Northwest Wine Country: Wine's New Frontier

This is a worthwhile book for the Northwest wine tourist. I have used it successfully on a recent trip, and found its descriptions to be accurate. As is keeping with this type of book, when the author finds the wines to be outstanding, it is so stated, but when they find the wine average, they focus on some positive aspect of the visit instead. With that in mind, you can either pursue the best wines, or the most enjoyable visits, whichever you seek. The only thing that I would fault the book for is the maps, they are very general only, and sometimes it would be nice to have something specific. But, hey, that's what Mapquest is for, so if you're going to find a winery off the beaten path, print out a detailed map before you go. Or call when you're on the road, this book has all the relevant telephone numbers that you'll need.

While my husband and I were browsing at our favorite bookstore, we discussed where we should travel next. We both love wine, so we thought maybe a wine tasting tour would be next. As San Franciscans, we visit the Sonoma and Napa valleys often, but we wanted to go somewhere different. We have used the Hills' guides to Sonoma and Napa in the past so we asked the book store clerk to suggest something similar, and then we found a copy of "Northwest Wine Country:Wine's New Frontier." Immediately, we were intrigued. We had no idea how many great places there were to visit. We ended up planning a trip which took us on a road trip from San Francisco up through Oregon and into Washington state. Our favorite part of this book were the great descriptions and details regarding each winery. Not only were the directions great, but we learned so much about each winery as we drove closer. My husband and I took turns reading to each other as the other drove. We really enjoyed those in Washington state especially near and around Spokane. We had visited the Seattle area before, but had never ventured into this part of WA. My husband is a collector of wine bottle labels which he meticulously saves in a book. The Hills pointed out a winery near Spoakne, THe Worden Washington Winery, and specifically mention their "distinctive labels." That helped us decide where we should go. Everything they said was right! We loved the winery and the labels. We spent four days visiting the eight or so wineries in the area while also enjoying the local scenery. We had a wonderful time. If we had not read this book, we may have never found such a great place to spend a some time together while visiting and learning about such interesting places.