Soft Soil, Black Grapes: The Birth of Italian Winemaking in California

Prof Simone Cinotto presents his new book with Ferdinand Fasce (University of Genoa): Soft Soil, Black Grapes: The Birth of Italian Winemaking in California, New York University Press, 2012.

An exploration of the Italian immigrant role in the development of California winemaking at the turn of the twentieth century.

From Ernest and Julio Gallo to Francis Ford Coppola, Italians have shaped the history of California wine. More than any other group, Italian immigrants and their families have made California viticulture one of America’s most distinctive and vibrant achievements, from boutique vineyards in the Sonoma hills to the massive industrial wineries of the Central Valley. But how did a small group of nineteenth-century immigrants plant the roots that flourished into a world-class industry? Was there something particularly “Italian” in their success?

LINGUA: INGLESE