LOW FLAT RATE AUST-WIDE $9.90 DELIVERY INFO

Close Notification

Your cart does not contain any items

Climbing the Vines in Burgundy

How an American Came to Own a Legendary Vineyard in France

Alex Gambal

$49.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

QTY:

English
Hamilton Books
29 August 2023
This is a unique tale about the first non-Frenchman to ever own one of the Montrachet Grand Cru vineyards in Burgundy, France. Weaved throughout entertaining stories that celebrate the history of this world renowned region, is the chronicle of an American breaking through cultural barriers to find adventure and success.

After a rather conventional start, Alex Gambal left his family’s real estate and parking business to follow his passion for wine and winemaking. In 1993, he moved to Beaune, France with his wife and two children. For three years he worked with an exporter, to market and sell some of the oldest French family-owned domains in the world. He and his family were welcomed into a community of distinguished winemakers. In 1997, Alex launched a boutique winery—initially buying grapes and eventually owning 30 acres of vineyards that included the storied Grand Cru Batard Montrachet.

Part memoir and part an account of practical business sense, this book is a unique personal story about how an American became a participant in the fabric of this exclusive community and in return gained a profound respect for Burgundy, its unique winemakers, and the romance of its vineyards.
By:  
Imprint:   Hamilton Books
Country of Publication:   United States
Dimensions:   Height: 229mm,  Width: 152mm,  Spine: 19mm
Weight:   390g
ISBN:   9780761873969
ISBN 10:   0761873961
Pages:   272
Publication Date:  
Audience:   General/trade ,  ELT Advanced
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Part I: L'Enracinement (Taking Root) Chapter 1: La Plongée Haute (The High Dive) Chapter 2: Une Salle Pleine de Bleuets (A Room Full of Blueberries) Chapter 3: Un Mer de Jaune (A Sea of Yellow) Part II: Tourner la Sol (Turning the Soil) Chapter 4: Quel Grand Pays (What a Great Country) Chapter 5: L’Ecole et les Vacances (School and Vacations) Chapter 6: Les Samedis (Saturdays) Chapter 7: La Rentrée (Back to School) Part III: Le Débourement: Bud Break Chapter 8: Les Lundis en France (Mondays in France) Chapter 9: Le Démarrage (Startup) Chapter 10: Déraillé (Derailed) Chapter 11: Quelle Façon de Gagner sa Vie (What a Way to Make a Living) Chapter 12: Je ne comprends tout simplement pas (I am just not getting it) Chapter 13: C’est Son Sac (It’s His Bag) Chapter 14: Courbe d'apprentissage (Learning Curve) Part IV: Floraison (Flowering) Chapter 15: Le Doigt (The Finger) Chapter 16: Les Règles (Rules) Chapter 17: Deux Vies (Two Lives) Part VI: La Saison Verte (The Growing Season) Chapter 18: Thrilla à Manille (A Thrilla in Manilla) Chapter 19: Un Âge d’Or (A Golden Age) Chapter 20: Les Affaires (Deals) Chapter 21: Hiroshi rêve de la Bourgogne (Hiroshi dreams of Burgundy) Chapter 22: Un Loi au Citron (A Lemon Law) Chapter 23: C’est Pas Possible (It’s Not Possible) Part VII: Véraison: The Moment in the Growing Season When the Grapes Begin to Change Color Chapter 24: Terroir – Pouvez-vous jouer de la musique (Terroir – can you play the music?) Chapter 25: Les Nouvelles Mathématiques (The New Math) Chapter 26: Un Matin Noir en Avril (A Black Morning in April) Part VII: La Vendange (Harvest) Chapter 27: Le Jeu a Changé (The Game Changed) Chapter 28: Sinking (Affaisement) Chapter 29: Une Mouture (A Grind) Chapter 30: La Ligne d'Arrivée (The Finish Line) Afterword About the Author

Originally from the Washington, DC area, Alex Gambal moved to France in 1993 and over the course of the next 26 years straddled the Atlantic while creating a boutique winery that included some of Burgundy’s greatest vineyards. A hard-nosed-businessman in a community steeped in tradition, he defeated the odds by buying some of the most coveted French vines and creating a successful brand that was eventually sold to one of the largest wine makers in the region.

Reviews for Climbing the Vines in Burgundy: How an American Came to Own a Legendary Vineyard in France

Written in a very engaging style, Alex Gamble tells the story of how he moved to France and built a highly successful wine business. A compelling read, where you will learn about the challenges, for him and his family, of working in France and discovering the complex eco-system of Burgundy. -- Jamie Ritchie, former Chairman, Wine & Spirits, Sotheby’s Alex Gambal has written a wonderfully engaging book on Burgundy from an insider’s perspective packed with details ranging from making wine in Burgundy and keenly-observed nuggets of life in France to his roots in Washington D.C. and his early years working with Becky Wassermann. Weaving together the deeply-understood strands of French culture, winemaking, and entrepreneurship with the absorbing story of his loves, his triumphs, and his losses, Alex has crafted a work that will have something to charm every reader. -- Charles Curtis, Burgundy correspondent / Decanter magazine, Founder, WineAlpha


  • Winner of Named one of the Best Wine Books of 2023 2023

See Also