Ralph Steadman’s The Grapes of Ralph is a riotous, visually explosive journey through the vineyards of the world, penned by the legendary illustrator best known for his collaborations with Hunter S. Thompson. Published in 1992, the book was born from Steadman’s commission to illustrate an award-winning wine list, which led to his travels with experienced buyers through California, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, and Portugal. What began as an assignment blossomed into a full-blown obsession, and the result is a work that is far from a conventional wine guide.
Structured as a tour of each wine-producing country he visits, Steadman offers his unique perspective on the methods of production and the qualities of the wines themselves. However, the heart of the book lies in his encounters with the industry’s most fascinating and eccentric characters, from top winemakers to the infamous “Great American Wine Slob”. Steadman’s observations are rarely reverent; instead, they are invariably witty, sharply perceptive, and often hilarious. The text is matched by his signature kinetic and wildly expressive illustrations, which fill the large-format pages and bring to life everything from top-hatted French tasters to exploding German grapes. The book won a Glenfiddich Food & Drink Award, praised as “the first exciting wine book in a long time” for its sheer, irreverent joy.
