Vertical Passion And Pinot On The Oregon Wine Trail

I was asked by the publisher if I would be interested in reading a revised version of Vertical by author Rex Pickett. This is the official edited version. I definitely enjoyed reading the book naturally with a Pinot Noir in hand. How else does one read about Miles Raymond?

I'm a big fan of Miles and Jack and their childish yet most of the time crazy behavior. Miles with his crazy idea of kidnapping his crooked finger chardonnay drinking mom from the assisted living center, taking her with him as he headed to Oregon Pinot Country. Taking his mothers nurse who mom says is always off smoking her "mary jane" and is "no good" along with yep his side kick Jack who is now divorced and broke. Mom was on her way to Wisconsin to live with her sister.

Naturally as the journey started with a stop on the old "shameless wine tour" the book which put Miles on the map yielded additional autographs, women tossing phone numbers and business cards and a couple of women who would head to Paso Robles with the adventurers. Mom rocketing down the hill toward the vineyard full speed ahead with a wine bottle and glass never spilling a drop. A bad tooth pulled by a vet because Mrs Raymond refused to go to the hospital because you die there, Jack with his organ problem and finally Snapper losing a leg because he ran off and got whacked by a car. Even Miles in Oregon being dunked in a vat of Merlot but not before a fowl language laced protest with his agent.

The money and fame though never really made Miles happy and he was as lost before the fame as he was with it. Eventually moms nurse could no longer deal with her and Jack after having to help clean up Mrs Raymond up one night bolted as well. What Miles found was someone really needed him and he needed her...his mom. Finally arriving in Wisconsin she suffers another stroke and Miles helps her "go home to be with Dad". How fitting that he and Snapper are sitting in the chair on the beach that she used for the remaining 5 years of her life feeling as if they were with her. "Come on Snapper let's go home."

Cheers
Dan