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Caro Feely
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Grape Expectations: A Family's Vineyard Adventure in France (Vineyard Series) Paperback – April 29, 2023

by Caro Feely (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 902 ratings
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What does it take to follow your dreams?

The wine filled my mouth with plum and blackberry sensations. A picture of a vineyard drenched in sunlight formed in my mind. Sean drew me rudely back to our small suburban house.
‘How can they be in liquidation if they make wine this good?’

When Caro and Sean find the perfect vineyard near Bordeaux their dreams of a new life in France are about to come true. They arrive, with a toddler and a newborn, to face a dilapidated farmhouse, and challenges including accidents with agricultural equipment, cultural misunderstandings, and money worries. Undeterred, they embark on the biggest adventure of their lives – learning to make wine from the roots up.

Filled with vivid descriptions of delicious wines, great food, humour, and stunning views, this is a unique insight into the world of the winemaker, and a story of passion, dedication, and love.

Is radically changing your life a good idea? Do Caro and Sean succeed in following their dreams?

Reviews

‘Captivating reading.’ Destination France

‘An inspiring story of how one couple changed their lives.' Jamie Ivey, Author

'A beautifully written tale of passion and guts.' Alice Feiring, Author

‘I was moved and delighted by this book, and what it says about wine and the passion of winemaking, about France and the great adventure of family life, and above all about the challenges that build a marriage. A splendid book.’ Martin Walker, bestselling author

‘Bright, passionate, inspiring, informative and absolutely delicious’ Breadcrumb Reads blog

‘Filled with vivid descriptions of delicious wines, great food… a story of passion, dedication, and love’ Bookalicious Travel Addict blog

‘The best – and most realistic – tome coming from the ‘A Year in Provence’ genre.’ Joe Duffy, Irish radio personality

First published in 2012 by Summersdale. Book 1 of the Vineyard Series.
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 4
    Vineyard Series
  2. Print length
    313 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    April 29, 2023
  5. Dimensions
    5 x 0.79 x 8 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    2958630404
  7. ISBN-13
    978-2958630409
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Caro Feely traded her tech career for a dream to become an organic farmer, writer, wine educator and yoga teacher. She is published author of six books, acclaimed 'winning', 'sincere' and 'passionate' by The New York Times Book Review.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Caro Feely; 2nd 2023 ed. edition (April 29, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 313 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 2958630404
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-2958630409
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.79 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 902 ratings

About the author

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Caro Feely

Caro Feely

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Caro Feely is a writer, yoga teacher, wine teacher and organic farmer, based in France. Part Irish, part South African and part French, she is passionate about yoga, organic farming, wine and slow travel.

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
902 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Giselle P Gebara
5.0 out of 5 stars An Easy and informative book to read
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2023
Verified Purchase
An easy to read book with lots of stories that I can relate to! Interestingly enough why wife and I bought a small chateau to renovate and went through very similar experiences. The stories are 100% true since we've experienced the same just a few miles away. We're looking at starting a small organic vineyard and it's good to read the challenges before starting. Yes there are challenges living in France however there are a lot of positives! I tell my friends "France is hard living but rich" and "America is easy living but poor". The book highlights some of the hard and richness of living in france. I've already recommended the book to a local English friend living in Bordeaux. Looking forward to reading the remaining series.
One person found this helpful
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Serena
4.0 out of 5 stars What a Story!
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2015
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If you have dreams of owning a vineyard in France; this book will make you want to forget it unless you have giant piles of money.

The Feely family decides to chuck their very good careers in London and take their toddler daughter and baby daughter to a wreck of
an old house and overgrown vineyard in France. Caro Feely, the author, who hadn't been to the property was shocked by what a disaster the house was.
Her husband who had visited remarked that it looked worse than he remembered.

