Edmund Lionel Penning-Rowsell (1913–2002) was a British journalist considered the
doyen
Doyen and doyenne (from the French word ''doyen'', ''doyenne'' in the feminine grammatical gender) is the senior ambassador by length of service in a particular country.
In the English language, the meaning of doyen (feminine form: doyenne) h ...
of Britain's writers on
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...
,
and possibly the world's longest-serving wine correspondent.
Biography
Rowsell came from an upper middle class London family.
Canon Thomas Rowsell was his second great uncle by blood and the architect
Sir Charles Barry
Sir Charles Barry (23 May 1795 – 12 May 1860) was a British architect, best known for his role in the rebuilding of the Palace of Westminster (also known as the Houses of Parliament) in London during the mid-19th century, but also responsi ...
was his second great uncle through marriage. During the
Depression years, his father's printing business went bankrupt, his education at
Marlborough
Marlborough may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Marlborough, Wiltshire, England
** Marlborough College, public school
* Marlborough School, Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England
* The Marlborough Science Academy in Hertfordshire, England
Austral ...
was cut short.
[ He joined '' The Morning Post'' of London in 1930,][ and in 1935 he moved into publishing.][
His interest in wine was stimulated by a wedding gift in 1937 of membership of the ]Wine Society
The International Exhibition Co-operative Wine Society Limited, commonly referred to as The Wine Society, is the world's oldest wine club having been founded on 4 August 1874 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, United Kingdom.Edmund Penning-Rows ...
, his love for wine sparked by a tasting of the 1923 Château Talbot.[ He later became the Wine Society's longest-serving chairman, from 1964 to 1987.][winepros.com.au. ] Aided by those in the trade he gradually built up his knowledge and wine came to dominate his life.[
In 1954, he started writing a column about wine for '' Country Life'', the first of many such enterprises. For 23 years, he was a wine columnist for '']Financial Times
The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...
'',[ and also wrote wine articles for '' Marxism Today''.][ His speciality was the wines of ]Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectur ...
, where his expertise was recognised, and which provided the subject of his magnum opus ''The Wines of Bordeaux'', considered a masterpiece of research.[winepros.com.au. ]
Michael Broadbent
John Michael Broadbent, MW (2 May 1927 – 17 March 2020) was a British wine critic, writer and auctioneer in a capacity as a Master of Wine. He was an authority on wine tasting and old wines.
Career
Broadbent was born in Yorkshire. He was ed ...
noted that Penning-Rowsell had one of the best private wine collections in England.Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, at Rockefeller Center in New York City and at Alexandra House in Hong Kong. It is ...
, and regularly reported on wine auction results.
Penning-Rowsell was awarded by the French government the '' Ordre National du Mérite Agricole'' in 1971 and the ''Ordre du Mérite National'' in 1981.[ He was known for using the phrase, "Speaking as a man of the Left"][
]
Bibliography
* ''Red, White and Rosé'' (1967)
* ''The Wines of Bordeaux'' (1969)
* ''Château Latour: The History of a Great Vineyard 1331-1992'' (1993)
See also
* List of wine personalities
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penning-Rowsell, Edmund
1913 births
2002 deaths
British male journalists
Wine critics
People educated at Marlborough College
Recipients of the Order of Agricultural Merit