The Grail: A Year Ambling & Shambling through an Oregon Vineyard in Pursuit of the Best Pinot Noir Wine in the Whole Wild World

This year-long exploration of a working vineyard/ winery in the Dundee Hills of Oregon by Brian Doyle did not immediately strike me as a "must read," but friend Joan Ward convinced me to give it a try. After reading the first chapter--one two-page long sentence--I was hooked. Doyle is exuberant in his passion for learning more about how Oregon's famed pinot noir grapes are made into wines rivaling those of the French. He follows Jesse and Don Lange of Lange Winery around for a year learning about the trials and tribulations, the passion, the hard work, the exhilaration and satisfaction that accompany their pursuit of making the best pinot noir wine in the world. He waxes lyrical not only about wine making, but about bits of relevant history, relationships, and philosophy in general in this chronologically organized series of short chapters. Even if you are not a wine and food person, Doyle's writing and humor and made-up words will keep you fully and pleasurably engaged. And you just might find yourself wanting to go out and try some pinot noir.