It is May, 1960. Forty-year-old Sofia Russo is swirling a glass of Pinot Noir poured from the first bottle from her second harvest. On her desk sits a blank sheet of paper, waiting for her to write words of tribute to her father, Giovanni Russo, to be spoken at the opening ceremony of Russo Vineyards’ first tasting room. The festivities will also serve as the official handover of the vineyard from father to son, from Giovanni to Sofia’s twin brother Alonso (Al) Russo—but it is Sofia who has always dreamed of being the next Russo vintner, whose soul is infused with the smells and labor of the vineyard. Al is a graphic artist, with little interest in winemaking, but he is resigned to accepting responsibility for preserving the family heritage. From the time she was a toddler, Sofia would follow her father and grandfather into the fields, spending every possible moment with her Papa. All that changed at the twins’ 10th birthday party, the day that Giovanni made clear that Al would inherit the vineyard (“as fathers, we are blessed to have sons to carry on the family name”); her relationship with her father has been fractured ever since. After renting a patch of land from friend and neighboring winemaker Mateo Parisi, Sofia has just produced her own outstanding vintage. Williams’ narrative is a vibrant tale of complex filial relationships. Of equal weight is the vivid presentation of the struggles of Napa Valley vintners during Prohibition and the Great Depression—some of the novel’s most compelling and poignant sections are found in these historical chapters. Additionally, the story serves as a primer on the extraordinarily intricate day-by-day decisions involved in producing a fine vintage, with Sofia scrupulously following her beloved grandfather’s inspiration and tutelage. The technical information can become a bit mind-numbing for the average wine consumer, but connoisseurs will enjoy having their attention to vintage subtleties validated.