Although this book initially seems to have almost all the elements I like, such as cultural traditions, the role of women, and the power of nature, the narrative voice didn't quite work for me, and I found the story a bit of a struggle. It's a shame, given the good reviews I've read.

"...I had loved and also suffered, and I was now learning that the shades of heartache are many, that being betrayed and abandoned is great cause for grief, but that when the heart chooses, it will not be dissuaded."

"Beauty, like love, must have its caretakers."

What a book (said Sabie again, in 2025 but seriously guys, its applicable here too) and just to let you all know: I read this book in a matter of few hours AND did not do anything during the day as I couldnt get Orange Wine out of my mind.

This was a beautiful book of self discovery, understanding one self and growing. Themes like religion guilt, complex relationship with families and the beauty of art and love is explored so deeply and beautifully. I quite enjoyed how it felt like the book was written as Ines explored different journey and grew while still flowing naturally through different events. We meet Ines and her sisters in the beginning, see the impact that Alessandro has had on her and Isabel, we meet Rose and see the lack of compassion towards her sisters. We see Ines witness loss and love, regain her taste in life and how her love for art, Regulo and her daughters helped save her

So Orange Wine is then a tale of love, grief and growing up while learn to balance suffering and being happy all at once. Buckle in and let's go for a long review about why you need to read Orange Wine like yesterday?

GENRE: Fiction
RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
FORMAT: Arc copy from Bindery

Long Review:
We start off by getting an introduction into Ines, who she is and her family members. We learn that she comes from a family of 4 other sisters and she is the youngest. As she grows up, she gets a revelation that she "...has a gift ... The Gift of seeing ... you see the future, see into people's hearts and minds." and she grew up around an artistic mother, one who taught her to appreciate the finer things in life and to understand beauty, art and aesthetics.

We then learn more about each of Ines's sister, her interaction with them when she takes a trip to Bogota to stay with her older sister and how she feels different to them and I wont dive into details in here as it would be spoiler-ish but I think Synder wrote the interactions between the siblings in a beautiful way. Their relationship developed for better or for worse, with each one having a different priority in life.
"Rosa sent me back to Paipa to protect me, and it was there that I met Alessandro Scala, the man who would break my heart and change my life. I wish Rosa could have protected me from that."

Looking back at this quote, as an elder sister, I would have wanted to protect Ines from the world, but Rosa was a very different type of elder sister, with which her love was not unconditional.

When Rosa met Alessandro, there were so many red flags and signs that should have warned her away, but perhaps the biggest one in mind is her bad feeling that she got when she met him. Ines is a woman who hasnt learned to trust her own instinct just yet at the age of seventeen (and who has at that age honestly?). There were many moments in the beginning of the book where Ines has warnings, like:
"Sometimes thinking about him brought me pleasure, but at other times I felt a heaviness in my heart that I couldn't shake. It was almost as if I knew this man was dangerous, as if I understood he would cause ma pain, though at the same time I couldn't resist him."

"... when I felt torn — almost paralyzed by a fear — by a premonition that warned me I was about to make a mistake that would cause me suffering, even though at the same time I knew I could not alter that part of my destiny."

And its a bit like Ines watched her life unfold in front of her, unable to stop anything from happening, despite knowing that it would not end well.
"How could I have been so blind? What kind of see was I, when I couldn't even see what was in front of my very own eyes?"

She struggles with the concept of destiny and what she is faithed for during these moments. Its almost like she can foreshadow her own suffering but finds herself helpless in stopping it. I mean, after all, who else remembers being a teenager, liking someone and having it take over your life?
"Funny that he, who was previously a stranger to me and unrelated to my personal happiness in any way, had become so important that the world prior to his existence no longer mattered. I did not know yet that the world after his departure would not matter either, not for a long time."

And Alessandro's bad side started showing up right before the marriage, his anger and his abusive traits as well. Despite all of this, Ines says this on her wedding day despite her own intuition, people warning her and all the signs around her
"I'm sure no one present at the ceremony could have imagined that our end would be as traffic as our beginning had been splendid."

Oh but the story continues, despite all the down sides and everything that Ines struggles with, we watch her meet someone else, live a life of loss, grief and love. We watch her fight and try to make it through despite facing different inner demons (and outer ones sometimes too). We watch her struggle to build a life as she cannot divorce Alessandro and struggles to fit into a mould of the perfect Catholic girl in her city and country. We watch people shun her, especially her own sisters (well most of them) and watch Ines struggle to accept the betrayal from all of her older sisters.

And in a beautiful touch to Orange Wine, we watch her find love again. We watch her meet someone who understands her soul better than Alessandro ever could. We watch her and Regulo grow together, grow apart and separately and watch how life folds in front of them. We watch Ines become the best version of herself as an artist and learn to not lose herself in motherhood.
"I knew Alessandro had never heard me, and if he had never heard me, how could he have loved me? Regulo's love was silent and profound. He looked upon me as his equal, and that made me immensely happy."

