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Available From UC Press
A Vineyard in Napa
At the age of 47, when he a successful publishing executive and living with his wife and four children in an affluent Chicago suburb, John Shafer made the surprise announcement that he had purchased a vineyard in the Napa Valley. In 1973, he moved his family to California and, with no knowledge of winemaking, began the journey that would lead him, thirty years later, to own and operate what distinguished wine critic Robert M. Parker, Jr. called “one of the world’s greatest wineries.” This book, narrated by Shafer’s son Doug, is a personal account of how his father turned his midlife dream into a remarkable success story.
Set against the backdrop of Napa Valley’s transformation from a rural backwater in the 1970s through its emergence today as one of the top wine regions in the world, the book begins with the winery’s shaky start and takes the reader through the father and son’s ongoing battles against killer bugs, cellar disasters, local politics, changing consumer tastes, and the volatility of nature itself. Doug Shafer tells the story of his own education, as well as Shafer Vineyards’ innovative efforts to be environmentally sustainable, its role in spearheading the designation of a Stags Leap American Viticultural Area, and how the wine industry has changed in the contemporary era of custom-crushing and hobbyist winery investors.
Set against the backdrop of Napa Valley’s transformation from a rural backwater in the 1970s through its emergence today as one of the top wine regions in the world, the book begins with the winery’s shaky start and takes the reader through the father and son’s ongoing battles against killer bugs, cellar disasters, local politics, changing consumer tastes, and the volatility of nature itself. Doug Shafer tells the story of his own education, as well as Shafer Vineyards’ innovative efforts to be environmentally sustainable, its role in spearheading the designation of a Stags Leap American Viticultural Area, and how the wine industry has changed in the contemporary era of custom-crushing and hobbyist winery investors.
Doug Shafer is President of Shafer Vineyards. He and his father were winners of the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for “Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional.”
Andy Demsky is a Napa Valley–based writer and PR consultant.
Andy Demsky is a Napa Valley–based writer and PR consultant.
“Trends in winemaking come and go but, over the past 40 years, Shafer Vineyards has delivered consistent, high-quality wines regardless of the trends. A Vineyard in Napa provides an inside look at how wine history is made.” –Tom Colicchio
“We all have our unique stories as to how we came to the Napa Valleyand chose to call it home. But the Shafer family history is a truly compelling tale and their journey is equally as inspiring. One doesn’t have to be a wine connoisseur to appreciate John Shafer’s story. His son Doug makes it clear why Shafer Vineyards has become one of the iconic wineries in the Valley—and in the world—today.” –Thomas Keller
“Wine at its greatest is not a beverage—it’s a story. This is the story of the making of an American First Growth. From broken-down tractor to breaking into the highest echelons of world-class wine, Doug Shafer takes us on his family’s journey. It is story no American wine lover will want to miss.” –Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible
“We all have our unique stories as to how we came to the Napa Valleyand chose to call it home. But the Shafer family history is a truly compelling tale and their journey is equally as inspiring. One doesn’t have to be a wine connoisseur to appreciate John Shafer’s story. His son Doug makes it clear why Shafer Vineyards has become one of the iconic wineries in the Valley—and in the world—today.” –Thomas Keller
“Wine at its greatest is not a beverage—it’s a story. This is the story of the making of an American First Growth. From broken-down tractor to breaking into the highest echelons of world-class wine, Doug Shafer takes us on his family’s journey. It is story no American wine lover will want to miss.” –Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible