The Winemaker - Noah Gordon

The other title of this book is La Bodega. I enjoyed reading this book. Noah Gordon is one of authors whose works I like, anyway. Set mostly in Spain in the 19th century, it followed the story of Josep Alvarez.

Being a second son of a winemaker, Josep knew that he should be looking for a job soon. His older brother, the eldest, would inherit the land. The opportunity came when a stranger arrived in the village, recruiting new soldiers. Josep enlisted, along with some boys in the village. After the training, they were taken to Madrid, where they became accessories in the assassination of  President Prim. Josep was the only one left alive when witnesses had been getting rid of. He fled to Languedoc and worked for a winemaker for four years, until when he heard about the death of his father.

Josep returned to Catalonia and found that his older brother wanted to sell their father's land. He bought the land. Later he bought his neighbour's vineyard and married the widow who lived next to this neighbour. The widow had a son and a vineyard, too. To become a successful winemaker, Josep began to make good wine, adopting the technique he had learned from the winemaker in Languedoc. Before this, they had grown grapes only to be made as vinegar.

Noah Gordon's writing style is easy to follow and the story flows well.