Is it possible to capture landscape in a bottle? To express the essence of place the geology, geography, climate, and soil as well as the skill of the winegrower? That's exactly what Deirdre Heekin and her husband set out to do on their tiny, eight-acre hillside farm in south-central Vermont.
Challenged by cold winters, wet summers, and other factors, they set about to grow not only a vineyard, but an orchard of heirloom apples, pears, and plums, as well as gardens filled with vegetables, herbs, roses, and wildflowers destined for their own table and for the kitchen of their small restaurant. They wanted to create, or rediscover, a sense of place, and to grow food naturally using the philosophy and techniques of organics, permaculture, and biodynamic farming. An Unlikely Vineyard tells the story of their farm and its evolution, from overgrown fields to a fertile, productive, and beautiful landscape that melds with its natural environment.
“Deirdre Heekin has written a colossal book here—something of a monument in its field. The author tells, in her earnest way, the entire story of establishing a biodynamic farm and orchard and garden and vineyard, under improbable circumstances. An Unlikely Vineyard speaks to a determination and passion fueled by Deirdre’s wonderful, stubborn love. The sheer level of detail may intimidate some casual readers, yet those who do read it will surely concur that it’s going to become one of the Great Books of the movement.”—Terry Theise, author, Reading between the Wines