"It was altogether different to be lying in Regulo's arms, as if I had done so a thousand times before in a thousand different countries during a thousand different lives. In Regulo's arms, I became a woman."

"It surprised me to think that I had never felt the longing, the desire in my husband's presence that I now felt for Regulo."

And the Orange wine they create together that has miraculous powers? The one that started as an idea with Ines and Regulo took the idea and built an empire for her and then, actually gave her half of the company as one of the creator of the business. This should be a standard, however, the fact that Regulo does this at a time where women are not seen as an equal to men is a great gesture.
"You make a good team... She's the creative spirit behind the enterprise and you, Regulo — you are the businessman who puts the deals together. What an amazing couple!"

And you know the trend where people keep saying "Some men say "I love you" but x says ..."? Well Regulo says:
"Some claim the wine has miraculous powers. Supposedly, it heals people from their disappointments in love...It may heal you too.

Yours,
Regulo
P.S It hasn't worked for me. I still miss you terribly."


Anyways, thank you for reading this far if you have made it. I truly loved this book and I hope you consider reading it and experience the pain, yet feel the love Ines goes through.

Thank you to Bindery, Mareas Imprint and the author for this lovely Arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am very grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

I really understand and enjoy the storyline of this book and I can feel the passionate energy from the beginning of the story, the author conveys it very well emotionally, especially among women. I have a special interest in Latina literature because of its strong culture and unique principles, depicted through books that their environment is also very challenging.

But I really regret that some points felt too rushed to be finished, even though this book has a lot of potential to become a reader favorite. It feels like the emotions and energy that were ignited and burning halfway through the book had to quickly die down in the second half.

This one started off strong, but as I kept reading, the story seemed to drag on, and I found myself less engaged with each chapter.

Lush, lyrical, and quietly devastating

Orange Wine is a tender, introspective novel that lingers like a half-remembered dream. Esperanza Hope Snyder’s prose is rich and poetic, with a lyrical precision that captures the ache of longing, the pull of memory, and the complicated intimacy of love both found and lost.

The novel follows a woman navigating past and present—lovers, landscapes, languages—and it does so with a deep emotional intelligence. There’s a sensuality to the writing, not just in romantic moments, but in the attention given to food, wine, light, and silence.

The author writes beautiful prose to really draw you in to the story however the characters themselves were frustrating- especially Alessandro who is giving major red flags at the start of the novel. Whilst beautifully written the book also tells us what’s happening in parts rather than showing us. Overall an enjoyable book.

DNF @ 64%. Have you ever had an elderly family member tell you a story that is EXTREMELY dramatic, and they seem to not care about it that much? And you're kind of sitting there like, "Why are you not freaking out about this? We should be freaking out about this." That is what this book is like. The family drama here should be PEAK but the narrator seems to really not care that much, aside from reiterating periodically how much hotter she is than her sisters (and therefore, presumably, deserving of hooking up with the guy that her sister liked, even though she was understandably pissed that another sister ran off with her own husband). There is some really lovely writing of settings here, and this is a place and time period that we don't frequently see explored in English-language literature, but I'm almost 2/3 of the way through the book and honestly could not care less about any of the characters because the writing has done nothing to make them or their circumstances compelling.

The Beautiful Ones but with more viciousness and devastation. I guess the book does a good job of challenging my current views of motherhood, sisterhood, and travel. I found it difficult to connect with Inés, making it difficult to forgive her choices.

This book is for those who enjoy complicated family relationships. The grittiness of life and love. And for those who wonder what it is like to see a land change through the eyes of investors and artist.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery for this ARC.

The synopsis of this book drew me in, but ultimately the execution fell flat for me. I think this author’s writing style is not for me. It had the potential to be a juicy story that kept you hooked but ended up being dry and boring.

3.5 stars rounded up <3

-TW: child death
-betrayal and red flags
-strained family dynamics
-literary fiction
-3rd person POV
-early 20th-century Colombia
-lush prose
-religion, societal expectations and sensuality
-emotional journey
-summer read

Orange Wine reads like a family story shared by an old grandmother in a verandah surrounded by fruit trees during a summer afternoon. (This, upon reading the author's acknowledgments makes such complete sense as they were inspired by their grandparents' tale to pen this) We follow Ines in a conservative societal backdrop where her sisters, red flag men, and the Catholic church constantly stand in her way of living her life on her own terms, and in her way of building a life expressing her artistry. We follow her through broken marriages and motherhood and we almost understand her selfishness & her decision-making process as she grapples with the hardships of life. The section about her winnings in life and artistic prowess is quite a short one and comes quite later in the story, which I find an intersting writing choice that I interpret as the reality of how brief victories for women felt in those days, and still feel in today's sociopolitical environment. It is indeed a tragedy to think that even though this book is penned in a world based a century ago; women still share so many of Ines' struggles.

