I’ve gone on record a number of times, expressing my disgust with Bordeaux. Not so much the wines, because they’re great but with the reverence, the prices and all the silliness that goes with the whole en primeur campaign.

However, the place is just too important to poo-poo outright, so I’ve started to re-read Oz Clarke’s Bordeaux, The Wines, the Vineyards, the Winemakers. A kind of reflection that I don’t often do.

If you’ve seen Oz and James’s Big Wine Adventure on BBC, then you’ll have got a glimpse of Oz’s knowledge, passion, enthusiasm and sense of humour and that’s the first thing that comes out of the book. It’s clear Bordeaux is the Belle Dame Sans Merci that has Oz in thrall. It’s a force running through his veins.

So, as I read through the wine styles (from classic to “garage”), the history (most of the hallowed turf was once a swamp and drained by the canny Dutch) and the people, I’m falling in love again, though I never wanted to.

Oz Clarke’s Bordeaux, The Wines, the Vineyards, the Winemakers on Amazon from £15