Description
Book SynopsisFrom Ernest and Julio Gallo to Francis Ford Coppola, Italians have shaped the history of California wine. This book demonstrates that the Italian visionaries were not skilled winemakers transplanting an immemorial agricultural tradition, even if California did resemble the rolling Italian countryside of their native Piedmont.
Trade ReviewHistory professor Cinotto traces a unique path in this study of the origins of Californias wine industry. * Booklist *
Clearly organized and written, this book can be useful for sociologists interested in immigration and the formation of ethnic niches in distinct economic sectors. It will be of interest primarily to wine lovers, but it will also interest social scientists with concerns about the malleability of the concept of race. -- William H. Friedland * Rural Sociology *
This beautifully typeset book, with well-chosen black and white illustrations, draws the reader into the entrepreneurial spirit and immigrant group dynamic behind the success of California Italian wines. Engagingly written, Simone Cinotto's account deserves a wide distribution among economic, cultural, and migration historians and all who love wine. The book blends rich and colorful descriptions of food history with business intrigues and family passions. It is a story of high-stakes risks and economic rewards. -- Mark I. Choate * American Historical Review *
Soft Soil, Black Grapes is nicely conceived, well written . . . and nuanced and original in its arguments. -- David Vaught * The Journal of American History *
In this important book, Cinotto shows how the success of Californias wine industry was not the product of environment and tradition but rather the result of the effective use (and the exploitation) of symbols and solidarities based on ethnicity. -- Fraser Ottanelli,University of South Florida
This is a fascinating look into the origins of the California wine industry. Simone Cinotto dispels the myth that Italian winemakers brought with them age-old knowledge and grapes from the Piedmont. In place of ethnic stereotype, Cinotto shows how Italian immigrant entrepreneurs with no background in viticulture (including the famed Gallo brothers) deftly negotiated the American ethno-racial landscape to found a niche industry, maneuver through the era of Prohibition, and create a mass market for American wine. A must read for those interested in immigration and business history, and fine wine! -- Mae Ngai,Columbia University
Soft Soil, Black Grapes makes a significant contribution to our understanding of the place of immigrant entrepreneurs in an important American food industry. It offers an inspired interpretation of race and ethnicity that will be compelling to scholars of immigration and ethnic history, and an interpretation of regional Italian difference that will engage those interested in Italian America. Like a good vintage, this story of the origins of winemaking in California will only get richer with time. -- Donna Gabaccia,author of We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans
The writing style is engaging and the author uses a variety of sources to describe the cultural landscape of the California wine industry from its beginnings to modern times. * Library Journal *
Cinotto adeptly identifies the origins of common stereotypes about California winemakers and unpacks those myths in readable prose. His core argument, that there is nothing natural or inevitable about ethnic niche markets, is important and well-supported by his evidence. * Journal of American Ethnic History *
Table of ContentsIntroduction1 The Success of Italian Winemakers in California and the "Pavesian Myth"2 Producing Winescapes: Immigrant Labor on California Land3 The Culture and Economy of Wine in Italy and California4 One Nation: The Importance of Ethnic Cooperation5 The Spirit and Social Ethics of Ethnic Entrepreneurship 6 The Ethnic Edge: The Economy of Matrimonial Strategies and Family Culture 7 White Labor and Happy Families: Race, Social Capital, and Paternalism8 Italian Winemakers and the American System9 Wine and the Alchemy of Race I: The Social and Cultural Economy of Italian Regionalism10 Wine and the Alchemy of Race II: Prohibition Conclusion: Work, Social Capital, and Race in the Experience of Italian Winemakers in California
