Andreas Larsson, who was recognized the best sommelier in the world in 2007, Ghislain de Marsily, a hydrogeologist and member of the French Académie des Sciences, and Yu Hui Tseng, world renowned tea master… What do these people have in common? The answer is, they specialize and must know everything about…water, its origin and nuances of its taste. The experts of this field joined their efforts to present a photography book dubbed ‘Realms of Water’ (‘A journey of understanding to the sources of natural mineral water’). It is a joint project by Editions Textuel and Nestlé Waters International who sponsored the initiative.

This glossy 207 page edition uncovers the secrets of origin and production of the brand’s 15 mineral water trade marks, including such world-renowned ones as San Pellegrino, Perrier, and Vittel. It also tells more of the sources of the mineral water across the globe and unveils the secrets of its natural production process. The book is an attempt to change the consumer’s attitude to mineral water.

Image courtesy: Sandrine Alouf, ‘Realms of Water’

Photographer Sandrine Alouf, who’s been specializing in capturing the natural landscapes, travelled to 15 water sources located in France, Switzerland, Belgium,England, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Lebanon, Vietnam, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. As result of her creative work, the book unveils marvelous views of water springs, rivers, as well as landscapes of the nature surrounding water.

Image courtesy: Sandrine Alouf, ‘Realms of Water’

Hubert Genieys, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications for Nestlé Waters, who commissioned the project, said: «Mineral waters have particular benefits for health. Their composition never changes if the surrounding environment is protected. We wanted to celebrate these beautiful landscapes and why it is important to conserve them».

Image courtesy: Sandrine Alouf, ‘Realms of Water’

‘Realms of Water’ was presented on November 3 and is available for the price of 35 EUROs. It is now available in French in bookshops throughout France and can also be bought online at Amazon and Fnac.

Image courtesy: Sandrine Alouf, ‘Realms of Water’

More information on the project by Nestle Waters, the book as well as tastes and geography of mineral water sources can be found at the dedicated online hub at www.realmsofwater.com.