Andrew Jefford

Andrew Jefford (born 1956) is an English journalist, radio presenter and author of books on wine.

Education

The son of a Church of England clergyman and the eldest of three brothers, Jefford grew up in Norfolk, England. [http://www.andrewjefford.com/cv.htm CV] at andrewjefford.com (accessed 15 October 2007)] He was educated at Gresham's School, Holt, the University of Reading (where he read English) and the University of East Anglia, where his post-graduate studies were jointly supervised by the late Sir Malcolm Bradbury and Guido Almansi. [http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/presenters/andrew_jefford.shtml Andrew Jefford biography] at BBC Radio 4 web site (accessed 23 October 2007)] At UEA he worked for two years on a PhD thesis on the short fiction of Robert Louis Stevenson, which was not completed.

Career

He began work as an editor with Paul Hamlyn's "Octopus Group", and his passions for wine and writing led to articles and books on wine. He is now a freelance drinks journalist and broadcaster. He was the drinks writer for The Evening Standard, the evening newspaper for the London region, between 1992 and 2002, occasionally presents "The Food Programme" on BBC Radio 4, and writes a bi-monthly column for "Decanter". Jefford is also contributing editor to the magazine "The World of Fine Wine". [ [http://www.finewinemag.com "The World of Fine Wine"] ]

He has won eight Glenfiddich Awards, has twice been named "British Beer Writer of the Year", and was named "Communicator of the Year" in the 2001 International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Jefford lives in Tunbridge Wells, Kent. and (when not busy with the business of drinking) says he enjoys swimming, music, walking and growing acers. He is also a poet, with work published in "The Spectator" and "The Independent".

Television

On television, he has worked as a chef's assistant and has reported on whisky for "Food File" (Channel Four, 1996) and "SCAM" (Carlton Television, 2003)

Bibliography

Jefford's books include -

* "Dr Jekyll and Professor Nabokov: Reading a Reading", in "Robert Louis Stevenson (critical essays)", ed. Andrew Noble (1983)
* "Port, An Essential Guide to the Classic Drink" (Exeter Books and Merehurst, 1988)
* "Which? Wine Guide 1991" (Consumers' Association, 1990)
* "The Magic of Champagne" (St Martin's Press, 1991) ISBN 0-312-09865-0
* "The Wines of Germany" (Mitchell Beazley, 1994)
* "The Evening Standard Wine Guide 1996" (Pavilion, 1995)
* "The Evening Standard Wine Guide 1997" (Evening Standard Books, 1996)
* "Smokes" (Evening Standard Books, 1997)
* "One Hundred and One Things You Need to Know About Wine" (Simon & Schuster UK, 1998) ISBN 0-7432-0509-X
* "Wine Tastes Wine Styles" (Ryland Peters & Small, 2000) ISBN 1-84172-050-X
* "The New France: A Complete Guide to Contemporary French Wine" (2002) ISBN 1-84000-410-X
* "After-Dinner Drinks: Discovering, Exploring, Enjoying" (Ryland Peters & Small, 2003) ISBN 1-84172-508-0
* "Choosing Wine" (Ryland Peters & Small, 2003) ISBN 1-84172-510-2
* "Peat Smoke and Spirit: A Portrait of Islay and its Whiskies" (Headline Books, 2005) ISBN 0-7472-4578-9
* "Wege zum Wein: Geschmack, Stil, Genuss" (Hallwag, Bern & Munich, 2000, translation of "Wine Tastes Wine Styles", 2000)
* "Weinlandschaft Frankreich" (Gräfe & Unzer, 2003, translation of "The New France")

Awards and honours

* Bunch Award for Wine Journalism 1994
* Glenfiddich Award 1995 Drink Writer of the Year
* Glenfiddich Award 1995 Whisky Writer of the Year
* Wine Guild of Great Britain 1995 (Premier Award)
* British Guild of Beer Writers 1995 Beer Writer of the Year
* Sony Bronze Award 1996 (for BBC "Liquid Companion")
* Glenfiddich Award 1997 Wine Writer of the Year
* Lanson Award 1999 (Broadcast Media, for BBC "Food Programme")
* British Guild of Beer Writers 1999 Beer Writer of the Year
* Glenfiddich Award 2000 Drink Writer of the Year
* Lanson Award 2000 (Broadcast Media, for BBC "Food Programme" and "Nature's Alchemists")
* International Wine and Spirit Competition 2001 "Communicator of the Year"
* Glenfiddich Award 2001 Radio Broadcast of the Year (for BBC "Food Programme" on cork)
* Glenfiddich Award 2002 Wine Writer of the Year
* Lanson Award 2002 (Broadcast Media, for "BBC Liquid Companion")
* Lanson Award 2003 (Wine Book of the Year, for "The New France")
* APA Magazine Awards 2003 (Journalist of the Year)
* Glenfiddich Award 2003 Drink Writer of the Year
* Glenfiddich Award 2003 Wine Writer of the Year
* Glenfiddich Award 2003 Glenfiddich Trophy
* Veuve Clicquot USA Award 2003 (Wine Book of the Year, for "The New France")
* André Simon Award 2003 (for "The New France")
* Symington Family Port Award 2003
* World Food Media Award 2005 (Best Drink Journalist)
* Louis Roederer Champagne International Wine Writer of the Year 2006
* ATOP Travel Writer of the Year 2006
* Louis Roederer Champagne International Wine Writer of the Year 2007

Quotations

* "There are many occasions in life when a lower-scoring wine is preferable to a higher-scoring one." - Andrew Jefford
* "If God does exist, sexual reproduction is proof that He or She has a sense of humour." [http://www.andrewjefford.com/worldview.htm Worldview page] at andrewjefford.com (accessed 15 October 2007)] - Andrew Jefford
* "Wine is appreciated aesthetically, not politically: beauty, and not power, is the goal." - Andrew Jefford
* "Homo sapiens might now be regarded as a plague species." - Andrew Jefford

ee also

* List of wine personalities

References

* [http://www.thewinedoctor.com/otherresources/jefford.shtml Wine Books: Andrew Jefford] Kissack, Chris, thewinedoctor.com
* [http://www.winepros.com.au/jsp/cda/authors/author_profile.jsp?authorid=219 Andrew Jefford biography] Winepros;Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.andrewjefford.com/cv.htm Andrew Jefford official site]