“Back Lane Wineries of Napa” ($19.95, Little Bookroom)
Each year, according to author Tilar Mazzeo, more than 5 million visitors travel to the wine country of Napa Valley, “making it the second-largest tourist destination” in California, after Disneyland. This handsome and very thorough guide concentrates on the region’s “back lane wineries,” places the typical traveler may not know even exist. These winemakers produce handcrafted wines by on-site proprietors that often receive only local or regional distribution. Thus, most of the wineries in this guide make fewer than 10,000 cases of wine each year, while the smallest may produce as few as 100 or so “with names that you won’t find in big retail outlets back home.” One of the entries is RustRidge Bed & Breakfast, which is at the RustRidge Ranch and Winery, in the lesser-known Chiles Valley. It does “double duty” as a place to rest your head and sip some wine (it is also a working ranch and horse farm). In harvest season, guests can even watch as the grapes are crushed. Chicago Tribune
