Customer Reviews

Napa Valley Tour Guide

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We live in the Bay Area and have been to Napa Valley many, many times. We, however, learned so much from this book/CD that we did not know from all those trips to wineries. We read the book before and then decided to listen to the CD on a trip to Santa Barbara. Here we were driving AWAY from Napa Valley but loving listening to information about all the places we thought we knew like the back of our hands. Thank you Antonia, for putting it all together for us!!

Although we have been to the wine country many times, nothing has made it as enjoyable or informative as this guide. The CDrom is a very informative and entertaining pre and post source.
It was delightful to have such an experienced tour guide right in our car with us, and the music is so fitting to the magnificent terrain. Look forward to any new releases of Travelbrain! cheryl in los gatos

Napa Valley for the Newcomer

My wife and I had the opportunity to stay in Napa Valley for a week this summer as we passed through California. By even greater fortune we had the chance to use Antonia Allegra's wonderful Expedition Guide to Napa Valley. This CD travel guide can be used in your car stereo and gives you the option of having a Napa Valley expert sitting in your own car.
Antonia Allegra is the expert on the Napa Valley, not only on the wine trails, but also about everything of interest in Napa Valley itself, even its geology. As you drive up the valley Antonia prepares you for what you can expect, visit and do. All the sights, history, and vineyard backgrounds are explained. I consider this concept as one of the best ideas to hit the tourist market for years.
The range of information is presented in a user friendly manner so even an `old duffer' like myself found it easy to operate, and Antonia's charming voice made it even easier to follow.
I would recommend this Expedition guide to anybody visiting Napa Valley.
Don Budge

I like everything about this guide except one thing. I like it's unique presentation--never seen anything like this: book, cd's for the car and a CD-ROM for the computer. The book has so many tid bits of information even seasoned Napa visitors will be impressed. The narrator is a REAL voice--the person who actually wrote the script--and sounds like a friend taking you on the tour. What blew me away was the 360 degree pictures at each winery on the CD-ROM. Hold down the mouse and you "see" all around you. The only thing I didn't like about the guide is that you can't taste any wine! Paul Fillinger

It's a superb format to preview a trip prior to actually hitting the open road and wineries of Napa Valley.

This is really a terrific "three in one" guide. The Expedition Guide which accompanies the computer CD and the two touring discs is filled with fascinating history, facts, tips, maps, photographs, wine vocabulary, science, humor and trivia about Napa's wineries and local color. The Guide alone is excellent.

In addition to viewing the brilliantly prepared Guide text, the reader is treated to Antonia Allegra's most entertaining audio tour (on two driving discs). It's like having your own personal guide tell you all sorts of fascinating tales, tidbits and history about the best of Napa Valley ... and we, as listeners, enjoy each and every story. In her most pleasant voice, Allegra skillfully presents the facts and related bits omitting nothing except the smell of the cork and the taste of the grape!

The CD has interactive sections as well as animated movies and quiz games. By the end of the "tour", you'll feel as if you've treated yourself to the world of vinification (converting grapes to wine), enology (science of wine and wine making), and the beauties and surprises found throughtout the Napa Valley region.
You'll have fun broadening your knowledge of "God's country/Napa Valley" in the comfort of your home and thereafter, in the convenience and comfort of your car as you personally tour the 16 stops (encompassing 58 miles) of Napa Valley, the wineries and surroundings. You don't have to be an enophile to enjoy this presentation; however, if you tour and taste, there's even a "wine tasting" record in the Guide for your personal observations and notations.

Great gift for yourself or anyone interested in a good read-&-listen-&-learn about Napa Valley, wine, California history and travel. We highly recommend this cleverly formatted, well thought out, brilliantly presented and fairly priced Expedition Guide. It'll be a treat for all five senses. Cheers!

I have been a resident of Napa Valley for three years, and have toured and tasted through many of the wineries here. When my mother visited with me recently, we used Antonia Allegra's Expedition Guide as an added resource. I was so impressed with the depth of Antonia's knowledge about the area, I learned a great deal, in fact, I was a little embarrassed about my apparant lack of knowledge in comparison! This guide is not simply about wineries, there is a wealth of information on other subjects including geology, architecture, meteorology, local history and legends. The guide itself is easy to use, requiring a CD or tape cassette player in the car, all directions are given in the narrative, and there is a helpful map and some beautiful photographs in the guide book. My mother also noted that Antonia has a wonderful speaking voice, and excellent diction. Her choice of words and good humor make this guide a pleasant, informative and fun tour of the Napa Valley. I highly reccommend this guide to anyone who has never toured here, and also to those who reside here permanently, there is so much more to this place than we know!

We were given this to help us prepare for a trip to Napa Valley and it has proved to be a good resource for the most part. The lists of wineries and information about them are extensive and the maps very useful - we didn't purchase another map or use a GPS for our stay - however the information about schedules and pricing is very out of date for almost every winery we considered visiting. If you intend to use this resource, be sure to check the winery websites before visiting - or else you might find that what you thought was a free tour is in fact $50 a couple and two hours later than you thought it was!

I bought this book in advance of a day trip to the Napa Valley. It's very thorough and easy to use, with great suggestions for your itinerary. It also contains a travel planning section, with hotels and restaurants. The CD is like having your own guide as you drive around, but it gives you the flexibility to do things at your own pace. So far, it's the only guidebook I've found of it's kind.