Make room
for a few vines.
Start with sun, drainage and grapes suited to your site. A modest planting gives you room to learn.
Plan your first vineyard →A little land. A lasting craft.
Your backyard.
Your grapes.
Your château.
Learn to grow French hybrid grapes and make wine at home, one thoughtful decision at a time.
600illustrated pages
vine to bottle
A guide to keep close, season after seasonvine to bottle
Grow with your climateUnderstand your fruitBuild your cellar skillsLearn from every vintage
Choose your starting point
Every good vintage
begins with curiosity.
Make room
Turn good fruit
into good habits.
Prepare your workspace, understand your measurements, and keep a clear record of each batch.
Prepare your home cellar →Less guessing.
More knowing.
Estimate alcohol, plan bottles, convert units and work out a planting density with free, simple tools.
Open the workbench →
The book at the heart of it all
A complete journey.
A manageable scale.
The Backyard Château brings the vineyard and the cellar together, from choosing a place to plant to understanding the wine in your glass.
Twenty-five chapters explore hybrid grapes, vine care, harvest, fermentation, maturation and bottling, with illustrated guidance along the way.
Take a look inside ↗Tools for the next small step
A workbench
for your wine.
Useful numbers, clearly explained. Bring your readings and leave with a better plan.
Your observations matter
Give every vintage
a paper trail.
Record ripeness readings, vineyard observations and cellar notes in your personal journal. Save on this device and export a copy whenever you like.
Start your journal ↗