Talha Tales chronicles the near extinction, and subsequent resurrection, of the world’s only continuously surviving Roman winemaking tradition. Centered around a handful of isolated villages in southern Portugal, this endangered wine culture has battled back from the brink, preserving local traditions while at the same time offering the world its newest, most complete and self-contained winemaking technology. Talha are perfect machines for making wine.
Journalist Dr. Paul White is a citizen of the world, who has toured over 90 regions within 20 countries on six continents. Focused on historic winemaking practices, old vines and endangered grapes, he loves underdogs and the wines they make.
Shortlisted for Fortnum & Mason's Food and Wine Book awards 2024 and Gourmand Awards 2024.
'a quixotic tale of Portuguese wine technology lost and found...a story of one wine region’s cultural resurrection, set in the dusty, remote reaches of Alentejo…' L.M. Archer, Circle of Wine Writer’s The Circular magazine.
'Talha Tales is the best guide yet to the renaissance of Portuguese clay-pot winemaking' Sarah Ahmed, World of Fine Wine magazine.
'authoritative, yet eminently readable love story to Portugal’s clay fermentation vessel illuminates an exciting and unfamiliar wine region that should interest every adventurous wine lover eager to explore something different.' Neal D. Hulkower, Oregon Wine Press
'Paul’s enthusiasm and informal style carried me along through the story' Steven Slatcher, Winenous
