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The Vintner’s Daughter – Great escape book for wine lovers

May 29, 2015 by Joe Becerra

vintners daughter

A glass of Chenin Blanc from Vouvray is mandatory while reading “The Vintner’s Daughter”

Do you like wine, wine history, the Loire Valley, the Napa Valley, and a love story? This is an easy read book that is sure to please anyone who has a strong interest in wine.  Janelle first spotted this book at Books, Inc. The beautiful cover (designed by Alan Jones) is what first grabbed her attention, and once she started reading, she was hooked. Janelle and I do not always have the same taste in books but once she was finished with the Vintner’s Daughter, she said “You’ll really like this book.” Sure enough, it was right up my alley. The Napa Valley is practically in our own backyard. We have been to the Loire Valley on two occasions, so the book really made a connection with our wine travels. In fact, last October in the Loire Valley, we visited a very small winemaker and grower. He had just taken over the winemaking duties from his father at Domain de Veilloux.  This is just as the main character in the book wished to do.

In the Loire Valley in 1895, we are introduced to Sara Thibault, a lively and strong-willed young lady who helps her winemaker father with his Chenin Blanc vineyards near Vouvray. She develops an intense passion for wine: “Sara was born to make wine. Nothing else made sense.” Pholloxera takes hold in part of the family vineyard and the main wine merchant rates the wine poorly, hoping that he can drive the family into debt and then buy the land cheaply. A double tragedy ensues, and Sara and her sister Lydia flee to New York and experience the difficult life of immigrants in turn-of-the-century Manhattan. Sara does everything in her power to make her way to the Napa Valley and pursue her dream of making wine. She’s destined to cross paths with her old neighbor, Philippe Lemieux, who has also come to the Napa Valley to become a winemaker. Love is in the air, but Sara’s past comes back to haunt her.

I enjoyed reading about the winemaking and vineyard issues. Many are the same as they are today. There are problems with workers, buyers, vine pests, and trade issues.  The vineyards that Sara gets involved with in the Napa Valley are actually in Carneros. I checked the Carneros Association Website and indeed there were vineyards in Carneros at that time. Bouchaine Vineyards in Carneros has vineyards that date back to the late 1800’s.

The author, Kristen Harnisch, will soon publish a sequel entitled, “The California Wife.”  Kristen indicated in an email that she’s available to Skype book club members who read her books. “The Vintner’s Daughter” is available at Amazon for about $14.  Check this link to Amazon:

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Filed Under: Carneros, Napa Valley, Wine Books Tagged With: Vintner's Daughter

Best wine fiction books

vintners daughter

A glass of Chenin Blanc from Vouvray is mandatory while reading the Vintner’s Daughter

Best wine fiction books

We are both avid readers. We enjoy a daily early evening, “Reading Hour,” before sitting down for dinner. We have read each of these wine themed fiction novels and recommend them for those who have a keen interest in wine. We recommend a glass of delicious white wine while reading these novels.

Mystery wine books

  • An Unholy Alliance: Emma Golden Mysteries Book 
  • Nose: A Novel
  • The Dark Vineyard: A Novel of the French Countryside
  • Dial M for Merlot
  • The Vintage Caper – same author as A Year in Provance
  • Dying on the Vine: A Mystery (Kelsey McKenna Destination Wedding Mysteries)
  • Root Cause – Phylloxera strikes mysteriously

Fun fictional wine books

  • Vintner’s Daughter: A Novel
  • The California Wife – sequel to Vintner’s Daughter
  • Sideways: A Novel
  • Saving Grapes

More wine books and gift ideas for the wine lover

  • Best educational and non fiction wine books
  • Best wine related cookbooks
  • Wine gift ideas

More wine books and gift ideas for the wine lover

  • Best educational and non fiction wine books
  • Best wine related cookbooks
  • Wine gift ideas
wine fiction books
Wine always makes reading more interesting

“The California Wife” by Kristen Harnisch

May 4, 2016 by Janelle Becerra

California Wife

Kristen Harnisch’s sequel to “The Vintner’s Daughter”

“The California Wife” by Kristen Harnisch

This is a chance to win a signed copy of “The California Wife,” generously donated by the Author.

We’ve anxiously awaited the release of this wonderful sequel to our favorite wine-themed novel, “The Vintner’s Daughter,” by author Kristen Harnisch. “The Vintner’s Daughter” begins in the Loire Valley in 1895 and follows the plight of Sara Thibault as she helps her father work their small vineyard, hoping to become a winemaker herself. After her father dies in an accident, Sara and her sister Lydia are involved in a violent tragedy and forced to leave France for New York. Life in New York is very difficult, another tragedy occurs, and Sara eventually makes her way to California, hoping to fulfill her dream of becoming a winemaker.  Sara ends up working for vineyard owner Philippe Lemieux, also from the Loire Valley. Sara and Philippe work well together and fall in love, but revelations about Sara’s past are more than Philippe can endure. Sara sadly leaves California and returns to her family home in Loire.

“The California Wife” picks up where “The Vintner’s Daughter” ended, with Philippe following Sara to the Loire and professing his love for her.  Following their marriage, they work endlessly trying to tend the small vineyard in Loire and Philippe’s Eagle Run vineyard in the Napa Valley.  Against Philippe’s wishes, headstrong Sara gets involved in the Suffragette movement in California. There are many twists and turns in this delightful book, and we just hope that this ambitious couple will be able to withstand the daily pressures of life and a series of devastating events, including the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

How to win a copy of “The California Wife” by Kristen Harnisch

To enter the contest for the signed copy of “The California Wife,” simply tell us in the comment section below what your favorite California wine region is and why.  We’ll put your name in a hat (yes, we will!) and let you know whose name is chosen.  The contest will run through Friday, May 13, 2016

You can also order “The California Wife“directly from Amazon.

Filed Under: Wine Books, Wine News Tagged With: California Wife, Kristen Harnisch, Wine books

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