What a fun book! In the book Dragonvine by Steve Laine we begin by going to Napa, China and San Francisco with three stories – some taking place in the past and some in present day – which I knew would intertwine; and intertwine over wine they did.
From the opening, an exciting fire scene in Napa Valley that was ripped from headlines we all had to live through, to ancient China and a murder scene, then to San Francisco for a female drug “gang” leader that lives by the words from Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The first time the author Steven Laine mentions the word Dragon I was paying even closer attention. The reason for the title was yet to be revealed.
As each story develops, along with the main characters, it’s a page-turner. Soon a dispute over vineyard property in Napa ensues. ATF and I.C.E officials also join the story. With the shady female gang leader now considering making and selling forged wine.
(Readers will now enjoy learning about fake wine, even if this book is fiction I found it immensely interesting. In some way I could see the appeal of working to try to create something just as good as a cult or rare wine. Along with the thrill of getting caught…or not.)
My only regretful note: one of our main characters doesn’t have a spot of wine until about 150 pages in, and he overindulges. I prefer my wine-themed books to intertwine some good wine tasting experiences in with the drama, or comedy.
Even with that note, Laine kept me on the edge of my seat for nearly 400 pages – the story ends on page 397. And not wanting to give away too much I will leave you with this: Sometimes when I drink an exceptional glass of wine I have to say to myself, “There’s a lot going on in this glass”, and that’s how I felt about reading Dragonvine.
From the Publisher
Steven Laine is known for writing edge-of-your-seat wine thrillers. His debut novel Root Cause (Turner Publishing, February 2019) received rave reviews from book reviewers and wine enthusiasts alike, with Kirkus calling it ‘an entertaining, wine-soaked mystery.’
Here is the synopsis for his new book Dragonvine:
When his father dies in a wildfire, Carmine Cooper takes over the family winery in the middle of harvest, putting his dreams of becoming an architect on hold. He soon finds himself fighting with a vengeful neighbor, blackmailed by a local gang, harassed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities, and the target of an ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) investigation.
Carmine’s only hope to solve his problems and finish his first solo vintage successfully rests in identifying an unknown grape variety his father grew and made into wine for a quarter century with links to an ancient Chinese grape variety and the First Emperor of China.
Can Carmine save his father’s legacy, his family, the winery, and his first harvest before it’s too late?
Recommended for wine enthusiasts, Steven Laine has paired his extensive experience in the wine industry with his passion for writing to create a captivating wine thriller. https://bookpublicityservices.com/wine-book-dragonvine/
Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.
Fast forward to planning this trip. I went to the LA Wine Writers group on Facebook and asked my associates who I should visit. Then I reached out to Lodi.com to help me plan the trip. As I only had one day I wanted to focus on the wines alone, there would be no time for winery or vineyard tours. We also invited Steve and Vashti Roebuck (wine bloggers, collectors and admins of the popular Wine in the Glass Facebook group) to join us.
This competition, hosted by parent company Tasting Alliance, is the oldest, biggest and most influential competition in North America. This year, approximately 5,000 spirits were evaluated over two weeks in April 2022 by a panel of 70 judges from around the world. This represented the largest number of entrants that the competition has ever received.
The Competition judging panels consist of some of the industry’s most esteemed and renowned industry experts, including Anthony Dias Blue (Tasting Panel) and Jeffrey Morgenthaler (Clyde Common). The 2022 competition was the largest ever with 5,000 spirits from more than 40 countries entered.
NYIWC Winners from CA in 2021
Kilinga is a boutique, family-owned Bacanora distiller and brand founded in 2018 by Rodrigo Bojorquez Bours in Álamos, Sonora, Mexico. Inspired by and named for his mother, Kilinga, La Señora Kilinga is the vibrant matriarch and heart of the family. The company’s first official bottling was in the fall of 2019 which was awarded silver at the San Francisco Spirits Competition. It is the first officially designated Bacanora by the Consejo Sonorense Regulador del Bacanora available in the United States, and the second brand in Mexico to have the authentic Bacanora designation.
The SFCWC is the largest competition in North America and over its 22 years has become one of the world’s most respected wine competitions. Its esteemed judges come from the worlds of winemaking, media, trade, education and restaurant/hospitality industries.
To be classified as PDO, a wine must be made in a specific region and all the production, processing, and preparation process must occur within the same limited territory. Therefore, products registered as PDOs are those that have the strongest links to the place where they come from. For wines, this means that the grapes must come exclusively from the geographical area where the wine is produced.
“After carefully reviewing health and safety guidelines in each city and developing a plan to ensure the wellbeing of our guests, we have decided to proceed with the 2022 tour as scheduled,” says Luigi Salerno, Gambero Rosso CEO. “We are very excited to be returning to these cities and look forward to once again helping connect these extraordinary producers with the U.S. wine market.”