MINISTER PRAISES OUR GRANGE BOOK

NEWS RELEASE

FROM: Minister Leon Bignell 

Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries 

Minister for Forests 

Minister for Tourism 

Minister for Recreation and Sport 

Minister for Racing

Friday May 9, 2014

SA photo book wins international accolades

A South Australian-produced photographic book which tells the story of a year in the life of SA’s iconic Penfold’s Grange wine has won a silver medal at one of the world’s most prestigious book publishing awards.

The photo-essay book A Year in the Life of Grange won the medal in the Coffee Table book section at the 18th annual American Independent Book Publisher Awards.

Hand-crafted by three well-known South Australians - photographer Milton Wordley, wine writer Philip White, and designer John Nowland – the book has also been short-listed for the prestigious International Wine Book of the Year at the Gourmand International Wine and Cook Book Awards, described as the “Oscars of the wine and food book awards”. 

Publisher/photographer Milton Wordley, author Philip White and designer John Nowland checking proofs at Finsbury Green ... photo Peter Fisher ... for preview click here

Tourism Minister Leon Bignell congratulated the book’s producers for their achievement.

“Milton, Philip and John have produced a superb photo-essay book about one of our State’s most internationally-recognisable brands – Penfold’s Grange – and they richly deserve the rave reviews the book has received,” he said. 

In his review of the book, highly-respected wine expert James Halliday stated that “I have well over a thousand wine books in my library, and only one comes close to this”. 

Milton Wordley said he’s very proud that the book was 100% locally produced. 

“The book was printed in South Australia by Finsbury Green, and hand-bound locally at Chasdor Bindery,” he said. 

“It now joins six other finalists to be judged at the 2014 World Wine Book of the Year Award in Beijing later this month as part of the International Gourmand Wine and Cook Book Awards. It’s one of only two books short-listed in two categories, and joins five other finalists in the Photo/Illustration category.” 

Milton is leaving for Beijing next week, and will join South Australia’s Dorinda Hafner at the awards ceremony. Dorinda’s recent book Honey I Shrunk the Chef is a finalist as well in the Cook Book section.

Minister Bignell (left ... photo Kate Elmes) said the success of the book will focus further international attention on South Australia’s wine regions.

“Our reputation for premium food and wine is already helping to attract increasing numbers of international visitors to South Australia, and the success of this book can only boost international interest in SA as a travel destination,” he said. 

According to the American Independent Book Publishers website, the awards are the world’s largest and most diverse book competition, with more than 5,500 entries from the United States and 33 other countries.

The silver medal will be awarded at a ceremony in New York in late May.

To hear Milton discuss our book on Radio National's First Bite, click here.