Customer Reviews

From Vines to Wines: The Complete Guide to Growing Grapes & Making Your Own Wine

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is an excellent book, I recommend it to anyone who wishes to prepare wine from scratch. The book is written for the reader with knowledge of basic science concepts, especially a chemistry degree.

Jeff Cox does what so few writers can do; he makes viticulture so interesting that you won't want to put this book down. That's saying a lot!

The whole book is a masterful handbook for the home or small commercial grower. From selecting the vines and a growing site to planting, growing, pruning, and harvesting to making wine, Cox literally packs the pages with useful information, tables and how-to illustrations. Even his appendix on grape pests and their control is written as a trouble-shooting guide based on symptoms rather than cause. This is both refreshing and useful.

If you can only buy one book on the subject, this is the one to buy.

With enthusiasm and clarity, the author leads his readers, from the amateur to the accomplished winemaker, in his or her quest for flawless grapes and extraordinary wine. The process is not as daunting as it may seem. What matters most is finding the grape that gives wine you like and which thrives and ripens (consistently) in your climate. The author goes on to describe vineyard siting, soil preparation, culture, pruning, trellising, and pest control.

The second half of the book thoroughly describes the wine-making process: from crushing the grapes and pressing, to primary and secondary fermentations, racking, bottling, corking, cellaring, and evaluating the finished product.

This book will appeal to the person with a serious desire to grow grapes and make wine, the aspiring wine-making entrepreneur, the home gardener interested in the culture of grapes, the wine connoisseur, and the casual hobbyist. No matter what level of invlovement you want to have in the wine-making process, "From Vines to Wines" will satisfy your needs and curiosity.

My family is in the process of starting a small vineyard and winery. Jeff's book was not only fun and easy to read, it has provided valuable information. I can recommend the book without reservation to anyone interested in growing grapes and making wine.

This is an excellent book for anybody contemplating growing grapes and/or making wine. It provides the basic essentials of both aspects of wine and although not a "complete" instruction text, it will give you an idea of whether to pursue wine making further.

Good read...goes beyond the basics. If the birds quit eating my grapes, I may even try my hand at wine-making.