Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma

by Tilar J. Mazzeo

This updated guide to the small and "secret" back-lane wineries and tasting rooms of Sonoma profiles over 70 hard-to-find, authentic boutique estates that feature world-class, artisanal wines revered by locals and critics.

Each year, tourists visit Sonoma’s well-trodden wineries, many of which offer wines you can buy readily on the shelves of your local grocery store. Far more difficult to find are the picturesque, oftentimes family-run wineries handcrafting exceptional wines revered by critics and locals alike. Back Lane Wineries of Sonoma will lead you to seventy of these gems, many with only a limited production and local distribution. Updated with new wineries, restaurants, and local attractions; maps; full-color photographs; and tips on wine-tasting etiquette, wine shipping services, and itinerary planning, this guide will prepare oenophiles and beginning wine-lovers alike to relish in the laid-back atmosphere that Sonoma has to offer.

256 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2009

About the author

Tilar J. Mazzeo is a cultural historian, biographer, and passionate student of wine and food culture. She divides her time among the California wine country, New York City, and Maine, where she is a professor of English at Colby College.

(from the author's website)

Reviews

[Jamie Duval]

Loved this resource! I liked reading about the unique features of some of the wineries and it's organized by AVA/valley, which is great when attempting to plan a day of tastings! Maximum optimization of time! It also let's you know where you need appointments, how much the tasting is and if it's refundable with purchase. I also liked the details about the redwood reserve. I will be using this for our trip in July and am planning to go to quite a few of these!

[Ivory]

A great way to get a list of some of the local gems with limited distribution, but the information on each winery was, overall, rather generic. Excellent pictures compliment the entries.

[Janet]

So many wineries, so little time to explore them all. But this book gives you a great place to start.