On a blustery afternoon on Oct. 18, the wind carried danceable Italian music through the air near Neponset Winery on Kearney Road. And to the Italian beats, folks stomped on grapes imported all the way from Chelsea, while raising money for Project Bread.

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On the heels of the hugely successful "California Wine Map", The Wine Appreciation Guild has just released the "Quick Access Napa-Sonoma Wine Country Map and Guide" spotlighting the wineries and vineyards of the country's wine capital. This full color, topographically precise map is the most comprehensive Napa-Sonoma wine map on the market with over 400 wineries and vineyards.

"Quick Access Napa-Sonoma" features a detailed listing of wineries and vineyards in Napa and Sonoma Counties, including name, address, phone, tastings and public or by appointment only tours. It also lists area tasting rooms and gourmet groceries. The map's simple accordion fold makes it easy-to-use, even when opened to its full size of 12 x 26 inches. And one doesn't have to be the rough and tumble itinerant to appreciate that it's laminated.

"The success of our recent 'California Wine Map' told us that people not only appreciate California's wine country, but also appreciate an accurate, well-made, user-friendly map," said H. Hesse, a mapmaker since 1967 and founder of Global Graphics. "The number one request we received was for a map focusing specifically on Napa-Sonoma and we were delighted to once again combine our passion for cartography with our appreciation of this beautiful area."

The California Wine Map became a quick favorite among the states professional wine country day-trippers. Charles E. Olken, wine writer for the Los Angeles Times called it "One of the best and least expensive guides on the market," and American Airlines American Way magazine declared it a "must have." Anthony Dias Blue on KFWB-FM (Los Angeles) said, "If you travel in search of wine, you're going to love the California Wine Map. This isn't just one of those slick brochures published by the local wine-country tourist board. It's a full-fledged, state-of-the-art, satellite-generated map of California made by a well-known cartography company called Global Graphics."

The California Wine Map was also highly recommended by The New York Times, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Oakland Tribune, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wine & Spirits Magazine.

Global Graphics maps feature full color thematic cartography, based on satellite photography and global information systems, and use data from several sources to ensure information is up-to-date and complete. Global Graphics maps are among the most accurate and user-friendly on the market.

Customer Review: A must bring on your next trip

This is a great visual tool to help lay out your next trip to Napa Valley. Small and compact but laminated so you don't have to worry about wrinkles.

Customer Review: Don't buy this map

worst map I have ever used. Save your money and pick one up at the wineries when you get down there - they are much more accurate (surprise!)

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In A Hedonist in the Cellar, Jay McInerney gathers more than five years’ worth of essays and continues his exploration of what’s new, what’s enduring, and what’s surprising–giving his palate a complete workout and the reader an indispensable, idiosyncratic guide to a world of almost infinite variety. Filled with delights oenophiles everywhere will savor, this is a collection driven not only by wine itself but also the people who make it. 

An entertaining, irresistible book that is essential for anyone enthralled by the myriad pleasures of wine.

Customer Review: All about a really good wine

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Reviewed by Joyce Sparrow

Onophiles and grocery store wine shoppers will do well breaking out an atlas to follow the world-wide wine adventures of fiction writer and House and Garden wine columnist Jay McInerney as he travels from California to France and many European stops to learn more about the enjoyment of wine. Readers will want a note pad and pencil at their sides to jot down McInerney's many wine suggestions.

These 52 essays show the knowledge McInerney has gained since his early years in Syracuse, New York where, as a graduate student in writing, he spent many hours as a clerk at the local cordial shop, which he refers to as a boozeteria, two miles from Syracuse University. In between frequent customers and a few armed robberies, McInerney spent many of his shifts reading the shop owner's viticulture books. Later in his career as a novelist, he was given a chance to write the House and Garden wine column, which led to his opportunity to learn the details behind how some of the best wines and wineries came to be. His column continues today.

Foremost, McInerney is a storyteller who entertains readers with tales about his wine discoveries. Many of the essays take the confusion out of wine pairing. "Odd Couples" explains how Champagne goes well with most Japanese food. In "What to Drink with Chocolate" McInerney finds the best wine to pair with chocolate. "Fish Stories from Le Bernadin" proves eight out of ten sea creatures prefer white wine to red. McInerney captures the culture of the vineyards and relays the history of wines from the Catholic monks to present day viticulturists.

Much to his credit, McInerney downplays his growing expertise to reach the common wine drinker. He offers advice on how to impress the restaurant sommelier and even offers guidance on the correct pronunciation of the word: some-el-yay.

