Review: Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave 

Published June 2nd 2015 by Simon & Schuster

There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide…

Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.

But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.

Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets…

My Thoughts

Interesting story of a complex family that blends secrets, desires, and wine all into one entertaining novel.

When thirty-year old Georgia returns home to her family vineyard in Sonoma County for the harvest party, her family immediately knows something is wrong. She never changed out of her wedding gown from the dress fitting in Los Angeles, and she’s suddenly struggling with whether or not she can continue with her nuptials.

Georgia’s fiancé Ben has kept a secret from her for months, and discovering the complexities of her new reality a future without Ben is one she begins to contemplate. If only that was the one single issue Georgia is facing. Unfortunately, her twin brothers and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own and a few days before the annual harvest party, the entire Ford family struggles with how to move forward with their lives.

Eight Hundred Grapes has been on my radar for weeks. I’m very familiar with the setting having been to Sonoma County several times, but reading the story created a whole new perspective on this beautify wine county. I enjoyed hearing about the local establishments I’m very aware of, and it was interesting to learn a bit about the wine making process. Finding out that it takes about 800 grapes to make a bottle of wine might come in handy at trivia time some day.

I did struggle a bit with the Ford family dynamics. Each family member had a conflict in their life and several times it felt like they kept going back and forth with their decisions. I completely understand that indecision is a normal aspect of life, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the constant back and forth didn’t begin to frustrate me.

I don’t completely agree with Georgia’s decision at the end, but the ultimate conclusion was satisfying enough to accept her choice.

Overall, I enjoyed Eight Hundred Grapes as I journeyed through Sonoma County, learned a bit about the wine making process, and maneuvered my way through the Ford family dynamics. Interesting story!

3 Suns