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Families of the Vine: Seasons Among the Winemakers of Southwest France Paperback – April 4, 2006

by Michael S Sanders (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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Author Michael Sanders spent two years in the vineyards of southwest France with three families whose destinies are determined each year, every year, by the soil, the weather, and the quality of the grape, and shared with them the hopes of spring, the anguish of summer drought, and the mad rush of the fall harvest. In Families of the Vine, he offers a vivid, heartfelt portrait of these authentic winemakers in a fascinating, intensely human saga of strength, dedication, and savoir faire. Though their wines may differ, they all share a powerful, uncompromising passion for the timeless craft that defines them.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    265 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    April 4, 2006
  4. Dimensions
    8 x 5.34 x 0.72 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    0060559659
  6. ISBN-13
    978-0060559656
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Sanders’s book brings contemporary winemaking in France to life....Absorbing and informative.” — ―Library Journal

“A refreshing portrait of wine.” — ―Kirkus Reviews

“Solid, affectionate portrait....Sanders succeeds in showing us that a knowledge of wine...takes firsthand experience and time. — ―Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Michael S. Sanders, a former book editor and author of The Yard, lives in midcoast Maine with his wife and daughter.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harper Perennial; Reprint edition (April 4, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 265 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060559659
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060559656
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 9.8 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8 x 5.34 x 0.72 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Michael S. Sanders

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Allen K
5.0 out of 5 stars He has great empathy for what he has seen and experienced
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
Verified Purchase
Michael brings the people and the culture to life. I found myself stopping to contemplate what he observed and comparing it to what I have seen. He has great empathy for what he has seen and experienced. This area of France comes alive with history and culture as your read his stories.
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Janet April
4.0 out of 5 stars Families of the Vine: Seasons Among the Winemakers of Southwest France
Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2013
Verified Purchase
My ancestors are from this region and it was wonderful to read about the area from someone who spent time there.
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john quinlan
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2017
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great stuff
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Chris Yaldezian
4.0 out of 5 stars Read and Used the Book while traveling in the Lot river valley
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2013
From June 21 to July 2, 2013, I had the opportunity to spend time in Touzac, a small village along the Lot River a few miles west of Puy L'Eveque, France. This is the same general area as described in Michael Sanders book, that I had the opportunity to read and use as reference while in Touzac. The area is beautiful, and charming as it is described in the book. While I was not able to meet with the vineyard owners and wine makers that Michael was able to spend time with, I was able to taste their wines, and see a bit of their operations. I strongly recommend the book and a trip to this area of France.
One person found this helpful
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Globe Trotter
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful prose, warm gracious narrative, fascinating and delicious!
Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2006
Being the type of person that loves travel essays on France in particular, but on Europe in general, I've read alot of books in this genre, and also having shared with the author the same deep passionate love of place in foreign lands, primarily because of the people and their way of life, so different from our own, I am of the opinion that this book should, in my mind, be a National Best Seller! This is one of only a few books that I have ever read that takes us into the life of a French region and reveals to us why we are so drawn in by the French way of life. Michael Sanders has created the book that I've always dreamt of but have had so little occasion to find, offering the reader that rare vicarious experience of living through several seasons in a wine growing region of France that is fighting for a way of life that preserves all that makes rural France that special place that we long for. If you love wine, France, travel, and especially travel essays created by those with the gift of story telling, and who have the same joie de vivre as the French winemakers themselves, you'll love this book. In the same vein as Mort Rosenblum's Goose in Touloose and Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon, all three writers share in common the rare and unusual gift of beautiful, elegant prosaic writing, a deep passion and love of the French people and way of life, and a deep concern for the cultural traditions of France and the price that is born by those that give their life's work to preserving. (In response to the first reviewer, I also wanted to mention that if you would love to tour the region described in the book, there are many useful information resources for travelers from abroad on the author's website, [...]
9 people found this helpful
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Abigail H. Ross
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful. Combines powerful imagery with interesting facts.
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2012
A wonderful work that takes you to France and gets you buzzed. A window into the world of wine-making. Full of information that will be interesting to arm-chair wine makers. Overall, a great read that is hard to put down.
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Kevin Hurley
2.0 out of 5 stars A Missed Opportunity
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2005
The information in the text of this book is excellent. It could have been a wonderful guide and reference book. But, it has no index, no glossary, no maps, and no pictures. For whatever reason, the author and editor passed on the opportunity to make this book really useful. If you read it, get out your own map of the region, then use a highliter, post-its, and anything else that will help you go back to find names, concepts, translations of French vinification words, etc. By doing what should have been done for you, the book will become a valuable resource.
13 people found this helpful
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Chuck
5.0 out of 5 stars An affectionate, informative book about France and wine
Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2005
Michael Sanders obviously loves Cahors and the people who live there, and this affection suffuses Families of the Vine and makes it special. The book follows the making of the local wine appellation from planting to harvesting to bottling to marketing, with a few side trips along the way. Sanders is rueful and humorous about what he doesn't know, and the local citizens patiently explain their cultures and behaviors to him (not to mention their dreams). And he brings us along with him while he learns. The sections when he sits at a lunch table, sipping a Cahors and listening to Yves and Martine Jouffreau talk about their work and lives, are just blissful. And there is more good sense about buying wine in a chapter featuring a local sommelier than there is in a stack of Wine Spectators. If you are a Francophile (like me), or a wine lover (like me), or simply want a gentle, informative read, you'll enjoy the book.
22 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Gregg Norman
4.0 out of 5 stars well written and engaging
Reviewed in Canada on November 22, 2013
Verified Purchase
This well written and very engaging book was a pleasurable read. More importantly, from a purely personal standpoint, it turned me on to the wines of Cahors and for that I am delighted that I made the decision to buy this piece of work.
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David Mark Perry
4.0 out of 5 stars Not your normal wine book.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 31, 2010
Verified Purchase
I picked this up because I have enjoyed Cahors wines for many years. Some rustic, some worthy of ageing and the higher price they command. This is a fascinating look at the people behind the bottles, the trial and tribulations of smaller winemakers. The chosen subjects have differing ideas on the traditions and future of wine making in Cahors which gives an insight into the way wine making varies, not only in Cahors but also across France where some want to compete with new world wineries whilst other want to stay with tradition and terrior.
The author does not fall into the trap of 'siding' with any of the wine makers but as you read on you get an idea of where his sympathies lie.
This is not a waltz though the country idyllic lifestyle or that of the rich entrepreneur, it is filled with the stresses of a business on the edge, fighting drought, finance and politics to produce wine that will never make the producers rich in money terms.
The book is by no means perfect but it provides insights into the day to day toil, the reality of wine making techniques that you read about in the many wine making guides and the physical demands placed on those working their own vineyards.
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Robert
4.0 out of 5 stars Good preparation.
Reviewed in Canada on November 11, 2017
Verified Purchase
I bought the book, and then moved here to enjoy the fruits.
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