Heralded as “impossible to put down” (Elle), and named a Best Book of the Summer by Glamour, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Marie Claire, and Us Weekly, Eight Hundred Grapes is a heartbreaking, funny, and deeply evocative novel about love, marriage, family, wine, and the treacherous terrain in which they all intersect.There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide… What if your beloved … intersect.
There are secrets you share, and secrets you hide… What if your beloved fiancé, he of the crinkly smile and irresistible British accent, had kept a life-changing secret from you? And what if, just a week before your dream wedding, you discovered it?
Georgia Ford, bride-to-be, hops in her car and drives through the night, from Los Angeles to Sonoma, to her safe haven: her family, and the acclaimed family winery. Georgia craves the company of those who know her best, and whom she truly knows. Better yet, it’s the eve of the last harvest—the best time of the growing season, and Georgia knows she’ll find solace—and distraction—in the familiar rituals. But when Georgia arrives home, nothing is at all familiar. Her parents, her brothers, the family business, are all unrecognizable. It seems her fiancé isn’t the only one who’s been keeping secrets…
Eight Hundred Grapes is a story about the messy realities of family, the strength (and weaknesses) of romantic love, and the importance of finding a place to call home. “This winning tale will both satisfy on a literary level and encourage oenophiles to pour themselves a glass of a recent vintage to enjoy while reading; it’s a tasty treat for wine lovers and teetotalers alike” (Publishers Weekly). You won’t be able to put this “addictive” (Us Weekly) novel down.
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I finally got to read Eight Hundred Grapes, and despite it being about a family falling apart, it is a fast, fun, and light read — lots of wine drinking and family members giving each other therapist-like advice. @lisad
Finally finished Eight Hundred Grapes. It was a bit predictable, and I guessed the resolution early on, so I wasn’t very eager to read quickly.
My favorite part was the setting. How can you not enjoy a family drama set on a Sonoma vineyard?!
It takes a huge amount of talent to write witty but substantial books, and Laura Dave seems to have exactly that talent. Amusing dialogue and charming characters in a gorgeous setting (I adore California wine country) without being frivolous or throwaway. Depth and wit together? Irresistible.
Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave drew me in due to the setting, I am born and raised in Sebastopol. This is the story of Georgia, a Los Angeles attorney with deep family ties to Sonoma County, Sebastopol to be exact. She and her brothers were born and raised there and her parent’s vineyards are located there. She is about to be married at the family vineyard and move to London in a week’s time. Eight Hundred Grapes is the story of the events one week prior to the festivities. There is a lot going on, but I felt the author did a good job of giving enough backstory, many times through flashbacks. I do wish I had liked Georgia a bit better, I found her to be kind of a miserable person. She was not terrible or anything, just not hugely likable. One thing I loved about this story were all of the spot-on locations described in Sebastopol, it’s obvious the author knows the town, I wonder how. One thing that drove me nuts were the references made to their ‘Sonoma vineyard’. Sonoma is its own town, it should have said Sonoma County vineyard if she wanted to use Sonoma to describe it. I listened to the story and the narrator mispronounced St. Helena, I know it’s little, but with all of the Sebastopol detail that made it obvious the author knows the area, it was kind of funny for a closeby town to be said incorrectly and not caught in the editing. These are little things that only someone local would catch, so not a big deal at all, definitely recommend!
Absolutely loved this. I read the story of the Ford’s in one sitting on a beautiful day and was totally and completely entranced by the book. The writing is phenomenal and how the story unfolds was so engaging, interesting, and just perfect. Each and every characters checked all my favorite boxes.
Family drama. Growing up then you thought you already had. Great setting. Lovely writing.
Eight Hundred Grapes has it all and I’m so happy I finally read this book and can’t wait to read more from this author.
It has been a long time since I’ve read a “one more chapter, one more chapter” book. This was a heartfelt, honest and beautiful story of family legacy. Love, love, love!
Enjoyable and easy-to-read with believable characters and situations. Loved reading about wine making and the Sonoma area as well.
A lot of fun and funny to read
I liked all of the information about the process of making wine, and running a vineyard, and how it affected the lives of each family member differently.
I really liked the weaving of this family’s story!
Enjoyed this immensely. Light but interesting and a fun look at a lovely area in California and winemaking in general.
Dumb
Fluffy romantic comedy. A fun read. It’s not my usual genre, so that’s why my rating isn’t that high. Seemed a little predictable, but all right.
Grab a glass of Pinot Noir and settle in for a great story, magnificent setting, characters you’ll feel you know, and never want to leave.
I like a book written around a winery. This book was slow in places but I enjoyed the locale for the book.
It was light and informative and just an easy read
Well written but predictable
Great family story!
Could not put this book down. Author does a great job of building the story with flashbacks that lead to understanding the characters. Enjoyed the experience of vinticulture woven in the story almost as if the vineyard itself were a character of the story.
A great summer read. Romance, intrigue, and some fun twists to keep the story line interesting.