Jancis Robinson Papers on Wine Writing, 1967-2016

View only results with digital items
Printable guide [HTML]
Request items

Summary

Creators:
Robinson, Jancis
Abstract:
Jancis Robinson (1950-present), OBE MW, is a British wine writer, journalist, and television presenter. Her papers include tasting notes from commercial and trade tastings, wine festivals, and informal occasions. The collection also includes a clipping books and clipping files containing copies of Jancis Robinson's articles, articles about Ms. Robinson and her work, and publications edited by Ms. Robinson. Ms. Robinson's television work is documented through press clippings and videocassettes of selected programs, including "Matters of Taste", "The Wine Programme", "Vintner's Tales", "Jancis Robinson's Wine Course", and "Taste with Jancis Robinson". Photographs in the collection include formal publicity photographs, posed and informal photographs from award events and tastings, and photographs taken during filming of television programs. The collection also includes a small amount of personal and professional correspondence, a selection of books authored by Jancis Robinson, and a number of award medals.
Extent:
33.4 linear feet
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Jancis Robinson Papers on Wine Writing, D-612, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.

Background

Scope and content:

The largest portion of the Jancis Robinson Papers on Wine Writing is Ms. Robinson's collected tasting notes. These come in the form of notebooks and journals from travel, tours, events, and informal occasions, and in the form of loose leaf notes. The latter are accompanied by associated background information and marketing literature from commercial and trade tastings, wine festivals, wine merchants, and wine clubs.

The collection also includes a large set of clipping books and clipping files containing copies of Jancis Robinson's articles, articles about Ms. Robinson and her work, and publications edited by Ms. Robinson. Additionally, there are two clipping books related to L'Escargot restaurant, formerly owned by Nick Lander, Jancis Robinson's husband.

Ms. Robinson's television work is documented through press clippings and videocassettes of selected programs. "Matters of Taste", "The Wine Programme", "Vintner's Tales", "Jancis Robinson's Wine Course", and "Taste with Jancis Robinson" are all represented in the collection. Photographs in the collection include formal publicity photographs, posed and informal photographs from award events and tastings, and photographs taken during filming of television programs.

The collection also includes a small amount of personal and professional correspondence, a selection of books authored by Jancis Robinson, and a number of award medals.

Biographical / historical:

Jancis Robinson (1950-present), OBE MW, is a British wine writer, journalist, and television presenter. Ms. Robinson is the author of twenty-nine books and hundreds of articles. Among her books are The 24-Hour Wine Expert (2016), How to Taste/Jancis Robinson's Wine Tasting Workbook (2002 and 2008), Tasting Pleasure/Confessions of a Wine Lover (1997), Jancis Robinson's Wine Course (1995 and 2003), Vines, Grapes & Wines (1986), Masterglass (1983), and The Wine Book (1979). She is editor of The Oxford Companion to Wine, co-author with Hugh Johnson of The World Atlas of Wine, and co-author of Wine Grapes: A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours. Her television work includes, among others, "The Wine Programme" (1983-1986), which was the world's first television series about wine; "Matters of Taste" (1988 and 1991); "Vintners' Tales" (1992 and 1998); "Jancis Robinson's Wine Course" (1995, with accompanying book); and "Taste with Jancis Robinson" (1999).

Jancis Robinson studied Maths and Philosophy at Oxford University from 1968-1971. In the following years, she worked in marketing for Thomson Holidays and subsequently spent a year in Provence. In 1975, Ms. Robinson returned to London and became assistant editor of Wine & Spirit, later serving as editor from 1976-1980. She was wine correspondent to The Sunday Times of London from 1980-1986, a columnist at Wine Spectator from 1989-1995, and has been wine correspondent for the Financial Times since 1990. She was also wine consultant for British Airways from 1995-2010. In 2000, JancisRobinson.com was launched as an online home for wine news and reviews. The site is updated daily with tasting notes, articles, and reviews written by Ms. Robinson and a team of authors.

Ms. Robinson is the recipient of dozens of accolades and awards, including high honors from France, Germany, Portugal, and Spain, and was the first person outside the wine trade to earn the title Master of Wine. In 2003, Jancis Robinson was made Officer of the Order of the British Empire and from 2004 to the present has been a Member of the Royal Household Wine Committee advising on the Queen's cellar. Ms. Robinson is married to food writer and restaurateur Nick Lander, the former owner of L'Escargot.

Selected Career Highlights:

1976-1980: Editor, Wine & Spirit

1979: The Wine Book

1980-1986: Wine correspondent, The Sunday Timesof London

1983: Writer/presenter of "The Wine Programme" (Channel 4), world's first television series on wine

1984: Master of Wine

1989-1995: Columnist, Wine Spectator

1990-present: Wine correspondent, the Financial Times

1994: The Oxford Companion to Wine, 1st edition

1995: Catalan Agriculture Medal (Spain)

1995: Producer/writer/presenter, "Jancis Robinson's Wine Course" (BBC) and book of the same name

1995-2010: Wine consultant, British Airways

1997: Confessions of a Wine Lover/Tasting Pleasure

2000: JancisRobinson.com launched

2001: The World Atlas of Wine, 5th edition, with Hugh Johnson

2003: Made Officer of the Order of the British Empire

2004-present: Member of the Royal Household Wine Committee advising on the Queen's cellar

2012: Wine Grapes, with Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz

2012: Comendador da Ordem do Mérito Empresarial (Order of Merit, Portugal)

2016: Officier du Mérite Agricole (France)

2016: VDP Golden Needle of Honor (Germany)

2016: Honorary Fellow of the University of Cumbria

Sources:

Robinson, Jancis. "Jancis Robinson – the long version", JancisRobinson.com. http://www.jancisrobinson.com/jancis-robinson-the-long-version. Accessed 20 April 2017.

Robinson, Jancis. "The story of JancisRobinson.com", JancisRobinson.com. http://www.jancisrobinson.com/ about/the-site. Accessed 20 April 2017.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Jancis Robinson, 2016-2017.
Processing information:

Liz Phillips processed this collection with the help of student assistants Monica Doan, Julie Jeon, Robyn Lam, and Fiona Sun. UK-based archivist Richard Taylor performed the initial assessment and wrote the folder descriptions.

Arrangement:

The Jancis Robinson Papers on Wine Writing are arranged in seven series: 1. Correspondence and Events; 2. Tasting Notes; 3. Publications and Publicity; 4. Television Work; 5. Books; 6. Photographs; and 7. Medals.

Physical location:
Researchers should contact Special Collections to request collections, as many are stored offsite.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

All applicable copyrights for the collection are protected under chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code. Requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California as the owner of the physical items. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Jancis Robinson Papers on Wine Writing, D-612, Department of Special Collections, General Library, University of California, Davis.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Davis, Special Collections, UC Davis Library
100 NW Quad
Davis, CA 95616-5292, US
Contact:
(530) 752-1621
speccoll@ucdavis.edu
Website