Photo by Avis Mandel
Our Spirit, Our Cause
When I created Val de Grace Books, two decades ago, I did so with one clear defining mission: To create books of exceptional quality and significance, books that matter, books that inspire, books that people will savor and cherish for many years to come. And lucky me: as soon as we launched, our crazy start-up began attracting a fabulous array of writers, photographers, book designers and printers, all of them gifted and all of them eager to come join the cause. And what a run we’ve had! Working together has been a constant stimulus and joy for me, and every day I am filled with gratitude. And here’s the best news: our merry band of writers and creators keeps bringing us exciting new projects, and we have several important books that we are bringing out now or early next year. Here’s a little taste…
Common Ground:
Charting The Future of Napa Valley
This is an in-depth look at the issues now threatening the future of the crown jewel of American wine. By Richard Mendelson, noted wine lawyer and author of the award winning Appellation Napa Valley, a now-classic Val de Grace Book. Common Ground has already stirred important debate inside the wine industry, and winemaker Tim Mondavi calls it “A must read for anyone that loves wine and the uniqueness of Napa Valley.”
Gold in Your Backyard
Wisdom and Inspiration from Ron Rubin,
one of America’s most celebrated entrepreneurs
Talk about a dream come true! Back in 1971, Ron Rubin came out to California to study viticulture and winemaking in the celebrated program at U.C. Davis. And right there his life’s dream was born: to one day have his own winery in California Wine Country and make wines of exceptional quality and distinction. First, though, he went back to his home in southern Illinois and learned many fabulous lessons from his father about how to build a business and make it successful.
Then Ron found a book that set him on fire: The Republic of Tea, How An Idea Becomes A Business. The book was written by Mel Ziegler, his wife Patricia, and their pal Bill Rosenzweig, and it told the story of the birth of The Republic of Tea, a fun little business venture that Mel and Patricia launched after the success of another little venture of theirs: the Banana Republic. Ron read the book, loved it, and soon he joined Mel and Patricia's exciting new adventure. And 22 months later Ron took the gamble of his life: he bought The Republic of Tea! And from there he built it into an industry icon and an exciting center of creativity and innovation. Later, after a terrible heart scare, Ron dug in and built his life dream: The River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, located in Sebastopol, a hidden treasure of California Wine Country. Done and done!
Ron's new book, Gold in Your Backyard, is a story filled with wisdom and inspiration for entrepreneurs and business leaders young and old. Coming out next spring, under our Val de Grace label. It's a wonderful book. Don't miss it!
Coming Soon
Snowball and Me
By Nicholas Willmer-Shiles
Illustrations by Gayle Kabacker
A delightful international tale about women helping women and starring an adorable snow-white cat named Snowball.
For children and young adults, coming out next spring. Stay tuned!
My Father’s War
From Dachau to The Richie Boys,
One Man’s Fight for Freedom and Justice
A True Story, by Doug Ernst
Doug spent nearly 30 years piecing together his father’s gut-wrenching story about The Holocaust. The result, coming out next year, is one of the most important books we have ever published. Doug’s message for us today remains pertinent and crystal clear: Never Forget!
Dear Readers…
Our beautiful painting up top, “Between Worlds” by Dario Campanile, nicely sums up where Val de Grace Books stands today. In a time of such profound cultural, political and technological upheaval, our books celebrate what brings us together: art, culture, and the lasting power of top-quality books. We don’t measure success by counting the number of books sold or dollars earned, but by how many hearts we touch along the way. And, my friends, our hope now is simple: come read our books, come join our cause!
— Paul Chutkow, Founder