The Ripening Sun cover art

The Ripening Sun

One Woman and the Creation of a Vineyard

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Ripening Sun

By: Patricia Atkinson
Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $16.99

Buy Now for $16.99

About this listen

 For most people, giving up the day job and moving to a beautiful area of France and living off the vines is an impossible but delicious dream. In 1990, Patricia Atkinson and her husband decided to sell up in Britain and emigrate to the Dordogne. Their idea was to buy a house with a few vines attached and employ someone to tend to the wine while they earned their living with some financial consultancy work.

There followed a series of disasters: the stock market crashed, leaving their small holding as their sole source of income; the first red wine harvest turned to vinegar; and Patricia's husband returned to Britain, unable to cope with the stress and never returned. Patricia Atkinson, whose only knowledge of wine up to that moment was "that it came from a bottle" and who had not a word of French, was left to salvage their life savings from the vineyards.

What follows is a remarkable story of struggle and transformation whereby her tiny four hectare plot has become a major estate of 21 hectares, where her Clos d'Yvigne wines have won awards and been adopted by wine merchants throughout the world, and where she has been hailed as a superstar by UK wine writers.

©2004 Patricia Atkinson (P)2004 Random House Audiobooks Agricultural & Food Sciences Food & Wine Food Science Science Wine & Beverages Marriage

Critic Reviews

"Remarkable...an extraordinarily affecting read." ( Daily Mail)
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.