The California Wine Book

Book excerpt: Publisher description -- This book, based on 15 years of close observation, is intended to explain wine districts and the resulting wines for the studious connoisseur and, at the same time, to serve as a useful buying guide for the casual drinker. In essence, it is two books in one. Part I describes the individual districts by climate, vineyards, and wineries--a detailed preparation for understanding the wines. Part II describes the wines themselves, one type at a time; partly the text defines regional character, and partly it defines styles imposed by the winemakers, always with a minimum of technical terms. The tasting notes take into account vintages since 1951 in attempting to define styles.