Evocative of the seasons in the Napa Valley, this novel traces the fate of Alda Pendle, a viticulturist's daughter who becomes a viticulturist herself. Along the way, the reader imbibes much of the early history of California winemaking. M.F.K. Fisher called the book "as heartening as wine to read". Robert Mondavi wrote the foreword.  (CAL104, $16.95)