Cape Wines: Body & Soul by Alain Proust & Graham Knox
Cape Wines: Body & Soul By Alain Proust & Graham Knox (Collectible First Edition Copy)
An Evocative, Artistically Visual Journey Capturing the Modern Renaissance and Transforming Spirit of South African Viticulture
An Evocative, Artistically Visual Journey Capturing the Modern Renaissance and Transforming Spirit of South African Viticulture
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Cape Wines: Body & Soul
- Photographer: Alain Proust
- Author: Graham Knox
- Publisher: Fernwood Press, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1997
- ISBN-10: 1874950318
- ISBN-13: 9781874950318
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing (Collectible Cape Africana Release)
- Binding: Original publisher's premium hardcover cloth boards, complete with the original illustrated dust jacket, now beautifully preserved and stabilized inside a clear Cellophane archival sleeve.
- Physical Format: Large Format Quarto (4to), 144 pages. Lavishly enhanced with masterclass landscape photography, artistic cellar perspectives, detailed maps of emerging wine regions, and profiles of landmark boutique cellars.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's cloth casing remains structurally robust, square-cornered, and remarkably flat. The spine is completely uncreased, straight, and unbroken, with the gilt spine lettering remaining sharp and untarnished.
- Interior: The inner hinges and structural binding are tight, true, and flawless. The internal pages and high-gloss photographic plates are clean, crisp, stark white, and completely intact. Free from standard consumer ink inscriptions, estate damp-warping, or dealer pencil annotations.
- Preservation: Meticulously looked after, carefully maintained, and now fully stabilized in a premium Cellophane sleeve to shield the binding from future edge wear.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Minus (VG-)
- Condition: Present, complete, and unclipped. Displays limited, minor signs of storage shelf wear, light edge rubbing, and superficial wrinkling along the perimeter borders and spine ends. Beautifully consolidated, bright, and seamlessly showcased beneath the protective archival Cellophane wrap.
Synopsis & Viticultural Value
Published in 1997 by the prestigious Fernwood Press, Cape Wines: Body & Soul stands as a brilliant and artistic exploration of the new life breathed into the ancient art of winemaking in South Africa as it entered the new millennium. Moving away from standard, dry technical manuals, this beautifully composed volume combines the vivid, evocative prose of wine specialist Graham Knox with the breathtaking, masterclass documentary photography of Alain Proust.
The narrative captures the radical post-apartheid transformation of the Cape wine landscape, highlighting the breaking of old corporate controls, the implementation of forward-thinking cellar technologies, and the sudden global integration of local varietals. By exploring the unique historical roots (the "soul") alongside the bold structural changes (the "body") of regions like Stellenbosch, Constantia, and Elgin, this scarce late-90s work remains an vital reference and an unusual collectible for serious wine historians, oenophiles, and collectors of premium South African design and lifestyle Africana.
Author Profile: Alain Proust & Graham Knox
This landmark text combines the creative talents of two of South Africa's most prominent lifestyle and culinary authorities:
- Alain Proust is a highly distinguished, internationally acclaimed French-born South African photographer whose legendary portfolio spans over four decades of architectural, landscape, and viticultural art. Celebrated for his exceptional mastery of natural light and texture, his imagery has anchored dozens of prestige coffee-table books documenting Cape Dutch architecture, historical gardens, and premier wineland estates.
- Graham Knox is a formidable South African viticultural consultant, author, winemaker, and industry innovator who played a direct, hands-on role in modernizing Cape wine styles during the 1990s. Renowned for his deep understanding of micro-climates, soil chemistry, and global market trends, his columns and books are widely praised for their clear critical insights and deep dedication to uncovering the unique identity of South African terroirs.
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