Vintage

Good ingredients, an open heart, a dash of tenacity and a pinch of courage...

Food journalist, wine connoisseur and onetime bestselling writer Bruno Tannenbaum has long believed these are the elements of a full life. The rest will take care of itself. But lately, nothing’s going right for Bruno. His career is floundering, he’s separated from his wife and their two daughters, and is drinking his way through a dwindling bank account, certain all that’s left of life is a downward slope into obscurity.

Then Bruno stumbles on a clue leading to a “lost” wine vintage, one of the many bottles stolen and smuggled out of France during WWII, now worth a small fortune and sought after by wine collectors throughout the world. Bruno realizes that finding this bottle could be the key to restoring his career — maybe even writing his comeback book. But his discovery is not a secret for long; as word of his finding spreads, nefarious characters interested in the bottle start appearing at every turn. Bruno scrapes together his final resources, calls in favors he may ultimately regret and sets off on a grand adventure.

From the rolling hills of Burgundy to a raucous wedding in Moldova, from a Beaune bacchanal to the graying walls of a Russian prison, Vintage is a hilarious food-filled debut about redemption, sacrifices and making one last effort to follow your dreams.

"Vintage is at once a mouthwatering culinary tale, an evocative look at the strength it takes to create the life we want, and a delicious adventure. Baker’s lyrical descriptions of the power of food and the right wine to heal and connect those we love weaves a tender and often hilarious tale of navigating life’s choices. In Vintage, the thread of a storied wine and its missing vintages transcends geography and explores what it means to create your own second chance." Nina Mukerjee Furstenau, MFK Fisher Award-Winning author of Biting Through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America’s Heartland

"An improbable hero, a decades-old mystery, a globe-trotting pursuit, and starring roles for fine food and great wine. What’s not to love?" Katherine Cole, author of Voodoo Vintners, Complete Wine Selector, and How to Fake Your Way through a Wine List

“What fun: a sort of Sam Spade voice, tough as a film noir character, runs delightfully amok in the wine and gourmet worlds in this hilarious and evocative debut.” Richard C. Morais, author of The Hundred-Foot Journey

"Earthy, soulful, suspenseful, and comic all at once, David Baker's beautiful and quietly audacious debut is not to be missed." Carole Maso, author of The Art Lover, Defiance, and Ghost Dance

"A modern odyssey in the classic sense of the term. It’s an intriguing, evocative and seductive narrative — an entirely sensual experience." Warwick Ross, producer/director of Red Obsession

The "spellbinding debut" (Library Journal, starred review) about a food journalist's desperate attempt to save his career--and possibly, his marriage--through an epic quest that leads him from Burgundy through Russia, tracking an infamous bottle of wine.
Good ingredients, an open heart, a dash of tenacity, and a pinch of courage...
Food journalist, wine connoisseur, and onetime bestselling writer Bruno Tannenbaum has long believed these are the elements of a full life. The rest will take care of itself. But lately, nothing's going right for Bruno. His career is floundering, he's separated from his wife drinking his way through a dwindling bank account, certain all that's left of life is a downward slope into obscurity.
Then Bruno stumbles upon a clue leading to a "lost" wine vintage, one of the many bottles stolen and smuggled out of France during WWII, now worth a small fortune and sought after by wine collectors throughout the world. Finding this bottle could be the key to restoring Bruno's career--maybe even writing his comeback novel. But his discovery is not a secret for long; word spreads, nefarious characters interested in the bottle start appearing at every turn, so Bruno scrapes together his final resources, calls in favors he may ultimately regret and sets off.
From a raucous wedding in Moldova to the rolling hills of Burgundy and the graying walls of a Russian prison, Vintage is a "delicious" (Chicago Tribune) food-filled debut about making one last effort to follow your dreams.

David Baker attributes his fascination with wine to a chance train stop in Beaune, which led to time spent working in commercial vineyards, a film, a novel, and a dozen years making passable pinot noir in his garage. He holds an MFA from Columbia College, Chicago and is the director of American Wine Story. He currently lives in Oregon’s Willamette Valley with his wife and daughter. Visit David Baker online at 301Media.com.