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A Vineyard in Tuscany : A Wine Lover’s Dream

written by robin

Ferenc Mate Every once in a while a book comes along that grabs me- one that I don't want to put down, that I want to get through.

This was one of those books.  This was one of those times.

A Vineyard in Tuscany, Ferenc Maté's memoir is about his (and his family's) trials and tribulations of acquiring an abandoned property in Montalcino, Tuscany, restoring it and creating a vineyard from scratch!

As fate would have it, he was lucky enough to be offered help and advice from his neighbors- none other than Banfi and Gaja- two of the biggest wine giants in Italy!

The author had me rolling on the floor on more than one occassion. 

Not wanting to "give everything away" – let's just say some of his funniest stuff involved single-handedly bringing down part of his rebuilt house at the hands of a crane, trying to get deer from eating his vines, over-filling the barrels with their first elixir and creating a grape explosion of huge ( and messy) proportions and almost destroying his property- trees, vines and chicken coup- in an entire chapter dedicated to his learning to use the tractor with four-hundred ninety-seven levers.

And if he wasn't lucky enough already- his wines get rave reviews and he unearths treasure after treasure on his land- both of the historic Etruscan and the culinary variety.

This memoir is a romantic style Under the Tuscan Sun– with the addition of a vineyard- and more descriptive, humorous prose.

If you like Tuscany, Wine and Laughter- you'll love this book!

What is one of your favorite memoirs about Tuscany?  Or Italy?
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