Years of backbreaking work and worries upon worries almost wreck their marriage and turn their dreams into nightmares.
After awhile the constant struggle became tedious and painful and I couldn't wait for it to end. Too many worries and too much suffering. The reason for the high rating is because of the honesty and clarity of the writing.
2 people found this helpful
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Vince Armistaad
5.0 out of 5 stars She goes even further by revealing some of the most intimate elements of what family life is like when you make such a leap from
Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2015
Verified Purchase
The thought of buying a vineyard in the south of France had been dancing in my head for some time. A brief search on Amazon led me to this fabulous book, one of the very few on the subject. It is well written. From the heart. And it tells the very REAL story of Carol's family moving from Ireland to France and getting neck deep into a foreign business - and a foreign language. Carol describes all the trials and tribulations associated with buying and then operating a vineyard in that part of the world. She goes even further by revealing some of the most intimate elements of what family life is like when you make such a leap from a steady corporate job over to that of basically becoming a farmer of grapes. It is an exciting journey she portrays, yet it is also very sobering. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in what it is really like to make wine. I assure you that your next sip of that nectar will have you ponder just how much hard work - blood sweat and tears - and money! - goes into producing our favorite end of day medicine. I can hardly wait to sink my teeth into her sequel.
One person found this helpful
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couldknowmore
3.0 out of 5 stars The wrong story
Reviewed in the United States on September 17, 2013
Verified Purchase
I think I really wanted to read the writers spouses story. Without spoiling the plot, i was going to stump up the taxi fare when she dithered about taking a particular flight. But that's been churlish, full credit to the the family for taking on such a project and hopefully it will have a good ending.
One person found this helpful
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Annette Roberson
5.0 out of 5 stars Real Life Story of Starting Out in the Wine Business While Renovating an "Ancient" Property
Reviewed in the United States on June 3, 2022
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Grape Expectations is a wonderful book being a real life tale of a young family pursuing a dream. The author provides a great account of the many decisions, the hard work, and the many other challenges (surprises!) of starting the business (after buying a well-worn property) while raising their two young daughters. The good news is that there are a few good surprises along the way that balance out any bad news. Looking forward to reading the second book!
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars If you love wine and France this is the perfect book!
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
Caro Feely writes a fascinating tale of what goes into the wine we love, and how her family turned a failing vineyard into a thriving, biodynamic farm producing very successful wines. It's Peter Mayle on steroids with a little Martin Walker thrown in. Enjoy!
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Anne-laurence Dodge
5.0 out of 5 stars The joys and frustrations of buying a French winery
Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
So enjoyed Caro Feely's first book. From the dream of owing a winery in France, to the daily frustrations of working with French government requirements, to constant fear of failure to the final joy of living your dream and drinking wine you've made. Caro, with humor and honesty, shares the struggles of moving to a new country and learning the challenging job of running a vineyard and making wine. Now every time I drink a glass of wine, I think of those like the Feely family who worked so hard to make it for me to enjoy.
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Adventure reading
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2017
Verified Purchase
To get a feel for what it is like to create, or recreate, a life is exciting. This book skims through Caro and Sean's beginning of a life well lived. I enjoyed the vicarious DIY and wish them well on their lifetime adventure.
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Top reviews from other countries

Beth Haslam
5.0 out of 5 stars An Engrossing Read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 25, 2022
Verified Purchase
Enjoying wine is second nature here in France. But what does it take to produce a perfect vintage? This no-frills memoir gave me the answers.

An Irish couple moves to the Dordogne. Realising their dream, they buy a vineyard in financial trouble only to find that they have taken on more than they bargained for. And it’s tough on them all. Caro takes the reader on a detailed journey, describing the challenges in renovating their dilapidated farmhouse whilst learning to become wine-makers.

I was fascinated by the gritty realities and sheer hard work needed to make their vineyard a going concern. I was also hugely impressed. I suspect that many others in a similar situation would have given up. Amazingly they struggle on whilst bringing up their young daughters and integrating into their local community. I found this an engrossing book and look forward to reading more about Caro’s life.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic read!
Reviewed in Germany on October 11, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love the book. It is well written, it gave me a lot of reasons to reflect on my consumption habits and has made me more aware of how I can change to keep our world running better. I also enjoyed hearing about one of my favourite regions in France and I am looking forward to maybe visiting 'Chateau Feely' in the future.
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G Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read.
Reviewed in Australia on February 7, 2022
Verified Purchase
Loved this book. Riverting from start to finish. Can't wait to read the sequel and follow the development of this family's struggle to establish their organic wines and create a viable living for themselves in a beautiful part of France.
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Feduco
5.0 out of 5 stars Totally advisable
Reviewed in Spain on February 9, 2014
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I have enjoyed very much this book, about a posh english couple that leaves their well paid jobs in the City to follow a dream.
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Garth Wardle
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful.
Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Made me laugh and cry. Wonderful.
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