Tale of Two Valleys By Alan Deutschman
88 out of 100

Published Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Overview

When I was at school I was taught that a story has a character trying to overcome a problem or other plot like objectives. The Tale of Two Valleys certainly has characters, whether they be the so called “Hippies of Somona” or “The Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous in Napa” – the plot is what I find difficult to explain. Certainly there is conflict between the folk in Sonoma trying to keep the rich from Napa and the IT millionaires out of their bohemian valley. It has less plot and resolution than you might expect. I think it is less of a traditional book in this respect and more of a painting. It gives a view through the lens of a journalist staying with his rather well-off friends in Sonoma. The book shows all the small town infighting and dislike that is common in small places when dwarfed by a larger neighbour. It is the keeping the rich noisy neighbour out and all that that comes with, which is the back story to this book.
To say that the book lacks a plot is unfair as well it’s just that Alan paints a picture of two valleys that helps explain why Nappa is so expensive and Sonoma is less so. Is it a fair picture ? I am not the best person to say, although I like any story, it is almost certainly an hyperbola of truth. What I like about this book is it gives me an insight into the character and the fabric of these two important wine regions in a way that is both compelling and engaging.
I listened to this book from Audible and it is the first wine book I have listened to that I have really thought “Wow that was a great experience !”. Normally audio wine books are mainly fact based and are a bit ....well boring ! Merging a narrative story with the rich tapestry Alan Deutschman writes was a great experience and I recommend it to those of you who listen to the show. Well worth a crack.

I rated this book. 88 out of 100