Dragonvine

About the Book

When his father dies in a wildfire, Carmine Cooper takes over the family winery in the middle of harvest, putting his dreams of becoming an architect on hold. He soon finds himself fighting with a vengeful neighbor, blackmailed by a local gang, harassed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities, and the target of an ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) investigation. Carmine’s only hope to solve his problems and finish his first solo vintage successfully rests in identifying an unknown grape variety his father grew and made into wine for a quarter century with links to an ancient Chinese grape variety and the First Emperor of China. Can Carmine save his father’s legacy, his family, the winery, and his first harvest before it’s too late?

About the Author

Steven Laine, Wine Scholar and author of ‘Root Cause’, is an award-winning restaurateur and hotelier. He’s travelled the world working in luxury hotels and visiting hundreds of wineries. He’s worked two harvests at Canadian wineries as a winemaker-cellarman at Mission Hill Family Estate (2020) and at Trius (2021).