Have you ever wondered just exactly what goes into the process of growing grapes to make wine?

There is a certain mystique to wine making and how the grapes are grown.  Paula Moulton tells her story of how she and her family left life in the city to be farmers in the California wine country.  Interspersed with facts about how to grow grapes, SEASONS AMONG THE VINES: LIFE LESSONS FROM THE CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY details Ms. Moulton’s adventures and struggles in her new lifestyle.  Successes and failures are a part of each step along the way as Paula Moulton pens a memoir that is both inspirational and informative.

Paula Moulton’s passion for her vineyard shines through on every page.  From her struggles with Mother Nature over water to the various animals that want to eat her grapes, Ms. Moulton’s joy at what she is doing is evident.  In fact, her passion is so great that event the most brown thumbed reader (such as myself!) will be tempted to give it a try.

SEASONS AMONG THE VINES: LIFE LESSONS FROM THE CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY is aptly named.  Paula Moulton writes far more than just a book about how to grow grapes or make homemade wine.  Instead, she uses the seasons to reflect both on the process of growing grapes to the actual stages in her life as a farmer.  The use of the seasons is almost allegorical as she starts with Fall and the changes in her life, going from a city resident to living in the vast open country.  Paula Moulton proceeds through each season, ending with the successes in the Summer.  One can’t help but appreciate her dedication and commitment.  SEASONS AMONG THE VINES: LIFE LESSONS FROM THE CALIFORNIA WINE COUNTRY is a tale that will be appreciated by anyone who has ever even looked at a bottle of wine or planted a seed in the ground.  Paula Moulton has written a tale that is to be savored.

Reviewed by Debbie

Rating:

Posted December 2007