Vendange is the French word for harvesting wine - these short stories are 'grape-pickers stories. Very few people are fortunate enough to be mentored in fine wine. I was lucky and the instruction I received over many French lunches and dinners opened my eyes to the complexities of fine wine and how the choice of the right wine for a particular dish elevates the experience from mere grazing to hedonistic delights. I wanted to learn more about wine and decided to go and make the vendange in what is arguably one of the finest areas of wine in the world - the Haut Medoc - north of Bordeaux. What started as a 'one off' visit turned into an annual pilgrimage covering seven years during which I found out everything I wanted to about the subject. Vendange isn't a dry book about the wine making process, though - more a collection of amusing and informative anecdotes gathered in my pannier along the way. It started in the autumn of 1979 and finished in 1986 and during that time, the wine industry changed forever. I was lucky enough to witness the changes. 4.0 out of 5 stars Rattling Good Read 10 Dec 2013 By Artful Dodger Format: Kindle EditionAmazon Verified Purchase "Ian has put together a fine collection of anecdotes and memoirs from his working life and more specifically from his time spent working on a French vinery where he brings alive his new found love and rapidly growing knowledge of French wine and the industry behind it. During a previous French business venture, Ian finds a willing Frenchman to pass on his knowledge and he soon finds himself getting to grips with the subtleties of wine and how to select the correct wine to go with almost any gastronomic experience, determining that some wines will compliment say meat or fish dish whereas others actually detract from it; quite an art form From there on he determines to expand his knowledge further with a working holiday at a vineyard helping to make a vintage or vendange'. I should add that all of this is recounted in a most amusing fashion and even if you are not at all interested in wines or vineyards you will still find this book hard to put down as Ian keeps the flow and interest going throughout. My only slight annoyance was that I came across a few typos early on in the book but this is a very minor complaint. All in all this is a highly recommended read and I look forward to more tales from Ian's interesting and varied working life." 4.0 out of 5 stars Raise your glasses, please 7 Dec 2013 By Karen Guttridge Format: Kindle EditionAmazon Verified Purchase "It never ceases to amaze me how the humble grape can be the source of such a glorious drink This selection of related short stories and anecdotes describe the personal experiences of the author whilst taking part in the grape harvests or les vendanges in France. The book does not attempt to broadly cover life in France but instead focuses fully on the daily life of the workers, most of whom live on site during the harvest period where meals are also provided. We learn of the general camaraderie amongst the grape pickers as they endure the back-breaking work of toiling in the vines for hours each day. The book contains many humorous moments and I also very much enjoyed the interesting wine-related facts sprinkled throughout the book which were mostly unknown to me.""