Anna Reeves Jarvis and daughter, photo from History.com
When Congress passed a Mother’s Day resolution in 1914, it was the culmination of years of hard work—by many—toward creating the official holiday. Still, Anna Marie Jarvis’s celebration of her mother’s life in 1907 largely originated the holiday we know today. For instance, the second Sunday in May brings traditions like carnations, 500 of which were originally passed out at the memorial service for Jarvis’s mother.
But Mother’s Day has evolved, inspiring new ways of commemoration (like Justin Beiber’s new Mother’s Day single and Beyonce’s big gumbo plans) and encouraging mothers everywhere to relax in many different ways…
For today’s Free Book Friday giveaway, we wanted to reflect the variety of treats that each mom deserves this holiday. So we’re offering the winner a choice of these three wine books by women of the History Press (see below).
To win your choice of the following titles, just comment at the end of this post by Sunday, May 13 (12 a.m. EST) and we’ll enter your name into a random drawing on Monday morning!
Maryland Wine: A Full-Bodied History
by Regina Mc Carthy
The roots of Maryland winemaking are surprisingly deep. The state’s first known vines were planted in 1648, and a later Marylander, John Adlum, established his place as the father of American viticulture. In the twentieth century, post-Prohibition pioneers like Philip Wagner (who described winemaking as “the perfect foil for the nervous and intellectual strains of newspaper work”) and Ham Mowbray nurtured a new crop of daring and innovative winemakers who have made the state an up-and-coming wine region. Author Regina Mc Carthy travels through the red tobacco barns of southern Maryland and the breezy vineyards of the Eastern Shore all the way to the Piedmont Plateau and the cool mountain cellars of the west in search of the state’s finest wines and their stories. Join Mc Carthy as she traces over 350 years of the remarkable and robust history of Maryland wines.
Recent press: The Patriot-News
A History of North Carolina Wine: From Scuppernong to Syrah
by Alexia Jones Helsley
Take a journey through the long and exciting history of North Carolina grapes and vines. The state’s native grapes grew with a wild abandon that uniformly impressed early explorers. Wine production, however, is another story—one with peaks and valleys and switchbacks. Helsley recounts a tale of promise that was long unfulfilled, of disappointments and success and of competing visions and grapes. These pages speak to those intrigued by the romance of the native muscadines, appreciative of the complex varieties of North Carolina wine and fascinated by the enduring drama of human beings and their dreams. In the Old North State, the highly acclaimed vineyards of today have deep roots in the state’s past.
Recent Press: Star-News Online, Wines & Vines
The History of Michigan Wines: 150 Years of Winemaking along the Great Lakes
by Sharon Kegerreis and Lorri Hathaway
Savor the taste of wines inspired by the Great Lakes as enthusiasts Lorri Hathaway and Sharon Kegerreis introduce passionate winemakers like Joseph Sterling, who ignited Michigan’s first viable wine region in the 1800s along Lake Erie. Discover how the Detroit River was used for bootlegging during Prohibition, how the raid on red wine in the Upper Peninsula generated national headlines and how Michigan became the first to repeal. Learn about the wineries that boosted production to make Michigan a leading wine producer through the 1960s, when the changing marketplace caused a slump in production and sales. Since then, new grape varietals have spurred resurgence in the industry, garnering Michigan worldwide attention for its locally influenced wines. Discover Michigan’s vibrant wine history, which is vital to the second most agriculturally diverse state and top tourism region becoming a premier agritourism destination.
Recent Press: Michigan Radio (NPR), Absolute Michigan
…And if you’re still looking for last minute gifts, be sure to check out our post on 18 Smart Gifts for the Bookish Mom. Good luck and happy Mother’s Day, everybody!
Wonderful wine books! I would love to win one for my mother! Thank you!
Being from Michigan (and a wine drinker), I can assure you a trip to the wineries in this state is great fun.
Stumbled on your site last week. What a wonderful variety of books. I enjoy looking at the local focus on microbrews and wines. SYOTW…khfish
I enjoy books on wine
Congrats to this week’s winner, Robin O! To everyone else: thanks for your participation, check back for this Friday’s giveaway and don’t forget you can purchase these great wine history books at http://www.historypress.net!