Virgile's Vineyard: A Year in the Languedoc Wine Country

Rating:
Summary: Better than Great
Review: With Bill Bryson-like humor, Patrick Moon intertwines winemaking and history with a rollicking good tale. If you're lucky enough to visit this fabulous wine-producing area of France, Virgile's Vineyard will be even more entertaining. There is a not-so-subtle undercurrent of travel guide to this superbly fun story. Spanning one year, it takes the reader through the winter Mediterranean storms, the summer heat of the South, the drenching rains of spring and the laid-back feel of the area when out of the tourist high season. Moon explores the dubious friendship of his neighbor prone to blatant crop filching, but also a master wine taster in constant search of good free samples. There is a dialogue of local repartee, a love interest (solely, on her side, it seems) who is bent on educating Patrick about the area's past, along with some characters who duck in and out as the story unfolds. If you have any interest in wine or the Languedoc region of France, you really shouldn't miss this book.