From Vines to Wines by Jeff Cox

From Vines to Wines

The complete From Vines to Wines by Jeff Cox

guide to Growing Grapes and making your own wine

By

Jeff Cox

 

From Vines to Wines by Jeff Cox Reviewed by Kenneth Wilson “The Gardening Whisperer”.

This review is prepared to be on www.Gadeneningwhisperer.com.  This book was edited by Julia Rubel and Nancy Ringer. This first book was written in 1989 then rewritten in 1999. Printed by Storey Books.  It is a copy written by Jeff Cox in1999.

“Jeff Cox…….

  • Jeff Cox is the author of 17 books on food, wine, and gardening.
  • He’s hosted two television series–Your Organic Garden on PBS and Grow It! on HGTV.
  • He’s been the restaurant reviewer for the Santa Rosa (CA) Press Democrat since 1993.
  • He was the managing editor of Organic Gardening magazine through the decade of the 1970s.
  • He’s written a column for the San Francisco Chronicle and is contributing editor of Horticulture Magazine and The Wine News.
  • He writes frequently for Decanter, an English wine magazine.
  • He’s a member of the James Beard Foundation and the Association of Food Journalists.
  • He’s won many awards for his many endeavors.
  • Jeff has a degree in journalism from Lehigh University, has raised five kids, and lives with his wife Susanna in Kenwood, California. “

Written about Jeff Cox on his website Jeff Cox Publishing

This book is now in its 5th Edition Starts with the basics and works forward.

Since grapes were taken out of the trees and fermented to make wine man has tried to improve the process. This book starts at the beginning with definitions of growing and winemaking. The actual process has not changed over the years, it has become more of a challenge of the grapes the soil and the clement of a given region. What has changed are the different grapes that are used in many regions of the United States.

This book is a great elementary textbook on making wine. It starts out by giving all the basics information for finding a great location to grow grapes, the topography of the land, best soils, the clement of an area and its effect on the grapes.  Actual growing advice is given as to spacing and pruning of different grapes. The whole quest is to get the right sugar content of the mature grape.

Jeff gives in detail what effects diseases have on both grapes and wine and how to spot them. Elements of change are given on how to overcome these issues. He goes on to tell what a vintner is looking for in a mature grape and when to harvest the grapes. He explains the chemistry of how grape juice is changed into excellent wine. Jeff puts into plain words how certain grapes are mixed to find the perfect marriage to get the ideal bouquet and taste and aroma that makes a decisive distinguished wine.

This is a must-read if you are interested in growing grapes or drinking wine. This book is in its NEW printing in March 2015. A quote from the book “The purpose of this book is to bring the reader swiftly and surely to the goal of excellence.”

©Ken Wilson Gardening Whisperer 2015

This entry was posted in Book Reviews and tagged Books, Grapes, Prunning, Wine on January 3, 2016, by Ken Wilson. Edit