The Vintner's Letters

by Peter McAra

Son of an Irish father and a French mother, Maurice George O'Shea was a famous Australian winemaker. Educated in France, he was also a man of passion, a romantic. In the cultured and elegant Miss Marcia Fuller, an accomplished pianist, he found his enduring sweetheart.

Theirs would be a many-faceted and often stormy romance, confronted by religious differences and tested by life's vicissitudes.

But their greatest challenge lay in Maurice's other consuming passion – making fine wines. He could not tear himself away from his beloved Hunter Valley vineyard. Marcia, every inch a city girl, was appalled by the primitive living conditions of the struggling vigneron.

The Vintner's Letters is based on their true story as recounted by Simone Bryce, their daughter, and on the letters written by Maurice to Marcia during their courtship.

Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Born a miner’s son in Western Australia, Peter learned about love and life in a string of rural towns across Australia and New Zealand, where he grew up with his mum, dad and three sisters.

Over the years, his day jobs ranged from miner and truck-driver to academic positions in Australian and US universities. Along the way, he wrote several academic textbooks.

Why the switch to writing romance? The moment eight-year-old Peter read Anne of Green Gables, he was hooked. (He’s still in love with Anne, actually, but his understanding wife, a relationship psychologist, handles any conflicts professionally).

Now, after a tree-change to green acres in coastal NSW, he farms by day and writes by night — the best time for romance.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maurice O’Shea, the son of a French mother and Irish father, comes back to Australia after spending several years in France learning about wine. The plan is to establish a winery in the Hunter Valley making top class wines. He buys a property at Pokolbin. Then, when in Sydney, he meets the young Marcia Fuller. Now Maurice has two passions, winemaking and Marcia. But will he be able to combine the two and convince Marcia to live in the country when she is so city oriented? And what about the religious differences which threaten to derail the romance before it gets too far? Can they be resolved? There is also the contused presence of Bill and his mother, longstanding friends of the Fuller family who have their own plan for Marcia and they certainly do not include Maurice. Although this is fiction, it is based on real people and events, and includes copies of the letters Maurice wrote to Marcia. The book also includes photos of the real Maurice and Marcia.
This is a lyrical story. Not a page turner but interesting enough to keep reading. The settings of Sydney, and Hunter Valley and the harshness of life on the land at times were well drawn. Since I live in the area, I loved the holiday jaunt Maurice, Marcia and Mrs Fuller took to Huskisson and the descriptions of the beaches and Jervis Bay. They were spot on. Only one point struck me oddly. He refers to Mooney Creek. Unless it has had a change of name since the 1920s, it is Moona Moona Creek.
I found this a quietly absorbing story that reveals a lot of historical information and also learned a lot about winemaking. I enjoyed this look back into history and early winemaking in Australia. Again interesting to see how attitudes, fashions and ideas have changed over the years. A good book for those who like a gentler, though at times sad, read.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a real joy to read...the story was raw and honest. It was an awesome insight to Mount Pleasant and the vineyards there. Just awesome.

[Leesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story. What more could you ask for...Wine, food, love!! And based on a true story using the actual letters!

[Maree · Rating 2 out of 5]

The pace of the book is very slow. However, on reflection the author might have intended it that way in order to convey the tyranny of time that Maurice and Marcia waited before they married. A good tale about the early vintners of the Hunter Valley and how the wines were initially viewed, which is certainly not the case today.

[Dzintra aka Ingrid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book! Based on love letters between Maurice O’Shea and his Love Marcia Fuller. Gives an insight I to the early days of Hunter Valley Wines particularly Mt Pleasant....I think a trip up to Mt Pleasant sometime has to be planned!

[Monica Mackey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow to start but then fell into a nice rhythm. The history of mount pleasant and the hunter wine region was very compelling.
Unfortunately, I found the end rushed - skipping through years at a time in only a singular paragraph.

[Karen M Steele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating to learn about the wine industry in the early 20th century in the Hunter, but the letters were long reading and could have been edited or paraphrased.

[Vandaair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Son of an Irish father and a Parisian mother, Maurice George O’Shea was a famous Australian and Hunter valley winemaker. Educated in France, he was also a man of passion, and a romantic. In the cultured and elegant Miss Marcia Fuller, an accomplished pianist, he found his enduring sweetheart.

Theirs would be a many-faceted and often stormy romance, confronted by religious differences and tested by life’s vicissitudes.

But their greatest challenge lay in Maurice’s other consuming passion – making fine wines. He could not tear himself away from his beloved Hunter Valley vineyard, Mount Pleasant. Marcia, every inch a city girl, was appalled by the primitive living conditions of the struggling vigneron.

The Vintner’s Letters is based on their true story as recounted by Simone Bryce, their daughter, and on the letters written by Maurice to Marcia during their courtship.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great classic style literature about the early years of producing wine in Australia, coupled with a well written love story... what can I say? I'm a sucker for a good love story!