Caro Feely

When we reach into the cupboard for a glass and into the fridge for the bottle that has been chilling, most of us never consider the amount of effort and worry that has gone to get that perfect glass of wine. Any number of factors through the year can affect the quality and quantity of grapes that get harvested, you need the right amount of sun, rain at the right time and to keep a careful eye on the vines as they flourish and grow. But a late autumn thunderstorm can bring the horror that is hail and you can see all your hard work shredded in moments.

Chateau Feely is the vineyard that Caro Feely runs with her husband Seán. Buying the estate was a decision of the heart rather than the mind, but they have become established as an organic and biodynamic vineyard with recognition and awards for their wines as well as running a successful business with wine tours, holiday accommodation and vineyard experiences. Whilst their wine is created in balance with the environment, the strains of family life and the business and along with the added emotional roller coaster that Caro is going through begin to show. They conclude that they need their first member of staff.

Glass Half Full is the third in the series of books by Caro about the pleasure and pain of running your own vineyard. It is full of stories and anecdotes in the larger context of overall life it is as readable as the first two books. It has happy moments and sad moments, as you would expect with any book about family life. She is open about her fears and aspirations for the business in this book, and we get to read how the mental and physical effort required takes its toil; it takes long days of work to grow the business. There are positives too, living in a small community just outside Bordeaux and the delights of French cuisine are an important part of the story. She hints at another book in the pipeline, so that is something to look forward to.… (altro)

The second instalment following Caro Feely and her family as they establish themselves as wine growers at their 10 hectare site in the Dordogne region of France. Her first book, My Grape Expectations, laid out how they found and bought their dream and started to settle in the community.

This starts off with a late frost in the vineyard. Frost on delicate grape flower can devastate a harvest, but this year they are very fortunate. They are on the very limit financially, but need new equipment and presses to get the most out of their vines. She sees opportunities to make money and make the business viable, especially as their vineyard is biodynamic and there is a growing interest in natural products. She signs up for a course to become a master wine teacher, and they embark on offering harvesting and tasting sessions.

Well worth reading to see how she has progressed since the last book. Whilst things are looking brighter financially, they are not fully out of the woods yet. I am hoping that there will be another in the series.… (altro)

If you have ever considered chucking it all in and buying a vineyard then I would strongly recommend this book.

Feely, her husband and family did just that, giving up tow well paid jobs in London, and buying a small vineyard in the Bordeaux region. The property was a bit of a wreck, and they had to go from no knowledge and experience of wine making to experts very rapidly. Along the way, Sean suffers a serious injury on his arm, and a little while after loses the top part of one of his fingers. The route to success is tough, not helped by her parents, who are not that supportive.

They almost give it all up, partly because the stress of running the vineyard and raising a family is almost too much. After some strong soul searching they get back on track. They intergrate themselves in the local community, and Caro becomes a respected wine expert in her own right.

Really enjoyed it, but was not always keen on the writing style, hence four stars.

Others that i would recommend are:

[b:A Vineyard in the Dordogne: How an English Family Made Their Dream of Wine and Sunshine Come True|625264|A Vineyard in the Dordogne How an English Family Made Their Dream of Wine and Sunshine Come True|Jeremy Josephs|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353399765s/625264.jpg|611621]

[b:Virgile's Vineyard: A Year in the Languedoc Wine Country|515506|Virgile's Vineyard A Year in the Languedoc Wine Country|Patrick Moon|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348308259s/515506.jpg|503460]

[b:The Ripening Sun|3173901|The Ripening Sun|Patricia Atkinson|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1359619961s/3173901.jpg|1750317]… (altro)

In Grape Expectations, Caro Feely told the story of how she and her husband bought a vineyard in France. In her second book, Saving Our Skins: Building a Vineyard Dream in France, she shares how she and her family made a go of it and started making money.

It wasn’t enough to produce great wine. To make ends meet, they offer wine tours, holiday cottages, vineyard shares, and sell their waste product to another business. Feely says, “if we wanted to be in this wine business, we had to be rebels. We had to stand out and change the rules to suit us, rather than succumb to the rules of a game set by large buyers, a game doomed to be lost by small producers.”
In addition to diversifying their business, the Feelys try to share with others the importance of purchasing wine, like theirs, which is organic and biodynamic.

It’s a great read if you enjoy wine and support entrepreneurs and organic food.… (altro)