I've been down in the silo writing The Mad Crush for so long, I've had plenty of time to wonder what folks would think of it when it was finished.

On that note, I'm happy to report that there's a cool thread running through the early reviews. The book's first Amazon reader review declared it "entertaining and educational," while the Santa Maria Times called it "entertaining and enlightening." Meanwhile, the New Times marked it as "an entertaining new memoir."

The common thread of "entertaining" is music to my ears. Of course, I wanted The Mad Crush to be thoughtful, and to take the reader on an informative journey into the winemaking process as well as California wine history.

But I also wanted it to hum along like a good yarn or campfire story. Based on the early returns, I may have hit that mark!