Overall, this collection provides a fun education for the average person who enjoys an occasional glass of really good wine.

Armchair Interviews says: Recommended for the novice and expert wine drinker alike.

Customer Review: One for the spit bucket

"Sir, a woman preaching is like a dog walking on his hind legs. It is not done well but you are surprised to find it done at all."-Samuel Johnson

I want to get one thing straight before I begin: I wouldn't know Jay McInerny from Hugh McElhenny, so I don't want anyone to think that this review is colored by my previous experience with McInerny as a novelist or anything else. I understand this book is a compilation of short articles he wrote for the magazine House & Garden over a five-year span in the early part of this decade, although there are no dates on individual entries. That's too bad, because in 2007 there's virtually nothing new in the entire book, and if it turned out he wrote them all, let's say, in the period between 2000-2001, at least we'd know he was blazing some new ground at the time and it just took the rest of us a while to catch up. Instead I would describe the net effect as a romp through very well trodden territory with a half-baked, way-too-clever-for-his-own-good guide.

In the introduction, McInerny informs us that he came by his gig at House and Garden by accident, when a friend and editor suggested he combine his growing passion for the grape with his writing. Hence the Johnson quote above- should we be impressed that a novelist knows anything about wine, or perhaps go with the flow and quote Maximus from Gladiator, dripping blood in the center of the arena and shouting, "are you not entertained?"

My standard-bearer in this genre is Gerald Asher, who for 30 years has written brilliantly incisive articles about wine in Gourmet (The Pleasures of Wine). I know Gerald Asher, at least his wine writing, and Jay McInerny, Sir, is no Gerald Asher.

I'm going to begin my serious critique with the most nitpicky of comments. I hate typos and errata in books about wine. Maybe no one can tell when typos occur in a novel. But they are well nigh inexcusable in any work where people are theoretically relying on the author for accuracy and a minimal level of expertise. I refuse to accept the claim that a wine writer of any caliber understands his subject if he can't spell a place name right or spend the time to proofread, even if he once identified a bottle of '82 Haut Brion blind. Here are just two examples (curiously, both blunders I noticed relate to Italy, which, like Rome, seems to be where many unskilled wine gladiators go to die.) (1) Gamberro or Gambero? The famous Italian wine guide Gambero Rosso is spelled both ways within two pages. (2) Somewhere he refers to the town of Spoleto but it's written Spoleta, which is doubly unfortunate because it actually has nothing to do with wine-it's an Umbrian town famous for its annual classical music festival, also mirrored in Charleston, SC. My point is, what else in here is a trap for people who think he's trustworthy? Were these names misspelled in the magazine and someone just hit the copy and paste key? On a related note, why is a chapter entitled "The Maserati of Champagne" not placed in a section of the book called "Bubbles and Spirits?" The whole effort comes across as casual, superficial and sloppy, like maybe he was still drunk while he was writing and never went back for a fact check-hell, it's not a novel, after all.

But the two main reasons I found myself increasingly wincing as he pranced along were more significant. First, I suppose it goes with the territory, but I have to say I found his frequent use of metaphors, especially literary ones, both pretentious and unreliable. There are multiple references to wines as sports cars, including Maserati (see above), Ferrari and Mercedes-never linked to the country of the wine's origin- but unfortunately no steady, dependable Civics that can give you a lot of mileage for everyday consumption. Different first-growth Bordeaux are stylistically Turgenevs, Tolstoys and Dostoyevskys-at least he can spell them right-though I have no idea what he's talking about. A poor South African winemaker is described as "the gruff Charles Barkley-sized black sheep of the family," which is such an unintentionally inappropriate and hilarious analogy I had to include it even if it doesn't refer to a wine. I can't wait for his book on basketball.

Which brings me to the final complaint. Perhaps the book's most annoying feature is the seemingly random perspective the individual essays take relative to the reader's presumed knowledge of wine. I'm sure many will have already decided I'm an unrepentant geek of some kind because I don't appreciate the wit and accessibility on display here, or that I'm focusing on the bad instead of the good, but I would think that McInerny owes it to his readers to talk to them at a consistent level instead of a voice that's literally and figuratively all over the map. From one paragraph or essay to another he either speaks to the audience in an instructive and engaging tone like he was the grand prize in a "win an evening with Jay McInerny" winetasting sweepstakes for H&G subscribers, or he prattles on with the most abstruse, incomprehensible name-dropping drivel about wines that only a billionaire can afford.

