Keith Grainger receives Le Prix de l’OIV for wine fault book

Keith Grainger was awarded Le Prix de l’OIV at La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux on 30 September for his book Wine Faults and Flaws: A Practical Guide.

The UK re-joined the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine) in January 2021, with the 48 member states producing 85% of the world’s wines. The organisation describes the award as: “[a] distinction granted each year by an international jury composed of eminent personalities in the vitivinicultural world who represent the OIV Member Countries.”

Grainger’s book offers a detailed examination of how faults, flaws and taints occur, how they can be detected, and how they can be prevented or even treated. In his words: “Incidences of faulty wines reaching the consumer are greater than would be regarded as acceptable in most other industries. It is claimed that occurrences are less common today than in recent recorded history, and it is true that the frequency of some faults and taints being encountered in bottle has declined in the last decade or two.”

“However,” Grainger continued, “incidences of certain faults and taints have increased, and issues that were once unheard of now affect many wines offered for sale.”

Clearly the book made an impression on the jury, who decided to present Grainger with the prize in the Oenology category at the 2021-2022 ceremony in Bordeaux, the first to be held in-person since before the pandemic.

Celebrating the award, Grainger said: “Following my success in the Gourmand Awards for The Best Wine Book for Professionals, I am over the moon!”

Last year, Grainger wrote a detailed piece about wine faults, from lightstrike to smoke, for the drinks business. To read that, click here.