[.ca] Backroads of the California Wine Country: Your Guide to ... (ISBN 0760325413)

Past the Tasting Rooms into the Gorgeous California Hills:
When many people visit California to tour wineries, they head for Napa Valley on the weekend and sit in traffic jams for hours on route 29. Realizing that everyone in the slowly moving train may not be totally sober, the visitors think about how much they would like to be someplace else. A little known fact is that there are back roads into virtually every wine region in California that offer stunning vistas, gorgeous greenery and constantly changing scenes around every curve. Backroads of the California Wine Country is a great resource for those inexperienced visitors. Otherwise, these well-meaning travelers will miss the best of what the wine country has to offer: Scintillating scenery! The photographs do a great job of picking up on the amazing sights. Here are a few of my favorites: p. 6 -- The moon rises over vineyards in Napa County's Carneros region p. 11 -- A dramatic sunset over Napa Valley wine country p. 13 -- Cirrus clouds float above the hills of the Redwood Valley of Mendocino County pp. 18-19 -- The early morning sky glows orange in the hills above Ukiah p. 22 -- Orr Springs Road twists and turns through some of the most pristine and dramatic landscapes in wine country p. 30 -- This lovely tree-lined drive leads to Fetzer Vineyards, a wholly organic winery and the sixth-largest premium wine producer in the country p. 31 -- The warm valleys around Hopland offer an ideal climate for growing grapes as well as apples and pears p. 34 -- Mount Konocti, illuminated by the setting sun, looms large above this Lake County vineyard p. 35 -- Peaceful at sunrise, Clear Lake State Park p. 35 -- The vibrant flower gardens of Tulip Hill Winery p. 38 -- A distant moon sets beyond a winter vineyard in the Valley of the Moon pp. 42-43 -- Vineyards stretch across the Alexander Valley in northern Sonoma County p. 47 -- Downtown Geyserville is lined with charming buildings p. 83 -- A rainbow forms p. 90 -- Hot air ballooning p. 94 -- Winery at Groth Vineyards p. 99 -- Grape vines and mustard plants Nice work, Mr. Crabbe! The text is equally inspired with a nice mix of California history, wine background, local features, and suggestions for activities you can enjoy. The text is also well endowed with maps to show you the directions of the backroads that you are being encouraged to pursue. Here are some of the unexpected materials: p. 24 -- Seabiscuit's home in Willits p. 36 -- Organic farming methods p. 45 -- Cyrus Alexander's founding of the Alexander Valley p. 61 -- Jack London in the Sonoma Valley p. 89 -- The soil of Rutherford p. 108 -- Apple Hill, east of Placerville p. 117 -- The Gold Rush p. 125 -- Covered bridges p. 133 -- Steinbeck's world Here are the areas covered: The Redwood Valley in Mendocino County Anderson Valley Hopland and the McDowell Valley Lake County Alexander Valley Dry Creek Valley The Russian River Valley Green Valley Valley of the Moon Sonoma Valley Northern Napa Valley St. Helena Eastern Napa Valley Yountville Oakville Mount Veeder Town of Napa Wooden Valley Los Carneros El Dorado County Shenandoah Valley Calaveras County Santa Cruz Mountains Carmel Valley Salinas Valley San Juan Bautista Paso Robles Edna Valley Santa Barbara County Santa Ynez Valley Nice work, Ms. Misuraca! Don't miss this gorgeous volume. It'll transform your life if you follow its advice.