This is the fascinating inside story of the transformation of the Napa Valley from a sleepy, inward-looking farm and ranching community into a true American treasure and one of the great wine-growing regions of the world.

And Richard Mendelson knows the story inside out. For   more than 30 years, Richard has been the preeminent wine lawyer in the Napa Valley and far beyond, and here he takes us deep inside the critical legal and commercial debates and decisions that facilitated the valley’s historic transformation. For anyone interested in wine, and the rise of American wine, this book is a must. Enlivened by exquisite maps and drawings, plus an introduction by the world renowned chef Thomas Keller, this is a book to be read and cherished for many years to come. 

The book has won three major awards and deservedly so.