Kindle, Google Play, and iTunes Selling the Regarded 649-Page Book for $27.99; Plus, May 21 Event Hosted by the S.B. Culinary Experience
SANTA BARBARA, CA APRIL 20, 2021 — The highly regarded, exhaustively reported, and intimately photographed new book Vines & Vision: The Winemakers of Santa Barbara County is now available on all three major ebook formats, as Kindle, Google Play, and iTunes are selling the 649-page publication for $27.99.
Published in November 2020 by journalist Matthew Dennis Kettmann and photographer Macduff Everton, the book is the deepest dive ever taken into exploring the people and places that make Santa Barbara County such a special winemaking community.
Featuring a foreword by legendary vintner Richard Sanford, introductory chapters on the region’s geography, history, and viticultural practices, and brief examinations of important trends, from the rise of women winemakers to the impact of Sideways, the book is primarily comprised of detailed profiles of nearly 100 vintners, their properties, and their families. There is also a yearbook-like chapter called El Buen Equipo, which showcases the efforts of everyone required to take a vintage to market, including the often overlooked farmworkers who form the foundation of winemaking worldwide.
“Though it was a long haul to finish this book during the depths of the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve been immensely pleased with the almost universal reaction we get from both wine industry leaders and everyday readers alike,” said Kettmann, who’s been covering the region for about 20 years as an editor at the Santa Barbara Independent and Wine Enthusiast. “People see the care we put into the work and recognize the passion that both Macduff and I brought to this project.”
Hard copies of the book are nearly sold out, though some bookstores and wineries may have a few more left on their shelves. “These ebooks allow more readers to see the work we did, especially as the printed edition is quite limited now, and these versions were crafted in a way that respects both Matt’s words and my photography,” said Everton, who’s worked for National Geographic, Conde Nast, and many others in his half-century photography career. “Plus, you don’t have to lug around an eight-pound beast now — you can enjoy reading Vines & Vision on your iPad in your bed!”
Everton and Kettmann worked with Terri Wright of Terri Wright Design in Santa Barbara to bring the ebooks to life. “Terri was impressed by what we had done, and worked hard to bring that same energy to the digital versions of the book,” said Kettmann.
PLUS: S.B. CULINARY EXPERIENCE MAY 21 VINES & VISION EVENT
Vines & Vision: The Winemakers of Santa Barbara County, and particularly the El Buen Equipo chapter, will be the centerpiece of a May 21 virtual event hosted by the Santa Barbara Culinary Experience. Kettmann and Everton will discuss how “It Takes a Village to Make Great Santa Barbara Wine!” with winemaker panelists Ruben Solorzano, Maria Lupe Monroy, Fabian Bravo, and Fidencio Flores. See sbce.events for details on this free event.
