The Vineyard: A Memoir [Paperback]

Louisa Hargrave (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 27, 2004

In 1973, against the advice of experts and the experience of history, Louisa Hargrave and her husband, Alex, bought a run-down 1680-vintage potato farm on Long Island’s North Fork and planted ten thousand European wine grapes. Having begun her grape- growing adventure with the arrogance of youth and the assumption that she and her husband could figure it all out themselves, she was both humbled and transformed by the land, by her children, and by the generosity of those who helped along the way. At once wry and heartwarming, this is an odyssey as much about spirit and the connection to place as it is about the simple pleasures of a new wine.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is really a book about love—love of family, love of a region, and love of wine. (Kevin Zraly, author of Windows on the World Wine Course) Good women and good writing ripen like fine wine, and Hargrave combines the three in this tender and truthful memoir. (Laura Shaine Cunningham, author of Sleeping Arrangements and A Place in the Country)

About the Author

Louisa Thomas Hargrave is a former owner of Hargrave Vineyard, established in 1973 in Cutchogue, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0142004316
• ISBN-13: 978-0142004319
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #632,622 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Vineyards Are Hard Work, July 23, 2010

By 

Art Maurer (Rochester, NY) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Vineyard: A Memoir (Paperback)

Louisa clearly tells her story of establishing a vineyard with her husband on Long Island while starting and raising a family. She shares detail on the long hours of work in the mud and cold, and then through the winemaking process, along with the rewards. Anyone interested in vineyards and wine will gain perspective on the science and art of making wine...hands on...both the frustrating and exhilarating times. It's a gem full of factual information embedded in an enjoyable read.