Picking up a “wine” book can be a bit of a risk. Many books simply ooze detail that make even the biggest wine nerd drift off, or they manage to convey that the writer is blessed with wine experiences that you will never dream of experiencing yourself. Imagine my delight in reading An Inconvenient Fruit by Andrew Braithwaite; it’s a brisk read, but more importantly, it’s a journey that is undertaken with passion, knowledge, and with people.

Braithwaite weaves together a tale about the people in wine and both their love of wine and some of the obstacles they face, specifically phylloxera. The scourge of Europe’s grapevines in the late 1800’s is still a relevant pest for todays vignerons. Frankly, I was initially surprised at how much space was devoted to this vineyard pest in An Inconvenient Fruit, but as I read on, I was carried along this globe-spanning journey of talking with vineyard owners, growers, and scientists still dealing with phylloxera even today.

Initially, my inclination was that this book would be best suited to the wine trade or wine lovers who enjoy learning more about wine in depth, but as it stands, I think that anyone who enjoys a tale of people following a dream (and enjoys a nice glass along the way) will enjoy An Inconvenient Fruit.