Customer Reviews

My First Crush: Misadventures in Wine Country

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If you live in the Northwest and have any interest in wine, this is a book for you! It is what I call a "great read"(a "must" read if you will). It captures the flavor of real winemaking with a background of facts (vines, soils, geology, geography, climate and latitude), a sustained taste of optimism with a strong aroma of humor throughout. Real people, real places, real wine--this book is the real deal! Try it, you'll like.

Linda Kaplan's book, "My First Crush," is a fun and informative romp through Oregon's wine country. From the colorful town and townspeople of McMinnville to the creepy crawlers on the grape sorting line (and I don't just mean insects), Linda is able to bring winemaking to life.

Inserted throughout the memoir style writing are helpful sidebars which describe winemaking and wine drinking in more detail. From the way that soil and microclimate affect the grapes to holding your own tasting.

I couldn't put this book down and I don't even know that much about wine. I have to say, I know more now.

This is a book that I will re-read as there was much information that I could use over and over. Definitions, relationships between grape and final product, explainations of wine content and chemical content. Not to mention a GREAT read!

I am probably biased since I was a fan of Panther Creek before I found this book, but I found it fascinating and enlightening to peak into the world of wine making. Living in the Willamette valley close to so many scenic vineyards and wineries it is easy to romanticize and fantasize about chucking your day job and buying a winery or vineyard. Linda Kaplan brings reality into the dream and truly makes you appreciate fine wine.
I wanted copies to give to friends along with a bottle of wine and I was so disappointed to learn it is out of print.

Linda Kaplan's My First Crush is a delightful read that put me in mind of The Number One Ladies Detective Agency and A Year in Provence, for the wonderful characters in her terrific memoir. You want to spend time with these people and especially the author herseof. Linda weaves her tale of a heroic move from the midwest to accomodate her husband's dream of owning a winery through beautiful imagery and engaging prose. Her humor is wise, wistful and sneaks up on you until you're laughing out loud. Like a fine Pinot Noir, open the cover, let it breathe and you'll get a wiff of an engaging romp through wine country. Delicious. Can't wait for her next book!

Most books on wine and wine-making are dull, pretentious and impossible to dicipher for the average reader. NOT SO My First Crush! I was engaged from the very first page.

This memoir is as entertaining as a good novel and includes a great deal of easy to access information on wine and wine making. Linda Kaplan has a lyrical and humorous style, with an eye for details and the quirks of humankind. Even more remarkable, this memoir left me with the recognition that life adventures are not just for the very young.

Therefore, to be brief. Find this book. Buy it. Read it! You won't regret it.