Climbing the Vines in Burgundy

Alex Gambal

doi:10.5771/9780761873976

Summary

Named one of the New York Times Best Wine Books of 2023

Named one of the Washington Post's Best Wine Books of 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.

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2023
ISBN-Print: 978-0-7618-7396-9
ISBN-Online: 978-0-7618-7397-6
Publisher: Hamilton Books, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 254
Product type: Book Titles

1. Contents No access
1. La Haute Plongée (The High Dive) No access
2. Une Salle Plein‌‌e de Myrtilles (A Room Full of Blueberries) No access
3. Un Mer de Jaune (A Sea of Yellow) No access
1. Quel Grand Pays (What a Great Country) No access
2. L’Ecole et les Vacances (School and Vacations) No access
3. Les Samedis (Saturdays) No access
4. La Rentrée (Back to School) No access
1. Les Lundis en France (Mondays in France) No access
2. Le Démarrage (Startup) No access
3. Déraillé (Derailed) No access
4. Quelle Façon de Gagner sa Vie (What a Way to Make a Living) No access
5. Tout simplement, je ne comprends pas (I Am Just Not Getting It) No access
6. C’est Son Sac (It’s His Bag) No access
7. Courbe d’apprentissage (Learning Curve) No access
1. Le Doigt (The Finger) No access
2. Les Règles (Rules) No access
3. Deux Vies (Two Lives) No access
1. Thrilla à Manille (A Thriller in Manilla) No access
2. Un Âge d’Or (A Golden Age) No access
3. Les Affaires (Deals) No access
4. Hiroshi rêve de la Bourgogne (Hiroshi Dreams of Burgundy) No access
5. Un Loi au Citron (A Lemon Law) No access
6. C’est Pas Possible (It’s Not Possible) No access
1. Terroir—Pouvez-vous jouer de la musique (Terroir—Can You Play the Music)? No access
2. Les Nouvelles Mathématiques (The New Math) No access
3. Un Matin Noir en Avril (A Black Morning in April) No access
1. Le Jeu a Changé (The Game Changed) No access
2. Sinking (Affaisement) No access
3. Une Mouture (A Grind) No access
4. La Ligne d’Arrivée (The Finish Line) No access
Afterword No access Pages 247 - 252
About the Author No access Pages 253 - 254