Just to show this is a balanced review, I will credit the author for trying to sprinkle most essays with a few recommended examples of whatever he's talking about. When exploring the wide world of wine, we all need someone we can Lichine on, and if you want to, you can Lichine on he. Although I hate to see it in print, I must also give him credit for outing the fabulous though increasingly expensive wines of Montefalco's Paolo Bea.

I'm about done here. My recommendation would be for you to try to read a few of the short chapters before you buy this book to see if it hits the mark for you. But if I were writing in the clever McInerny style, I'd be compelled to return to my opening and say something like, while Hugh McElhinney made it into the football Hall of Fame, this book is going into my wine writing hall of shame

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Casa Lapostolle, one of Chile's most important wineries, is owned by the French family Marnier-Lapostolle, makers of Grand Marnier. The Chilean wine adventure has been touted for years for its Cuvee Alexandre and Apalta wine lines. But the winery also produces more affordable and also quite good bottlings.

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Produced in Impruneta, near Florence, from Chianti grapes and by the same estate that produces our extra virgin olive oil, Cafaggio is a straighforward vinegar with clear and pungent taste and of ana beautiful red rubin color. Not an alternative to bland balsamic vinegars commonly found on supermaket shelves, but a product with its own personality. The Chianti grapes are aged in oak barrels for at least 6 months to impart the vinegar a slight woodsy flavor. Use it deliberately in all your salads, on grilled meats or whenever you need extra zest in your dishes.

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Customer Review: Terrific Guide for Visiting or Wine Shopping!

I used this beautiful and informative book to plan a fabulous Yamhill County, Oregeon wine tasting day with friends. The book had wonderful, accurate information about an incredible number of Oregon wineries. I am pretty fussy about wine and go tasting frequently in California. The authors of this book gave great recommendations and the wineries we picked based upon their endorsements were all top-notch. No disappointments! We left the book with our friends in Oregon, but I am buying another copy to keep at home to use for navigating the Oregon section of our local wine stores. One caveat: the authors find something nice to say about every winery they review, and they cover a lot of them. So, if you are looking for a great pinot, and the review for a particular winery focuses on the lovely garden, you may want to visit elsewhere!

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Contains Napa Valley Sourdough Nuggets 2 oz., Tuscan Style Focaccia Crisp Crackers 4 oz., Columbus Italian Salami 8 oz., Apple Smoked Cheddar Cheese 8 oz., Swiss Cheese 7 oz. and Cheddar Cheese 7 oz.

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More than any other country in the world, it is Italy that we turn to for gastronomic inspiration. 101 Beautiful Towns of Italy: Food and Wine takes readers along on a one-of-a-kind tour through the tantalizing tastes of Italy's varied landscape to explore hilltop and seaside towns, where the flavors of Italy scent the air, a good meal is considered the highest form of art, and a fine bottle of wine is never hard to come by. In Alba, savor the refined taste of the white truffle accompanied by a hearty glass of Barolo. Head to Parma for a sampling of prosciutto di Parma, and don't forget to pick up a wheel of parmigiano-reggiano. Travel to the hills of Tuscany, where a glass of red Vino Nobile di Montepulciano accompanies your meal of filetto d'anatra con tartufo (truffled duck breast) and to Campania, home of Naples, the Amalfi coastline, and, of course, pizza, in its many forms, but almost always topped with mozzarella di bufala. Descriptive sidebars key readers in to the best restaurants in town, where to buy the ingredients to prepare the dishes featured (and where to shop for the wine to accompany them) as well as tips on what to see during a visit. A sprinkling of recipes rounds out this information-packed resource. Included is an appendix with in-depth listings to help travelers plan their culinary journeys: what wine cellars to visit, where to dine, and how to navigate a busy market.Whether you're an armchair traveler or an Italophile planning another trip, this volume provides an excellent guide.

Customer Review: Beautiful Coffee Table Book of Italy

This book was a birthday gift for a dear friend who has visited Italy several times and who thoroughly enjoys its delicious cuisine. She loved it! The book is filled with beautiful photos and interesting information on the little towns of Italy. My friend has it on her coffee table for all to enjoy. A great gift!

Customer Review: Beautiful Towns is Italy

Wonderful book full of color photos, the only disappointing thing is that there were no recipes provided.

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Oct. 20 (Bloomberg) -- The mission statement at Chaddsford Winery in Pennsylvania's historic Brandywine Valley sounds like the opening of a ``Star Trek'' episode: ``Chaddsford Winery began as a dream. To go where no one else on the East Coast had gone.''

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