Geography, history and viticulture lessons abound in this buoyant tale of brotherhood and Bordeaux.
With New World vigor, debut author Cloud invites the reader into the intimate spaces of wine importing with one of the oldest schools in the book—the vignerons of France. Late in the fall of 1997, the inexperienced Cloud was entrusted with the task of generating a portfolio for a brand-new-wine importing company. With little more than a bad French accent, Cloud invited his brother along to act as translator, adventurer-in-arms and sometimes savior on his maiden voyage to Burgundy. What ensues is both heartfelt and passionate—“Wine is always life.” Readers join the adventure in the brothers' shiny new Renault, barreling across the ancient French countryside that reveals “a rural way of life that had seemingly changed little since the days of Joan of Arc.” With haunting clarity, readers are invited to taste the “pungent grapefruit” of Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre and the “delicious silkiness...[that] lingered indelibly” from the Volnay Fremiets of Jean-Pierre Charlot. The book is rich in detail, knowledge and even a bit of wisdom, which, upon conclusion, leaves the reader with the same resignation they might have at the finish of an amazing 1982 Bordeaux—craving another taste, but thrilled at the fortune of experiencing such a wonderful ride.
A deliciously grand romp for any oenophile.
