Tuesday, August 09, 2016

The Land Remembers.

Another new book arrived in the post today.  The book, The Land Remembers, is ostensibly a treatise on viticulture and terroir.  However, my first impression, after a quick shufty through the book, is that this book is more about one man's love affair with his very own garden of Eden at Indian Springs Ranch, Kenwood (Sonoma Valley).
George MacLeod and his family bought acreage back in 1974 without really knowing anything about winegrape growing, it seems.  But he brought plenty of passion with him.  If one is in doubt as to Mr. MacLeod's romance with the land, his inscription to me, at the front of the book, says,"To Vinogirl - Here is a true vineyard love story! With affection, George, grower".  Case closed.
The Land Remembers has some interesting sections on soil, topography and water, with accompanying charts and photographs - all the vine-geeky stuff I love.  There is a short chapter on 'Microbial Terroir' which has really piqued my curiosity.  I am really enjoying all the viticultural reading I have been doing of late.  This book is a lovely addition to my humble reference library.
The book was written with Arthur Dawson, and other contributors.  One of the contributors is yours truly: yes, I contributed a photograph of a smudge pot (page 79).  Ta da!  That's my 15 minutes of fame done.

4 comments:

New Hampshire Wineman said...

How cool is that!
Royalties?

Vinogirl said...

NHW: No royalties...unlike problems we both have had in the past with people appropriating our photographs, I was just happy that Mr. Dawson contacted me and asked permission to use the smudge pot piccy.

Thomas said...

Yeah, asking permission is a forgotten art in these days of the Intergnat.

Good on you, VG. The book sounds like something for me to read.

Vinogirl said...

Tomasso: "Intergnat" not heard that one before.