Vendange is the French word for harvesting wine - these short
stories are 'grape-pickers stories. Very few people are fortunate
enough to be mentored in fine wine. I was lucky and the instruction
I received over many French lunches and dinners opened my eyes to
the complexities of fine wine and how the choice of the right wine
for a particular dish elevates the experience from mere grazing to
hedonistic delights. I wanted to learn more about wine and decided
to go and make the vendange in what is arguably one of the finest
areas of wine in the world - the Haut Medoc - north of Bordeaux.
What started as a 'one off' visit turned into an annual pilgrimage
covering seven years during which I found out everything I wanted
to about the subject. Vendange isn't a dry book about the wine
making process, though - more a collection of amusing and
informative anecdotes gathered in my pannier along the way. It
started in the autumn of 1979 and finished in 1986 and during that
time, the wine industry changed forever. I was lucky enough to
witness the changes. 4.0 out of 5 stars Rattling Good Read 10 Dec
2013 By Artful Dodger Format: Kindle EditionAmazon Verified
Purchase "Ian has put together a fine collection of anecdotes and
memoirs from his working life and more specifically from his time
spent working on a French vinery where he brings alive his new
found love and rapidly growing knowledge of French wine and the
industry behind it. During a previous French business venture, Ian
finds a willing Frenchman to pass on his knowledge and he soon
finds himself getting to grips with the subtleties of wine and how
to select the correct wine to go with almost any gastronomic
experience, determining that some wines will compliment say meat or
fish dish whereas others actually detract from it; quite an art
form From there on he determines to expand his knowledge further
with a working holiday at a vineyard helping to make a vintage or
vendange'. I should add that all of this is recounted in a most
amusing fashion and even if you are not at all interested in wines
or vineyards you will still find this book hard to put down as Ian
keeps the flow and interest going throughout. My only slight
annoyance was that I came across a few typos early on in the book
but this is a very minor complaint. All in all this is a highly
recommended read and I look forward to more tales from Ian's
interesting and varied working life." 4.0 out of 5 stars Raise your
glasses, please 7 Dec 2013 By Karen Guttridge Format: Kindle
EditionAmazon Verified Purchase "It never ceases to amaze me how
the humble grape can be the source of such a glorious drink This
selection of related short stories and anecdotes describe the
personal experiences of the author whilst taking part in the grape
harvests or les vendanges in France. The book does not attempt to
broadly cover life in France but instead focuses fully on the daily
life of the workers, most of whom live on site during the harvest
period where meals are also provided. We learn of the general
camaraderie amongst the grape pickers as they endure the
back-breaking work of toiling in the vines for hours each day. The
book contains many humorous moments and I also very much enjoyed
the interesting wine-related facts sprinkled throughout the book
which were mostly unknown to me."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
