Monday, June 08, 2009

Frommer’s 500 places for food & wine lovers
Holly Hughes
Wiley Publishing – NZ$37.99 Aust$32.95

Holly Hughes wrote the bestselling 500 Places to Take Your Kids Before they Grow Up, and I reckon she has another winner on her hand here.
I love books like this because they enable one to discover and learn about some of the world’s most compelling food and wine destinations. The huge majority of them I have not been to and will not ever get to but the joy of “being there” as an armchair traveller is made not only possible by the author but thoroughly enjoyable.

Hundreds of black & white photos add to the experience and the book is made very useable with an excellent geographical index.
Included are farmers markets, vineyards and breweries, culinary festivals, cookbook & kitchenware shops, restaurants, bars and cafes, street food, wine trails, cooking schools and more besides.
Four NZ wineries are included while Australia gets nine entries including the Melbourne specialist bookshop, Books for Cooks, Queen Victoria Market, Sydney restaurants, and five vineyards.
Also included is contact information, web sites and detail on accommodation and services.
Don’t leave home without it.

1 comment:

Vanda Symon said...

Craggy Range Winery (pictured) is in the most wonderful location, with the pond in front and Te Mata peak & the range towering above - it's spectacular.

In fact it would cover both books, as we had a lovely picnic there with the kids, and we managed to keep them out of the pond, just. We also got to enjoy watching the mad-as-a-meat-axe hang-gliders and parapenters drift to the ground.