The Vineyard Years: A Memoir with Recipes

This book paints a lovely picture of the development of the Oregon Wine Country as well as the land itself. You feel the sunshine and smell the rain. The stories of the trials and triumphs of a family business are informative and inspiring. I enjoyed the included recipes and look forward to trying a few. I am also excited to visit this winery soon and see the places and land which are described so vividly.

Memorable stories from one of the great pioneering women in Oregon wine! Inspirational and intergenerational look at the blossoming Oregon wine industry from a kind, thoughtful voice.

I am researching the history of the Willamette Valley wine region and while this book is filled with valuable insights in that regard, it is also very nicely written and is a pleasant excursion into a period of local history that few were privy to and privileged to be part of.

Very readable memoir stretching from 1970 to 2016, and never a dull moment, the family and business dynamics were fascinating.. The advent of Oregon Wine of the WIllamette Valley. Solid memoir, I would pair it with a Sokol Blosser 2013 Goosepen Block Pinot Noir which showcases flavors of anise and blackberry with a finish reminiscent of baking spice. I haven't read the earlier title published in 2006 but from the write up it seems like it might cover the same ground plus another 10 years and even more perspective.From the author of 2014  Letting Go: How One Entrepreneur Energized Her Business, Empowered the Next Generation At the height of her career, after building and leading one of the most innovative wineries in America, Susan Sokol Blosser made an extraordinary decision - to step away from the work she loved and transition control of the winery to her children. LETTING GO is an engaging account of how she made that decision, the surprising challenges she faced, the unanticipated journey that ensued, and the good life that followed. LETTING GO speaks to universal themes: transforming family dynamics as the older generation cedes power to the younger; thriving as a woman in an era of changing gender roles; facing aging and staying vital while no longer climbing the career ladder. Contrary to the “having it all” mind set, Sokol Blosser’s story proves that LETTING GO can be the most fulfilling life choice.2008  Gracious & Ruthless: Surprising Strategies for Business Success A small book with large ideas, Gracious & Ruthless gives advice on running a successful business while staying true to your values. While gracious and ruthless are two words not usually used together, this book demonstrates how they not only could but should be combined for success. Twelve short, eloquent essays on topics business owners face. Full of common sense and practical advice, Gracious & Ruthless will inspire and challenge. Editorial cartoonist Jack Ohman's illustrations of the author at work are priceless.2006  At Home in the Vineyard: Cultivating a Winery, an Industry, and a Life Sokol Blosser begins her narrative in the 1970s, when, as a young, idealistic wife, she helped her husband make his wild idea of planting a vineyard in the Dundee Hills become a reality. By the book’s final pages, she has become president of Sokol Blosser Winery, widely respected for gaining national visibility and for producing world-class wines, especially the elusive Pinot Noir. Along the way, Sokol Blosser tells how she learned to do everything from driving a tractor and managing a picking crew to selling Oregon wine in Manhattan. She also shares some special accomplishments: how she instituted values of environmental sustainability and social responsibility at the vineyard, integrated family and business life, and successfully brought the second generation on board.This moving, evocative memoir, woven with lyrical descriptions of the sights and smells of vineyard life, tells the inspirational story of one woman's journey to success in an industry run mostly by men. At Home in the Vineyard, filled with colorful characters and unexpected experiences, brings a local rural community vividly alive as Oregon wine pioneer and industry icon Susan Sokol Blosser recounts how she fell in love with a vineyard, learned how to run it, and ultimately achieved her vision of producing Pinot Noirs to rival those of Burgundy. An intimate family story, At Home in the Vineyard also gives a candid insider's view of Oregon's flourishing wine industry.

Not all memoirs are worth reading, but this one is. It's not that Susan Sokol Blosser accomplished something of great historic significance, but because she achieved success in an unusual field for a woman to succeed--as a winery (together with her husband). This isn't her first book--she's written others about aspects of her business--but this is the first one really focused on food and wine as part of her description of the challenges she faced with the winery through the years. There's also a certain amount of nature writing, also concern for the environment (inc. climate change and sustainability), as she's in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon and feels very connected to the land. And, lots about the business aspect, including some of the ups and downs of finances, and uncertainty. There are pictures, but I just took them as a bonus, since they are poor quality black and white printed on the page with the text. It would be nice to see good pictures, but given how that adds to the price of a book, I'm okay with the grainy ones included, just as a hint of the people and place.What attracted me most to this book, apart from reading that she was a pioneer and an icon for her success as an entrepreneur and leadership in her community--was that its described as her first book about the winery with an emphasis on food and wine. There weren't as many of those as I expected, and no photos (the book has some photos of family and location, but they're black and white, not glossy. That didn't bother me, but I think the recipes should have been indexed. Here's a guide for those interested:Mac 'n Cheese, baked -- pretty standard with Jack and Cheddar, a roué, dry mustard, paired with their Pinot Gris -- p. 53Meatloaf-- half pork and beef, the most unusual thing here was the addition of prunes. paired with Pinot Noir p. 81Minnestrone --lots of herbs and vegetables; unusual ingredient is 14 oz canned mushrooms--paired with Pinot Noir-- p. 95Saag Paneer -- paired with their Evolution White - p.148Zucchini Ribbon Salad -- paired with Rose or Pinot Noir -- p. 165Root Vegetable Soup -- with Pinot Noir -- p.204Caribbean Evolution -- "vegan entrée with a tropical twist" -- serve with their white or sparkling wine -- p217Pork Tacos with Peaches, Fennel Slaw and cider reduction -- paired with Reisling -- p 230Farro, Roasted Fennel, Feta and Treviso Radicchio Salad -- paired with their "Big TimGrie Red" - p 257Grilled Wild Salmon -- no pairing listed -- p.275