Summary

Few transformations are as intriguing as that of a grape into wine. Vine to Bottle is a unique account of the energy, passion and expertise that go into the production of a wine. The author and photographer visited a winemaker and his team at key periods throughout the year to create a personal yet comprehensive tale of the winemaking process. Two producers are featured - a traditional small-scale producer in Burgundy and a large industrial-scale producer in the south of France - to highlight every choice that a winemaker has to make in the vineyard, winery and cellar. Every stage of winemaking is explored, from the influence of terroir, through the life of the vine and grape, the harvest, the winemaking and the manipulation of a wine, to how the bottles are marketed, sold and distributed. And for every stage, inspirational literary snapshots of everyday life reveal how people, nature and science interact to create the finest possible vintage.