ROTARY LUNCHEON: Tangled Vines

Frances Dinkelspiel's book, Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California, examines the world's biggest wine crime: a 2005 arson that destroyed 4.5 million bottles of fine California wine. Among the bottles lost were some that Frances's great great grandfather, the financier Isaias Hellman, made in 1875.

By tracing the history of her family's wine and examining who set the destructive fire, Frances examines the determination, grit and greed in the California wine industry. 

Frances Dinkelspiel is an award-winning journalist who cofounded the local news site Berkeleyside. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, People magazine and elsewhere. Her first book, Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant Named Isaias Hellman Created California, was a San Francisco Chronicle bestseller and was named a Best Book of 2008 by the newspaper. Her second book, Tangled Vines: Greed, Murder, Obsession, and an Arsonist in the Vineyards of California, was a New York Times bestseller, A Chronicle bestseller, and was named a best wine book of the year by the Wall Street Journal, Food and Wine magazine, and the San Jose Mercury News.

 Share on Facebook

This is a weekly membership meeting for The Rotary Club of San Francisco, open to all Rotarians, visiting Rotarians, prospective members and guests.

Each luncheon meeting includes three-course lunch from Scala's Bistro. Individual lunch tickets are $40, or purchase a book of four tickets for the discounted price of $145. Cash, check and credit card payment options available. Tickets available for purchase at the door.