Synopses & Reviews
Nearly ten years after her husband was killed in a car accident—and three days before the 2003 release of her first edition of this book—Paula Moulton took a risk and enrolled in a ten-month wine management program at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
In this second edition of Seasons Among the Vines, Moulton details the adventures that ensue when she leaves her home in Sonoma to face the unknown in France. In Paris, she has not only the struggles of living in a foreign country to cope with but also the rigors of the French academic system—complete with a one-month stint in Bergerac as a cellar rat and a six-week internship as a sommelier in a prestigious restaurant off Le Champs Elysees. Interspersed throughout her narrative is advice for weekend gardeners and wine-loving suburbanites on how to make wine at home, as well as everything a reader could ever need to know about successful food and wine pairing, how to make intelligent decisions when choosing wine, and how to smell, swirl, and taste wine like a pro.
Full of international escapades, unforeseen wine disasters, and new-world twists on old-world secrets, Seasons Among the Vines paints a bona fide picture of what it means to follow a dream even after suffering great loss.
Review
"
Seasons Among the Vines interweaves the practicalities of farming and making wine with the changes of the seasons and life. Paula Moulton's charming anecdotes of her personal experiences unfold into vital details for growing grapes. Moulton ultimately gives the reader a story about life--and the emotional and spiritual development associated with farming and making wine."
—Ron Loutherback, The Wine Club
"Everything the urban and suburban backyard vinegrower needs to know to design and grow a small vineyard and make a bottle of wine. Seasons Among the Vines comes complete with war stories and inspiration."
—Mike Benziger, Benziger Family Winery
"Paula Moulton's fresh approach and passion for the vineyard, combined with her extensive knowledge, make for humorous experiences that arise from practical application. Seasons Among the Vines is a wonderful reference to the natural progression of the seasons, from the vineyard to the bottle."
—Joan Coleman Little, granddaughter of Julio Gallo and owner of Little Vineyards Family Winery
About the Author
Paula Moulton is co-founder and CEO of A Sip Away. She is a viticulturist, award-winning winemaker, and published author with over 25 years of experience in the wine industry. She has worked with wine talent such as Joel Peterson of Ravenswood Winery, Mike Benziger of Benziger Family Winery, Jean-Luc Thunevin (Bordeaux's Bad Boy wine), and Phil Coturri of Enterprise Vineyards. She was recently one of 20 students invited to spend a year in Paris, France studying wine management at Le Cordon Bleu. Paula has appeared on the Today Show, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, CRN, and other major media outlets as an author and wine industry leader. She holds a BA from UC Berkeley in Rhetoric, an AS in viticulture from Santa Rosa Junior College, and a Wine Management degree from Le Cordon Bleu, Paris, France. She currently lives in Sonoma, California.