Reviews
From fool-proof wine openers to smart-looking glassware, from weighty reference books to breezy
newsletters, from century-old cognac to new-wave whiskey, the possibilities are endless for the wine or
spirits aficionado on your holiday shopping list.
Would you believe there's even a children's book?
"All summer long Julian has been watching the grapes on the vines that grow all around his house. All
summer long Julian has been waiting for the harvest, because this year he is big enough to help."
Thus begins "The Grapes Grow Sweet: A Child's First Harvest in Wine Country," by Lynne Tuft and
Tessa DeCarlo (Rivervine Press, $19.95).
It's a beautifully illustrated tale of a year in a California vineyard
as seen through the eyes of a young boy.
Full disclosure: My 3-year-old son is named Julian, so I was sold on the book the minute I saw it. But the
more I read it to him, the more I'm convinced "The Grapes Grow Sweet" has the potential to become a
classic -- both for its vibrant watercolor scenes and a story line as dramatic as it is accurate.
In fact, the book was conceived by the mother of a real boy named Julian whose family has been growing
grapes in northern California for generations. The story captures a youngster's wide-eyed amazement at
the transformation of a vineyard from spring to summer to fall -- from bare vines to tender shoots to sweet
grapes. And then the harvest, with all the commotion and excitement it brings.
"Then one night Julian hears voices in the vineyard and a rumbling like thunder.'The gondolas are here!'
he yells. Julian and his father go out in the dark to see the gondolas lined up, huge and empty. 'Tomorrow
the harvest starts,' Julian's father says. 'One week for us to finish a whole year's work.'"
Along the way, there's lots to learn, for child and parent alike. Did you know, for instance, the carts they
use to haul freshly picked grapes from vineyard to winery are called gondolas? I didn't.
To me, the illustrations alone are worth the price of admission -- brilliant impressionistic images in a
style somewhere between Monet and Gauguin. The playful page design mixes action scenes, such as
Julian helping his mother drive a tractor, with dreamy still lifes of vines, flowers and bees.
A fine children's book by any measure, "The Grapes Grow Sweet" would make an ideal gift in the home
of a wine-loving parent.
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