Overview
"At the age of 47, when he a successful publishing executive and living with his wife and four children in an affluent Chicago suburb, John Shafer made the surprise announcement that he had purchased a vineyard in the Napa Valley. In 1973, he moved his family to California and, with no knowledge of winemaking, began the journey that would lead him, thirty years later, to own and operate what distinguished wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. called ""one of the world's greatest wineries"". This book, narrated by Shafer's son Doug, is a personal account of how his father turned his midlife dream into a remarkable success story. Set against the backdrop of Napa Valley's transformation from a rural backwater in the '70s through its emergence today as one of the top wine regions in the world, the book begins with the winery's shaky start and takes the reader through the father and son's ongoing battles against killer bugs, cellar disasters, local politics, changing consumer tastes, and the volatility of nature itself. Doug Shafer tells the story of his own education, as well as Shafer Vineyards' innovative efforts to be environmentally sustainable, its role in spearheading the designation of a Stags Leap American Viticultural Area, and how the wine industry has changed in the contemporary era of custom-crushing and hobbyist winery investors."
Full Product Details
Author: Doug Shafer
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.90cm
, Height: 2.70cm
, Length: 23.50cm
Weight: 0.581kg
ISBN: 9780520272361
ISBN 10: 0520272366
Pages: 245
Publication Date: 12 November 2012
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
This is also the story of the people who came to Napa Valley in the 1970s from many different walks of life, how they and a young industry came of age, overcoming disappointment, avoiding making the same mistakes twice, and facing realities - both economic and environmental - that are humbling and sobering. -- Wine Spectator (1/15/2013 12:00:00 AM)
This is also the story of the people who came to Napa Valley in the 1970s from many different walks of life, how they and a young industry came of age, overcoming disappointment, avoiding making the same mistakes twice, and facing realities - both economic and environmental - that are humbling and sobering. -- Wine Spectator
Author Information
"Doug Shafer is President of Shafer Vineyards. He and his father were winners of the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for ""Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional."""
