Petit éloge du vin
(A Praise of Wine)
Petit Éloge du Vin is a deeply personal book — a collection of fifty stories about wine, blending the memories and expertise of award-winning wine critic and global wine traveller Gabrielle Vizzavona.
With witty and unconventional chapter titles, the book explores a wide range of themes: tasting as a martial art, the mechanics of wine labels and classifications, the bold yet delightful pairing of fine wines with junk food, blind tasting, the senses of taste and smell, and memorable encounters from the author’s journey. Through intimate anecdotes, oenological explanations, and sometimes sharp reflections on the wine world, Gabrielle shares her love of wine, connecting it to terroir, living ecosystems, and the work of those who produce it.
Adopting a global perspective, she explores diverse terroirs from Chile, Argentina, England and Italy to Sweden. This irreverent yet comprehensive work demystifies our relationship with wine, making it accessible to all — approaching the subject with humor while grounded in rigorous expertise.
The result: 215 pages the author envisioned in a vibrant Ferrari red.
Petit Éloge du Vin was successfully published in France: the first print run sold out within months and was reprinted before Christmas. It ranked first in its category on Amazon just before the holidays and received two literary awards.
About
“Democratizing wine without sacrificing scientific rigor — wrapping technical knowledge in storytelling and humor” is the literary ambition of award-winning wine and spirits expert, journalist and speaker Gabrielle Vizzavona.
Petit Éloge du Vin, elegantly crafted, is a rich and flavorful collection of anecdotes, oenological insights and personal reflections — humorous, moving and at times sharply observant — drawn from nearly fifteen years within the wine industry.
From tasting as a “combat sport” to understanding wine classifications, and from daring yet joyful pairings of great wines with junk food, this irreverent and instructive work demystifies wine and helps us understand it through fifty engaging stories.
A joyful ode to the vine, the grape, and the women and men who press it.
