Two new Australian publications have made their way to the wine shelves in the book stores. James Halliday’s latest Wine Companion (retail $19.95) is its usual irreplaceable self, a wonderful resource of information about most wineries in Australia and New Zealand. A newcomer to the scene is Discover Australia Wineries, a Random House publication edited by Wine Magazine’s associate editor, Peter Forrestal. It’s really a softcover version of Halliday’s Wine Atlas of Australia and New Zealand (for something around half the price at $39.95 per copy), although it focuses only on Australian wine. Its maps more resemble standard road maps than those presented by Halliday, although Halliday’s have more fine detail with respect to the wineries themselves. Discover Australia Wineries is really produced as a touring guide, wrapped inside a robust plastic cover. It doesn’t make any serious attempt to evaluate wine or quality. Its road maps are excellent and its content reliable and accurate. All you need to do is shove it into the convertible and head off for them thar hills. I’m no chef, so I reckon I’m in a perfect position from which to review cooking books aimed fairly and squarely by those of us so busy we don’t think we’ve got the time to cook. Lyndey Milan’s latest effort, Fabulous Food, is a brightly written and laid out book so striking you almost need to read it from several feet away. Which of course is precisely what you’ll be doing while working on its recipes in the kitchen. The book costs $39.95 and features Lyndey’s very commonsense wine suggestions with each carefully photographed recipe.
