Viking in the Vineyard

Peter Vinding-Diers is a Danish aristocrat turned roving winemaker who, on escaping his studies at the Sorbonne one summer found himself on Burgundy's Côte de Beaune, suddenly besotted. Peter's first foray into wine took him to the Cape (via a quick turn parachuting into the war-zone in Vietnam), where he learned vineyard ways and wine science. Next came a dazzling decade in Bordeaux, where his pioneering exploits began to catch the world's attention. He then ventured to Bulgaria, Brazil, Spain, Chile and Hungary earning himself the title 'Flying Winemaker' (he was one of the first!).

Along his wine journey, Peter has frequently had to call on his Viking ancestors for help – not least in taming his 'Montecarrubo' vineyards on the wilder side of Sicily – but whether by accident or by design (mostly the latter), he has always found himself at the forefront of vinous discovery...

90 colour, 29 b/w illustrations

About the Author

Peter Vinding-Diers was born in Denmark, son of the writer Ole Vinding and his wife, the painter AnneLise Grantzau-Christensen, and educated in Denmark, England and France where he studied agriculture and journalism. His adventurous life began with his stint as a journalist in Paris in the mid-sixties, then as a war correspondent in 1966 covering Nigeria, the Straits of Malaya, the Hong Kong riots, Vietnam – where he parachuted with the 101st airborne division – and Aden. His career in wine has covered many key innovations and business successes around the world. He shows no signs of stopping as his Sicilian Montecarrubo wines, made on the shores of the Ionian Sea, attract increasing attention.