It is Saint George’s day in Spain, the patron of the old Kingdom of Aragon, whose day is traditionally celebrated here with the giving of books and roses, and I sincerely hope that some lucky people out there have received a copy of this excellent addition to the library by none other than Cesar Saldaña, President of the Consejo Regulador (and all around good guy).

It was through Cesar that I first became seriously interested in these wines and since then my debt to him has only grown. He is a good friend and a fellow “Generoso”, so I cannot claim that this post is entirely impartial.

But for all that Cesar is a good friend and great company, the man knows as much about Jerez as almost anyone I know and for years, is truly passionate about it in a way that fills casual afficionados like myself with envy, and has been teaching the world of Jerez to sommeliers and wine lovers on the “Sherry Masters” of which he has been a driving force. This book is the fruit of all that knowledge, passion, and communication and as you might expect is full of information, inspiration and insight as a result.

Cesar himself would be far too modest to claim that this is “the” book about the wines of Jerez – at the presentation this week he reckoned that there were about 50 other “essential” books that everyone should read – but I can tell you that this would be a great place to start. And the good news is that it is only available in Spanish, giving all you anglophone types an excellent excuse to learn!

Get your copy direct from the editors here. And Happy Saint George’s Day!