As is indicated in the preface of this book, the scientific study of vines, grapes, and wines, including their chemical constituents, is an important aspect of viticulture, wine making, and wine flavour. This, second, edition of Wine Flavour Chemistry was written to report advances in the subject since the first edition, which was published in 2004. The book is divided into seven chapters (Introduction; Grape Varieties and Growing Regions; Basic Taste and Stimulant Components; Volatile Components; Wine Tasting Procedures and Overall Wine Flavour; Sherry, Port and Madeira; and Formation Pathways in Vinification) and two appendices. The first chapter describes the scope of the book, briefly introduces the history of wine making, and wine flavour and colour, and then summarises, in some detail (over 40 pages), the processes used in vinification, including how these vary for the different types of wine. Chapter 2 covers the types of grape and vines grown in different regions of the world, the effects on these of climate and soil, the composition of grapes and must, and the quality-control procedures used in the different winegrowing regions. The chapter includes, among other tables, two tables listing, in great detail, the characteristics of the different grape varieties used for red and white wines. As in the other chapters of this book, an enormous amount of detailed information is included. Chapters 3 and 4 provide details not only of the structures and properties of the compounds discussed but also, in many cases, methods used for their quantification. The latter chapter, in particular, contains many tables listing, for ready reference, the properties of the compounds discussed. After a chapter devoted to wine tasting, the effects of maturation and blending on the sensory properties of the three classic fortified wines are discussed in Chapter 6. Finally, the last chapter discusses the processes leading to the different compounds, and different types of compound, responsible for wine flavour and the effects on these of conditions such as type of grape, yeast strain, temperature, etc. The book concludes with a comprehensive and up-todate list of references, each subdivided into such sections as general texts, Web information, and general references. For some of the chapters the references are further subdivided into the topics discussed. Appendix I covers aspects of the chemistry of the compounds discussed in the main text, including nomenclature, stereochemistry, oxidation of organic compounds, partition coefficients, and the difference between the terms variety and cultivar. Appendix II provides, as a set of tables, physical properties of the compounds discussed elsewhere in the book. This book is a delight to read. It is well produced, contains a wealth of detailed and interesting information, I. W. Davies (&) Cambridge, UK e-mail: chromatographia@springer.com