Bouquet

by G.B. Stern

The account of two couples’ irresistibly joyful romp through the vineyards and restaurants of France. The author, G. B. Sterns, recounts her 1926 tour of the vineyards of France with her husband Johnny, and her friends Rosemary and Humphrey. Together they journey from Provence to the Rhône, across the Massif Central to Bordeaux, then up to the Loire Valley and across to Burgundy, finally completing a full circle in Avignon. Stern does not shy away from the occasional rant, and the one in which she addresses men’s sexism in regards to women and wine, is magnificent. (EatDrink's synopsis)

“It was in a sense a triumphal tour, and Ms. Stern has set it down with that happy sense of humor, that perfect eye for the slightly ridiculous and that instinctive understanding of French character that lifts “Bouquet” very far from the usual dry book on wine to a light literary plane.”
– New York Times, July 1927

Printed in America with Eco-Friendly Ink on FSC Certified Paper. Bound in fine cloth over board with a silk screened cover illustration by Hsinping Pan

300 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1927

About the author

Gladys Bronwyn Stern or GB Stern (17 June 1890 – 20 September 1973) born Gladys Bertha Stern in London, England, wrote many novels, short stories, plays, memoirs, biographies and literary criticism.

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what led me to pick-up Bouquet by G. B. Sterns, but I quickly realized that I was not the target audience for this book for one reason: I could care less about wine. Many of the character notes, arguments, and climactic moments revolve around wine, and these were completely lost on me.

That being said I still was able to enjoy this book. The relationship between these companions as well as Stern's lovely language and description of moments and places is the only thing that made me keep reading. Stern details the bad aspects of travel. The couples get in fights, they check into bad hotels, their car breaks down - she speaks of it all and I love her for that. Coming from Stern, these moments become funny and normalized.

If you love wine or want to know more about wine, pick this book up. If you could care less about wine, but love travel stories, pick up this book. If you care for neither, I would have to say leave this one be and read another title from Stern. In reading this book I fell in love with Stern's writing and I will definitely be giving her other books a read.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great tromp through france in the 1920s.