THE essence of Bendigo wine-making has been captured in a glossy new coffee-table book that was launched at The Capital theatre yesterday.Mixed Cases was written by John Holton and Lauren Mitchell and features 24 local vineyards between Kingower in the north and Yandoit in the south.The project, headed by Mr Holton, lasted six weeks and sought to discover the unique elements of Bendigo vineyards. Funding was provided by State and Regional Development Victoria and City of Greater Bendigo with assistance from the Bendigo Wine Growers Association.Association president Wes Vine praised both writers and photographers Kate Monotti-Grose and Anthony Webster, for capturing the region’s unique winemaking community with eloquent prose.“Wine growers and families opened their homes and lives to create this amazing publication and I am deeply thankful to the writers and photographers for a job well done,” Mr Vine said.Ms Mitchell said the book was not just for wine buffs but could be enjoyed by everyone. “The book is about people - their stories and their love for wine,” she said.Mr Holton said the assignment had been one of the most engaging and hands-on of his career.“It was a pleasure to work with so many passionate people and to cover the region’s amazing wine selections,” he said.The book will be available at Castlemaine and Bendigo information centres.