{"product_id":"the-vineyard-venture-nigel-reay-jones-9781036186715","title":"The Vineyard Venture","description":"Imagine leaving your comfortable life in middle England for a land of glorious hot summers, romantic scenery and exquisite cuisine, to live off the fruits of your own labour on a vineyard in south-west France. If it sounds too idyllic to be true, it probably is!In July 1986, Nigel Reay-Jones and his wife Georgea sold their house in the Cotswolds and moved, with their five small children, to Château de Commarque, a dilapidated medieval fortified farm-turned hotel-restaurant in the tiny commune of Sauternes, near Bordeaux, with a small vineyard attached in even worse condition than the house.   The Vineyard Venture is the story of the Reay-Joneses' wonderfully bold endeavour to make their dream a reality. From natural disasters and baffling bureaucracy to crumbling medieval walls and hypochondriac chefs, there was plenty sent their way to derail it. But time and again, the Reay-Joneses proved they were made of sterner stuff. This book, a brilliantly entertaining account written after a decade of laughter, adventure and, without hyperbole, momentous struggle, is a tale for winelovers, Francophiles and dreamers. It is the story of a life lived off the beaten path… down a bumpy track and at the end of a narrow lane in one of Bordeaux’s smallest and most revered wine-producing areas.","brand":"Pen \u0026 Sword Books Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51898115064096,"sku":"9781036186715","price":18.7,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0753\/2812\/7264\/files\/9781036186715_2909934.jpg?v=1782107826","url":"https:\/\/bookcorner.com\/products\/the-vineyard-venture-nigel-reay-jones-9781036186715","provider":"The Book Corner","version":"1.0","type":"link"}