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Title details for The Road to Burgundy by Ray Walker - Available

The Road to Burgundy

The Unlikely Story of an American Making Wine and a New Life in France

by Ray Walker
Sean Crisden
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
Ray Walker had a secure career in finance until a wine-tasting vacation ignited a passion that he couldn't stifle. Ray neglected his work, spending hours poring over ancient French wine-making texts, learning the techniques and the language, and daydreaming about vineyards. After Ray experienced his first taste of wine from Burgundy, he could wait no longer. He quit his job and went to France to start a winery—with little money, a limited command of French, and virtually no wine-making experience.

Fueled by determination and joie de vivre, he immersed himself in the extraordinary history of Burgundy's vineyards and began honing his skills. Ray became a pioneer in his use of ancient techniques in modern times and founded Maison Ilan. In 2009, Ray became the first non-French winemaker to purchase grapes and produce a wine from Le Chambertin, long considered to be one of the most revered and singular vineyards in the world.

Along with his struggle to capture his wine's distinct terroir, Ray shares enthralling stories of late-night tastings, flying down the Route National on a vintage Peugeot bicycle with no brakes, and his journey to secure both the trust of his insular Burgundian neighbors and the region's most coveted grapes. Capturing the sunlight, the smell of the damp soil, and the taste of superlative wine, The Road to Burgundy is a glorious celebration of finding one's true path in life, and taking a chance—whatever the odds.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 11, 2013

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781452691879
      • File size: 226269 KB
      • Duration: 07:51:23

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Ray Walker's life is forever changed when he tastes wine from the Burgundy region of France for the first time. His enthusiasm for the wine, conveyed by narrator Sean Crisden, leads Walker to abandon a budding career in finance to study winemaking. Ultimately, his passion leads him to move his family to France to start a new life. Crisden's relaxed narration captures Walker's free spirit and provides the listener with insights into the processes and challenges faced by the new vintner. Crisden's attempts at French accents and pronunciation, though inconsistent, are helpful in evoking the French atmosphere. Overall, this story is both educational and inspiring for its depiction of a man who decides to follow his heart, working hard along the way and achieving exceptional results. S.E.G. (c) AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 27, 2013
      Drinking wine and talking about it is pretty much a given when you live in California’s Bay Area, near multitudes of vineyards. Nevertheless, Walker inherited a disdain for wine from his parents who proclaimed it a drink for snobs. But during a trip to Italy with his fiancée, Walker tasted a new world. “I took a bite of my spaghetti, working the tender noodles and rich tomato, herb and olive oil around in my mouth, and then swished with a sip of wine. It was alchemy.” His curiosity about wines blossomed, then grew into a full-blown obsession, until he found himself living out his dream in the vineyards of Burgundy and making a wine of his own. In this rich account, Walker chronicles his five-year journey from Northern California to the French countryside with self-deprecating humor and earnestness. Whether he’s learning French from cable television, convincing his wife of the validity of his plan, deconstructing the terroir of Burgundy, or negotiating a price for some of the “most precious grapes in the world,” Walker fearlessly plunges in. Wine geeks will enjoy Walker’s blow-by-blow account of the winemaking process. Those less inclined to appreciate wine’s back story can revel in his descriptions of Burgundy’s food and lifestyle. Walker’s tale evokes the exquisite thrill of finding and following your passion, no matter how crazy it might seem. Agent: Sharon Bowers, Miller Bowers Griffin Literary.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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