Andrew Jefford: wielder of words
Andrew Jefford. Photography: Jon Wyand
I’ve been lucky to interview my fair share of famous wine writers: from the legendary old-school Steven Spurrier and Hugh Johnson, to the newer-wave voices of Jon Bonné, William Kelley and Neal Martin. (A sadly male-dominated list – hoping to add some women to that list soon, and more diversity in general.) The latest to join this illustrious line-up is Andrew Jefford, a man whose way with words is unmatched.
Best-known for his work in Decanter (where he’s a Contributing Editor), he’s a writer through and through. He might like wine, but it’s the love of putting pen to paper that got him into the game – and has kept him in it for over 30 years. It’s this, perhaps, that sets him apart – where others (myself included) have fallen head first into writing after our heels – and heart – brought us into wine. I sat down with him before Christmas to talk about just that, his career so far and why there’s no point to wine scores.
