In comparative tastings, wines from California's Central Coast rival those from such renowned regions as Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Napa, yet they also offer superb value. This is the first comprehensive guide to one of the world's most dynamic and beautiful wine regions-and the setting for the award-winning movie Sideways. An excellent, one-stop resource for touring and tasting at convenient wineries located from Monterey to Santa Barbara, the guide is organized into county-by-county alphabetical listings for this up-and-coming region.



Wines and Wineries of California's Central Coast includes:

* Profiles of nearly 300 wineries personally visited by the author

* Profiles of individual vintners

* 5 maps

* Winery ratings, plus author and winemaker recommendations

* Visitors' and contact information for each winery

* Discussions of regional wine history and terroir

* Descriptions of designated American Viticultural Areas and grape varietals

Contributor: William A. Ausmus William A. Ausmus is a research scholar in the Communication Studies Department at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.