The Heartbreak Grape

The Heartbreak Grape: A Journey in Search of the Perfect Pinot Noir was published in 1993 by HarperCollins in Canada and the U.S., and was re-issued in a revised edition in 2006 by McArthur and Co. in Toronto. It was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Awards, and also for the James Beard Awards and the Julia Child Awards. The author takes no credit for the splendid wine produced by Josh Jensen at his Calera winery but does take some credit for bringing him to wider notice. Twenty years after the book was first written, Jensen named one of his pinot noir vineyards the De Villiers Vineyard … with no resistance from the author.

The book got good notices. John Bear (author of Cafe Beaujolais) put it this way: “I’ve lost my heart to a grape! Full bodied, robust, and a fine aftertaste. The best book on wine I’ve read.” Chuck Williams, founder of Williams Sonoma, called it “a fascinating story, both informative and heart warming … Excellent is the word!”

While Anthony Dias Blue, author of American Wine, declared it “a fascinating look inside the wine industry as well as a revealing look at the creative process. Well-written and fun to
read.”