaped by family, culture, memory and more.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony in the Goring Hotel on 28 January 2016.

The full shortlists are:

Food:

A Modern Way to Cook by Anna Jones (Fourth Estate)
Fermented by Charlotte Pike (Kyle Books)
Five Quarters by Rachel Roddy (Saltyard Books)
Mamushka by Olia Hercules (Mitchell Beazley)
First Bite by Bee Wilson (Fourth Estate)
Our Korean Kitchen by Jordan Bourke & Rejina Pyo (W&N)
Everyday Super Food by Jamie Oliver (Michael Joseph)

Drink: 

Thirsty Dragon by Suzanne Mustacich (Henry Holt)
Madeira by Richard Mayson (Infinite Ideas Ltd)
Soda Politics by Marion Nestle (Oxford University Press)
The History of Wine in 100 Bottles by Oz Clarke (Pavilion Books)