Publication date:
06 June 2013Length of book:
202 pagesPublisher
Rowman & Littlefield PublishersDimensions:
235x159mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781442221901
A Vineyard Odyssey is a fascinating saga of wine—the journey from vine to bottle—that takes the reader on a travelogue of the many hazards that lie along the way. John Kiger tracks the nefarious denizens of the vineyard world: the host of insects, fungi, bacteria, and viruses, along with the feathered and furry critters, that lurk in vineyards. All are capable of sabotaging a promising vintage right under the nose of an unsuspecting grower. Rather than responding with toxic chemicals, Kiger follows an organic approach to cultivation, explaining how natural and biological controls can conquer or at least contain these vineyard saboteurs. Highlighting the many hazards of nature that lie hidden in any vintage, the author tells the story of a winegrower and an organic philosophy that guides the annual struggle to coax great wine from a steep hillside and a few thousand vines. Combining history, science, technology, and personal experience, this book vividly brings to life the hard-fought battles behind the wines we savor.
Although the strategy of raising wine grapes organically appears to be simple enough—no man-made chemicals—executing these principles in a vineyard, particularly one under threat from fungi such as powdery mildew, may prove daunting. As the French discovered with the nineteenth century’s phylloxera, whole vineyards can perish from the effects of a single pest. California vintner Kiger was determined to see his wines handled under organic protocols from vine through bottle. Leaving his Silicon Valley career, he and his wife took some courses and decided to personally husband a vineyard through all its seasons save for the actual harvesting, when they would hire pickers. They at once began the long process of converting from conventional vine management to total organic production. Kiger’s battle with powdery mildew alone stretched his resources, and other afflictions, including animals, proved no less challenging. Vineyard owners may profit from Kiger’s recounting of his struggles.