Access California Wine Country 6e (Access Guides) [Paperback]

Richard Saul Wurman (Author), Donna Peck (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2002

This revised edition contains in-depth information on more than 200 vineyards - small and large, well-known and "boutique" - that produce award-winning wines, including profiles on the vintners, time and types of tours available, and tastings. It also includes listings for more than 20 spas at every price range and has updated restaurant listings to take the reader off the beaten path - from four star to California burger joint.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Full of surprising information." -- Money Magazine

"If we had to choose one small, sleek, fleet, glitzy guide, we'd give our guest Access... smart, fast, fun..." -- The Boston Globe

"The one indispensable guidebook to slip into your coat pocket or handbag...A classic series that keeps getting better..." -- The Seattle Times

About the Author

With the publication of his first book in 1962 at the age of 26, Richard Saul Wurman began the singular passion of his life: that of making information understandable. A holder of both M. Arch. & B. Arch. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, he has been awarded several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Graham Fellowships & two Chandler Fellowships. In 1991, Richard Saul Wurman received the Kevin Lynch Award from MIT for his creation of the ACCESS travel guides. In 1994, he was named a Fellow of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland & awarded a Doctorate of Fine Arts by the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA. In 1995, he received an Honorary Doctor of Letters from Art Center College of Design & was Chairman of Graphic Design & Product/Industrial Design of the1995 Presidential Design Awards.

Richard Saul Wurman continues to be a regular consultant to major corporations in matters relating to the design & understanding of information. He is married to novelist Gloria Nagy, has 4 children & lives in Newport, Rhode Island.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Access Pr; 5th edition (February 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062772899
• ISBN-13: 978-0062772893
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,792,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars 2002 and so out of date!, June 8, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Access California Wine Country 6e (Access Guides) (Paperback)

Richard needs to get back in the Wine Country and find out what is going on out here. I live in the Napa Valley, and he is reviewing restaurants, hotels, store etc...that are long gone.
Nothing worse at showing up at Livefire or The Diner and no one is home. Furthermore all the missed opportunities to sample hotels such as Milliken Creek Inn in Napa or Zuzu, Julias Kitchen, the Martini House, Roux... the list is endless. Life is moving fast and relying on your 1998 visit isn't cutting it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Inaccurate and outdated, April 26, 2003

By 

K. Chow "peaceandjoy" (Santa Monica, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Access California Wine Country 6e (Access Guides) (Paperback)

I got this guide after skimming it pretty extensively at a bookstore. I was impressed by the content, the nice user friendly format, and the graphics quality.

When I actually tried to use the information in the guide, however, I was deeply disappointed and angered, because (1) much of the information is hugely outdated even though the guide claims to be updated - for example, a restaurant that has been closed since 2001 is still highlighted in the guide in several places - tells you how dated the "best of" opinions written by local Napa luminaries are... and (2) the author and publisher didn't bother to verify that phone numbers were accurate, so I wound up calling wrong numbers, dead numbers, numbers for business offices of wineries only to find that I should have called the tasting room number, which these guys didn't bother to include...

in short, don't buy this book! judge this book by its "cover" and you will be fooled and disappointed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good guide., January 3, 2003

By 

Rusty Kransky "Rusty Kransky" (Greenport, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Access California Wine Country 6e (Access Guides) (Paperback)

Just returned from a trip to Sonoma and Mendocino counties. This book was an excellent guide and I really liked the maps detailing where everything was. Of course things change and places close or move - we only had one "surprise," when we went to Hidden Cellars and learned they'd been bought by Parducci and were now in that tasting room instead.

Otherwise, this book is terrific to have along. I recommend looking at websites on the internet before your trip - just type "Suffolk County wineries" (or whatever) in a search, and start studying! If a winery you want to visit is in the book, definitely read what they have to say. Just be aware that other wineries that are good (Gary Farrell) or great (the tiny but superb Nalle Winery) are not included in the book, and are really worth seeing. Use the guide to augment your research, but don't rely solely on this - or any other one - guide to give you complete info on a trip to the wine country.