Welcome this special Christmas edition of Book Club and Episode 2561 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. In this episode, Richard speaks with Sophie Thorpe about her top five books of 2025. They explore how Sophie first became interested in wine, trace her career in the luxury wine sector, and discuss the role and influence of wine writing in shaping the industry. The conversation also touches on the wine she plans to enjoy on Christmas Day, making for a festive and insightful discussion. Sophie Thorpe’s Top 5 Wine Books of 2025: Saint-Julien: Vineyards, Cellars, People, and Place (English Edition) by Marc Bouffard The Wines of California by Elaine Chukan Brown Taste the Limestone, Smell the Slate by Alex Maltmans Drinking the World: A Wine Odyssey by Victoria Brzezinski and Bert Blaize  The Cynics Guide to Wine by Sunny Hodge The wines discussed in today’s show include: Nascetta, the rare indigenous white grape from the Langhe hills of Pimonte Timorasso, the rare ancient white grape from the Colli Tortonesi region of Piemonte The “Gris” Pinot Grigio from the Lis Neris winery in Friuli Venezia Giulia. Sophie’s choice for Christmas Day is a 1994 Savigny-lès-Beaune Premier Cru Les Lavières from Domaine Robert Ampeau. Other books mentioned in the show are: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë The Comic Book History of the Cocktail by David Wondrich The 500 Best Pubs in England by Will Hawkes (as seen in the Telegraph) About today’s guest:  Sophie Thorpe is an award-winning wine writer and editor with over a decade of experience working with fine wine merchants, including FINE+RARE and Berry Bros. & Rudd. She contributes to Decanter, Club Oenologique, JancisRobinson.com, and has featured in the Académie du Vin Library (On Burgundy, On Tuscany). Sophie has been shortlisted twice for the Louis Roederer International Wine Writing Awards, won the Guild of Food Writers Drinks Writing Award (2021), and was recently shortlisted for the 67 Pall Mall Award (2024). A WSET Diploma holder, she is currently on Stage Three of the Master of Wine programme. Outside of wine, she boxes competitively and has a well-stocked library and cellar. Connect:  Website: https://www.firstpress.uk  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-thorpe-40909331  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/svthorpe/    More about the host: Richard Hough is the editor, translator and project curator behind The Art of Wine Storytelling, Wine Democracy and Vine and Prejudice. He has also published several books about life in Verona, chronicling the city’s history, culture and daily life, not forgetting, of course, its wine, including Verona Campione, published in May 2025. With a long-standing passion for whisky and beer, he’s a relative newcomer to the world of wine and is now desperately trying to make up for lost time! He is the host of Book Club on the Italian Wine Podcast. Connect: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rickhough.bsky.social  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verona_campione  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rickhough/ _______________________________ Let's keep in touch! Follow Italian Wine Podcast on our social media channels: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/italianwinepodcast/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ItalianWinePodcast  Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/itawinepodcast  Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mammajumboshrimp  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/italianwinepodcast    If you feel like helping us, donate here: https://www.italianwinepodcast.com/donate-to-show/  Until next time, Cin Cin!