"Recommended" by Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Fodors, Rough Guides.

Wine Book

The Mad Keen Wine Buff's Road Trip

By Phil Parker

Published by Random House New Zealand

Copy signed by the author - NEW SPECIAL PRICE for internet clients: $NZ 19.90  (plus postage)

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Hankering for Hawkes Bay?
Keen as for Kumeu?
Wild for Wairarapa and Waiheke?
Mad about Matakana and Martinborough?

Another in Random House's successful ‘Mad Keen...Road Trip' series, wine tour expert Phil.

Parker has designed a series of 40 weekends among the vines in New Zealand's magnificent wine regions, with The Mad Keen Wine Buff's Road Trip. Wine buffs and even those with not much knowledge at all about wine but who like to drink it, can sniff, sip and slurp to the hearts' content. With well-considered itineraries for visits within regions and sub-regions, maps, recommendations for where to stay, where to eat, what to do when you're not wine-tasting and hilarious illustrations by ace cartoonist Chris Slane, this book is the mad keen wine buff's indispensable guide to this country's host of fantastic wineries. There are extensive notes on varietals, wine styles and wine trends so readers can bone up on what sets a Waipara pinot noir apart from a Central pinot noir, for example. This book has huge appeal to both the beginner wine connoisseur and the committed wine buff.

PHIL PARKER is a wine writer and freelance journalist whose love of wine led him out of physiotherapy and into wine tourism. He now writes wine columns for two glossy magazines and The Mad Keen Wine Buff's Road Trip is Phil's first book. His outside interests include playing drums, oil painting and 70's music. Phil lives in Auckland when he's not visiting the wine regions.