Inside the book

Redding presents wine knowledge as a complete craft, part chemistry, part conduct, part economy, demanding the same competence from a gentleman as from his butler. His reflections on adulteration and fraud reveal early concerns with authenticity and origin. Warnings against Cape mixtures or counterfeit Bordeaux anticipate modern debates on appellation and purity, capturing a time when blending could still pass for artful improvement rather than deceit. Equally striking is his esteem for wines of Portugal, Lisbon and its surrounding vineyards, then counted among Europe’s respected sources, but later eclipsed by shifts in trade, fashion, and fortification. The closing chapter, My Uncle's Wine Sayings, brings charm and humor to the technical text, offering flashes of worldly wisdom that still amuse by their odd insight. Among the most curious: “Repentance is a home-made wine of our own brewing,” “Love wine like a constant mistress; never abuse it, and you will find it bring no sorrows,” and “Never take wine with the ugliest lady; she may be one of many virtues.” Each saying distills the era’s mix of restraint, wit, and conviviality - but some might appear controversial to the modern reader. The List of Wines that follows preserves a Europe defined by local renown rather than commercial scale, a survey of vineyards before modern classification and branding. Together, these pages evoke a world where wine knowledge was a measure of education and where tending a cellar well was an act of judgment, memory, and civility.