Clarke, Oz

British wine critic and writer. He is known for the vivid and personal style of his language, and for encouraging more people to drink wine by popularizing its image. He has reached a wide audience as co-presenter and resident wine expert of BBC2's Food and Drink programme, and has published widely on his subject.

Clarke was educated at Oxford and was an actor in London, working with the Royal Shakespeare Company among others, before turning to full-time writing in 1984. He became wine correspondent for the Daily Telegraph, contributes to several other magazines and newspapers, and has regular slots on television and radio.

His books include the regularly updated Oz Clarke's Wine Guide, Webster's Wine Guide, the Sainsbury's Regional Wine Guides (1989), and the Wine Atlas (1995). He is the author and presenter of Microsoft's Wine Guide (1995), the first CD-ROM on the subject.