Thank you so much Netgalley and Bindery Books for the Advance Review Copy -- I will never come acoss a Bindery Book I regret picking =3

It would have been an added candied orange peel on the cake if, towards the end, we had a more concluding overview of what happens to the sisters and side characters, but I guess you can't have your wine and also drink it (I will stop now idk what I am doing)

I loved the writing of the food, culture, atmosphere, and location. Everything else fell flat and made it hard to care for Ines or anyone else

This was a quick, fast paced read with so much packed into it! Based on the Author's grandparent's love story, this was a family saga about love, loss, betrayal, grief, forgiveness, and homecoming. This is a bittersweet tale - much like how I assume orange wine tastes...

What a slow, delicious unravelling of a novel! I loved the journey of personal discovery and celebrating both the joy and sorrows of life!

This one just wasn't for me. I couldn't get into it. I'm sure it's target audience is out there, but I wasn't the right reader for it so sadly it was a DNF for me.

I was excited to be gifted a copy of this book by the publisher, but it fell quite short.
There was more time spent describing Spanish cities in great detail than there was time spent on large pieces of the plot. Ines is supposedly this perfect goddess of a woman but everyone in her life treats her poorly except for her love that she can’t be with.
The writing is pretty but the plot was annoying, honestly really wish the last 12% was the main plot for the book and more time was spent on them building their business and getting into orange wine making.

Inés lives under the weight of expectations—from her family, her husband, and the Catholic Church. In the end, each betrays her. The youngest of four sisters, she’s considered the sweetest and most beautiful by her mother—perhaps the very reasons her sisters envy her.

Orange Wine by Esperanza Hope Snyder opens with Inés in labor with her second child, a daughter, while her husband, Alessandro, is in bed with one of her sisters. The betrayal isn’t entirely shocking: her sister's reaction to Inés’s engagement, a questionable “rendezvous” on the wedding day, and Alessandro’s frequent absences all hinted at it.

While her first child, a son and heir to Alessandro’s name, meets traditional expectations, the birth of her daughter forces Inés to reflect on the life she wants for this girl—one who will grow into a woman like herself. Soon after, Alessandro abandons them fully.

When Inés meets Régulo, she is swept up by feelings of love and longing. His tenderness toward her and her children offers a sense of renewal—free from judgment or constraint. But when Alessandro returns and her brother considers the priesthood, the Church's hold over marriage and legitimacy resurfaces

Orange Wine is the debut novel by Esperanza Hope Snyder, whose background in poetry and drama informs her lyrical prose. Inspired by her own family history, the novel earns its somewhat fairy tale ending—one that might seem improbable to some, but forgivable in light of its personal roots.

Fans of Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan Quartet—especially My Brilliant Friend—will likely be captivated by Orange Wine as well.

hmmmm. how do i say this. despite on sounding like fiction, it sounds more like memoir. I dont mind the main characters is not very likeable ( me me me concept) bcs who does?, but I wish her perspective is explained thoroughly .

Thank you NetGalley and to the publishers for this ARC. I ADORE the cover for this book. I was originally drawn in because of that. I think the story was good. Felt like the second half of the book was rushed, but this was an easy read.

Orange Wine was a bit of a mixed experience for me. I found myself enjoying the act of reading it more than the actual content and the book did not stay with me.

What I really loved and why I rate the book three stars is the writing style. It's lyrical and gentle, with a calm, reflective quality that made the book flow easily from page to page. Snyder’s prose often felt like sitting down with an older relative as they unfold a story from their past—quiet, personal, almost like a memoir told over a glass of (orange) wine.

That said, while the writing itself was beautiful and elegant, the plot didn’t leave much of an impact on me. It felt quite thin and a little aimless. I kept expecting more to happen or for the characters to reveal greater emotional depth, but that moment never quite arrived. The characters seemed to drift through the story, and although I wanted to connect with them, they often felt distant. (And sometimes I wanted to scream at Inés.) I was left with the strange sensation of having read a whole book, yet struggling to hold on to anything meaningful from it.

Still, Orange Wine is an easy, pleasant read, and there is something soothing in its quietness. It’s not a book that tries to shock or twist—it simply exists in its own soft rhythm. While I wouldn’t call it a favourite, I see the appeal for I tend to enjoy prose more than plot and love well written reflective, slower narratives.

All in all Orange Wine is beautifully written but emotionally muted, like a story told from far away. Which one does need at times.

I didn’t end up loving this one as much as anticipated, but still found the book relatively enjoyable.
It was not entirely what I expected it would be, but that’s a me problem and not the book. I don’t really have much to say about this book or in my review as I didn’t connect with the characters or books much.
I feel like I will still recommend this book to people I know as the premise is interesting and others may enjoy it more than me.

Thank you NetGalley and Bindery Books for this eARC!