Dirty deeds in the world of wine

Vintage Crime is not the book for you if are looking for a comprehensive list of the various grape varieties of Italy, or the top cellar doors to visit in Stellenbosch.

But if you are looking for some human interest stories about the world of wine, its history and some notorious dodgers and divers then you'll have some fun.

Wine journalist and Master of Wine Rebecca Gibb says her book is all about wine "amelioration, adulteration, and deception" told chronologically through 10 wine frauds.

She covers some of the most high-profile wine scams and some of the lesser-known devious activities over the years.

The book spans ancient times, in bawdy Imperial Rome no less, to the 21st century and how mega fraudster Rudy Kurniawan rose from obscurity to global notoriety.

There is a focus on human stories: wine producers, merchants, collectors, and drinkers rather than on the bottles of wine themselves. 

A fun and engaging book choice when you want to take in a chapter here and a chapter there, rather than binge reading. Enjoy at your own pace. 

Vintage Crime: A Short History of Wine Fraud is to be published by University of California Press. www.ucpress.edu