The Magpie's Guide to Montalcino

"Another disclaimer here, because this book was the reason that I started to work with Laura and we have since become friends. In 2023, she set up a meeting with me to ask me to write the introduction and I ended up offering her a job. The book is a dictionary with an index of entries by topic that share an anecdotal, historical and cultural knowledge of Montalcino. So although it might seem to be about a very specific topic, Montalcino, it actually is a perfect entry into a deeper understanding of Italian wine, Italian lifestyle and life in a small town in Tuscany. Some entries are very specific to viticulture, but others are stories about beloved local characters or Tuscan sayings. The idea of the magpies is that this is a collection of shiny things. I really like the way it is a guide; it doesn’t have a beginning or an end. You can just open it and read about a general concept, like ‘drinking window’, ‘peronospera’, the legacy of nicknames in the town, or the Etruscan origins of the area. It is so well crafted that in just a few lines, she delivers a lot of information in this very light-handed, witty, yet informative way. This is a book for everybody. The other titles in my selection are for people who have an existing interest and knowledge of wine. Laura’s book is something else. It’s not just about wine, although it is about Tuscany and Montalcino in particular. Also, when did you last laugh when reading a reference book? There are quite a few entries about the production and regulation of Brunello, the DOCG certification of Brunello itself, the soils and so on. She includes the phenological phases of the growing season, and some personalities that have been instrumental to the rise in the reputation of Brunello. But at the same time, most of the entries can be useful for wine knowledge in general, regardless of whether we are talking about Brunello or Tuscan wine. It is a very inclusive book that can be used to get a better grip of the area. It is an innovative way to understand a region, written by a local. She’s been in Montalcino for more than thirty years but at the same time she has maintained her critical eye as a foreigner, so it’s a very illuminating book to browse and enjoy."