The Second Bud: Deserting the City for a Farm Winery

by Martha M. Ezzard

Martha M. Ezzard and her physician husband John are among the pioneers in the movement of professionals trading busy city careers for a return to the land. While this story about saving a family farm is distinctly Southern, it typifies the national locally grown movement which has begun to sweep the country. Locally grown foods call for wines that are a taste of the local earth--what wine aficionados call the terroir--the soils and climate that give them unique flavors not found in California or Burgundy or anywhere other than, in this case, Tiger Mountain.

What follows initially are long sweaty days of post hole digging, trellis wire stringing, and weed pulling mixed with a few chiggers and ticks--but also the thrill of sighting a giant blue heron in the dawn mist of the farm pond--of hearing the honking of geese at sunset. There are times when the city high rise still beckons, but what Martha and John learn after burning smudge pots all night in a late April freeze only to see their pink buds turn brown despite it all, is that wine grapes have a second bud--and so too, because of their shared venture--does their relationship.

THE SECOND BUD is a story that reflects today's agricultural evolution in the southeast, from tobacco, logging, and truck farming to agri-tourism, outdoor recreation, vineyards, and farm wineries. Filled with small town characters, unlikely obstacles and dirt based success, this memoir is a down home version of "Under a Tuscan Sun," a couple's risk taking to revive a fifth-generation family farm in the tiny North Georgia town of Tiger by cultivating fine wine grapes. It will appeal to romantics, wannabe winemakers, and all who covet the rural life.

The Ezzards undertook their risky wine growing venture in rural North Georgia where sweet tea has long been the drink of choice. John chose some unique European vinifera that would produce quality fruit in southeastern growing conditions, while Martha worried that she would be peddling such weird wine grapes out of the back of a pickup truck. Eventually, the forlorn looking sticks in the ground produced wines that won gold and silver medals in top east coast and California competitions. Learn more about their wines at tigermountain.com

Genres: Memoir

274 pages, Hardcover

First published October 16, 2013

Reviews

[Nancy Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening Martha Ezzard’s "The Second Bud" is like popping the cork on a bottle of fine wine: the more you sip, the gooder it gets. Forget all the glamorous, foofoo crap you’ve ever heard about owning a vineyard; growing wine is hard work and so are the challenges the author and her husband face. So lush is Martha’s telling that the reader is caught up in the fragrant, beautiful landscape of the vineyard without ever having set foot on the soil.

[Heather Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written, honest account of a woman finding her "Act II"--in both career and marriage. For those of us who know and love the north Georgia mountains, the sense of place the author creates is an added treat. I enjoyed it very much.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful story about the people, the land, and the seasons of Rabun County, Georgia and of the creation of Tiger Mountain Vineyards.

[Lane · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting story of going back to the family farm and the city spouse who has no idea of farming. soft peddles the demands of the farm life but does a good job of talking about being part of the land.
nice story of succeeding when the experts say it can not be done (wine grapes in the south).

[Bill Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaing read about starting a fine wine vineyard in North Georgia (not the Caucasus). A bit too idealistic and soft-focus.

[Penny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting reading about the work involved but the author's personality isn't one that I enjoy much. Snobby city-girl who turns her nose up to the area where her husband is from.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting look at how one person changes careers midstream and makes it work. Also interesting look at the challenges of doing so.