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 have brought out this year. Here’s a little taste…
As you will see in these pages, Robert Mondavi was the spiritual godfather of Val de Grace Books. Robert was a true pioneer, and he was a man of wisdom and inspiration. "Find your passion," he was fond of saying, "and you'll never work a day in your life!"
Robert, I'm sure, would love our latest Val de Grace book, Ron Rubin's Gold in Your Backyard. Like Robert, Ron Rubin is an intrepid innovator and pioneer in the worlds of business and philanthropy. Ron took over The Republic of Tea in its infancy, and with vision, purpose and creativity he built it into an exciting center of innovation and community building. And that was just the beginning...
Ever since his college years, when he studied wine-making and viticulture at U.C. Davis, Ron had dreamed of owning vineyards and a winery in California wine country, and in his 60s, after a terrible heart scare, Ron made his dream come true: he created The River Road Family Vineyards and Winery, in California's Sonoma County. And his vision extended far beyond wine. On the heels of his own heart scare, Ron launched a program called "Trained for Saving Lives," with the goal of supplying all of Sonoma County's 450 wineries with trained staff and life-saving heart machines called defibrillators, like the one that saved his own life. In the course of 2025, Ron reached his goal: all of Sonoma's 450 wineries now have trained staff and equipment, and wineries in Napa and Colorado have embraced the cause as well. Thanks to Ron! Bravo! Vision and Purpose.
In his new book, Gold in Your Backyard, Ron shares stories like these, stories of rare wisdom, inspiration and experience, and the result is a clear roadmap of how to succeed in business and in life. The book was just published by Val de Grace on May 1st, 2025, and it has already earned 50 gold star reviews on Amazon. It's a wonderful book. Don't miss it!
Speaking of wisdom and inspiration, let me tell you now about Snowball and Me. At one level, this is the story of a charming, high-spirited, snow-white cat named Snowball, and he delights us with his warm heart and his many adventures in exotic places like Mongolia, Uzebekistan, Afghanistan and even the Frankfurt airport! With Snowball leading the way, this is an enchanting story that is ideal for young readers and their parents.
Still, thanks to the many gifts of author Nicholas Willmer-Shiles, this is a story with a whole other dimension, namely the very special heart and spirit of Caissa, Snowball's mom and his constant companion. We first meet Snowball and Caissa in a colorful outdoor market in Uzbekistan, but we soon see that Snowball is not just a charmer; he's also strong, clever and steady, and page after page we see Snowball keeping Caissa grounded and happy as she travels from village to village, helping other women build the life skills they need to help their families and build their businesses and their communities. The core theme of this book is women helping women, with Snowball, strong and steady, leading the way!
The story is based on the spirit and real life commitment of Nick's aunt Abbie, who has devoted her life to helping women and working for high-minded international organizations. With illustrations by Gayle Kabacker, Snowball and Me is a very special story of women helping women, and of quietly and effectively building peace and international understanding. Don't miss Snowball and the uplifting story he brings us!
Common Ground:
Charting The Future of Napa Valley
Will the Napa Valley become a victim of its own success?
When Robert Mondavi and a handful of like-minded pioneers launched the Napa Valley back in the late 1960s, they did so with one iron-like belief: that we in America could one day produce wines that could stand proudly beside the very best wines in the world, the wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany and the Loire Valley. When they started, the Napa Valley had just two dozen wineries, but thanks to their efforts the Napa Valley now has more than 540 wineries and it has become a world-renowned destination for wine lovers, food lovers, and millions of tourists eager to taste the very best of American life and culture. And now the hard part really begins: protecting the dream.
In his new book Common Ground, Richard Mendelson sounds the alarm but he also lays out a clear, thoughtful series of steps for the valley's leaders to take to protect the Napa Valley and all its treasures. And few people have Richard's experience and credentials. For nearly 40 years, Richard has been a leading voice in American wine law and in the evolution of the Napa Valley. He is also a sculptor, a winemaker, and the author of several important books on wine, including the award-winning Appellation Napa Valley, a now-classic Val de Grace Book. His new book, Common Ground has already stirred important debate inside the wine industry, and winemaker Tim Mondavi has called it “A must read for anyone that loves wine and the uniqueness of Napa Valley.” Someplace, I'm sure, Robert Mondavi himself is smiling!
Welcome, my friends, to Val de Grace Books. Now, using the links above, let's go deeper...