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Have you ever dreamed of wandering up and down the California coast in search of that amazing little out-of-the-way winery where you can “discover” a hidden treasure and bring home some bottles to share with your gob-smacked friends?
Lena Katz’s latest book, featured in the Travel Temptations series from Globe Pequot, called “Sip California: Delicious Destinations, Secret Hideaways, Expert Sources” will help you make that dream a reality. This handy little guide takes the mystery out of wine hopping in the Golden State by sharing an insider’s peek behind the vine-lined freeway and into the people and places enticing the adventurous wine-lover to turn off the road.
Katz herself grew up in Sonoma and accompanied her parents on their weekend winetasting tours. While her parents sipped and swirled, 8-year old Lena kept notes about the various places the family visited, and even created her own numerical ranking system.
Now a freelance journalist with lots of travel articles under her belt, Katz says that she never expected to sell a winetasting book because until recently, wine writing has been the domain of 50-something males. She shares, “After several years of fighting tooth-and-nail for each of the (very few) wine writing assignments I actually got, I had given up to the point where I didn't even pitch anything wine-related in my travel series proposal.” Ironically, “Sips” was the first book assigned to her. She credits the overwhelming support she received from the wine community to its need for fresh eyes. She shares, “They are tired of gray-haired male wine critics controlling their image. They want a fresh, enthusiastic, more welcoming outlook--and that's what I provide. Sometimes the Universe works in surprising and wonderful ways.”
In fact, Lena was surprised by the warm reception she received in the Mecca of California winemaking, Napa Valley. “The people in Napa County really went to great lengths, and hardly had to be asked…I expected a certain level of snobbery from Napa just because of the county's reputation, but in fact I found the exact opposite.”
In addition to Napa and Sonoma, Katz also covers the lesser known regions of Mendocino, Monterrey, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and the Livermore / Lodi / Sierra Foothills area. She shares quotes from respected people in the industry as well as tips on local culture.
Make your dream a reality and pick up a copy of this indispensable handbook on Amazon. No adventurous wine lover will go thirsty with this book in the glove box, and a tank full of gas.