Climbing the Vines in Burgundy: How an American Came to Own a Legendary Vineyard in France

Named one of the New York Times Best Wine Books of 2023

Named one of the Washington Post’s Best Wine Books of 2023

In the late 1980s, while working for his family’s real estate and parking business in Washington, DC, Alex received a life-changing case of wine as a gift that uncorked a new opportunity. In 1993, he and his family moved to Burgundy, France. They were welcomed as the Gambals, not as interloping Americans, into a community of distinguished winemakers.

Over the next 26 years, Gambal straddled the Atlantic while creating Domaine Alex Gambal, a boutique Burgundy winery that included some of France’s greatest vineyards. He produced 35 appellations, including Grand Cru Batard Montrachet. A hard-nosed-businessman in a community steeped in tradition, Gambal defeated the odds by buying some of the most coveted French vines and creating a successful brand.

His American’s sensibility gave him a special place in the hearts and minds of Burgundy’s vignerons.

Climbing the Vines in Burgundy is a sensory experience that you won’t soon forget. It’s also a touching family memoir and an accessible, incredibly detailed look at the worlds of gastronomy and oenology. Gambal’s book is populated with fascinating characters, stunning locales, and delectable depictions of meals and glass after glass after glass of wine.

Originally from the Washington, DC area, Alex Gambal moved to France in 1993 and over the course of the next 26 years straddled the Atlantic while creating a boutique winery that included some of Burgundy’s greatest vineyards. A hard-nosed-businessman in a community steeped in tradition, he defeated the odds by buying some of the most coveted French vines and creating a successful brand that was eventually sold to one of the largest wine makers in the region.