Join Joy Sterling on a stroll through the vineyards and gardens of California's Iron Horse Vineyards, into her kitchen and to her table. Filled with charming anecdotes, a year's worth of news from the grapevine, and imaginative menus and recipes, this is a delightful window into her life as wine lover, epicure, philosopher, and hostess. In settings suffused with the scents of Giverny-like gardens, Joy shares secrets of tasting and cooking with wine, reveals her own experiments with menus and vintages, and explains why certain pairings of food and wine endure. And she exults in life's surprises, like the magical cluster of rare morels that appeared one day under a century-old Douglas fir and became an exotic ragout. Whether it's savoring the intense aromas of crushed violets in a young Cabernet Sauvignon; recalling a culinary adventure at Paul Bocuse's restaurant; drinking in the Provence scents of zinnias and lavenders; or concocting a Halloween dinner of turban squash, is a treasure of fascinating lore, succulent menus, memorable wines — and a zest for enjoying life that leaves us refreshed, delighted, and inspired anew.