In 1905, Napa's mayor, J.A. Fuller, announced, "Napa for half a century has been slumbering in a Rip Van Winkle sleep but she has awakened at last." Back then, fifteen cents bought coffee and a donut at the Depot and Sawyer's Tannery made soft leather baseball gloves. In this collection, local author Lauren Coodley reimagines the unvarnished country life of historic Napa Valley through the stories of notables like postmaster Ernest Kincaid, "Napa Register" reporter Phyllis King, firefighter historian Rita Bordwell and Brewster's owners Rachel and Larry Friedman. Trace the region's lasting legacy, from the time when a horse and buggy purchased Browns Valley to the days when art galleries replaced blue-collar businesses and the California grape took center stage from Sunsweet prunes.
When acclaimed journalist Alan Deutschman came to the California wine country as the lucky house guest of very rich friends, he was surprised to discover a raging controversy. A civil war was being fought between the Napa Valley, which epitomized elitism, prestige and wealthy excess, and the neighboring Sonoma Valley, a rag-tag bohemian enclave so stubbornly backward that rambunctious chickens wandered freely through town. But the antics really began when new-money invaders began pushing out Sonoma’s poets and painters to make way for luxury resorts and trophy houses that seemed a parody of opulence. A Tale of Two Valleys captures these stranger-than-fiction locales with the wit of a Tom Wolfe novel and uncorks the hilarious absurdities of life among the wine world’s glitterati. Deutschman found that on the weekends the wine country was like a bunch of gracious hosts smiling upon their guests, but during the week the families feuded with each other and their neighbors like the Hatfields and McCoys. Napa was a comically exclusive club where the super-rich fought desperately to get in. Sonoma’s colorful free spirits and iconoclasts were wary of their bohemia becoming the next playground for the rapacious elite. So, led by a former taxicab driver and wine-grape picker, a cheese merchant, and an artist who lived in a barn surrounded by wild peacocks, they formed a populist revolt to seize power and repel the rich invaders. Deutschman’s cast of characters brims with eccentrics, egomaniacs, and a mysterious man in black who crashed the elegant Napa Valley Wine Auction before proceeding to pay a half-million dollars for a single bottle. What develops is nothing less than a battle for the good life, a clash between old and new, the struggle for the soul of one of America’s last bits of paradise. A dishy glimpse behind the scenes of a West Coast wonderland, A Tale of Two Valleys makes for intoxicating reading.
Walking home late one night from a party, Napa Valley restaurant owner Sunny McCoskey happens upon the shocking sight of a murdered woman, bound and hanging from the tree of a local vineyard. Shortly before, she'd seen a truck leaving a local winery, driving without its headlights on. Was it the murderer? And did the murderer see her as well? Sunny's investigation introduces her to a whole new array of colorful characters and suspects, including a hardy contingent of Northern California surfers and a shady community of houseboaters. With the help of her lively and irreverent crew of friends, Sunny uncovers dark motives amid the cool chardonnays, and finds herself the focus of the killer's unwelcome attention.
The New York Times–bestselling history of the rise of California’s wine country and its most famous vintners—from the author of Napa at Last Light. James Conaway’s remarkable bestseller delves into the heart of California’s lush and verdant Napa Valley, also known as America’s Eden. Long the source of succulent grapes and singular wines, this region is also the setting for the remarkable true saga of the personalities behind the winemaking empires. This is the story of Gallos and Mondavis, of fortunes made and lost, of dynasties and destinies. In this delightful, full-bodied social history, Conaway charts the rise of a new aristocracy and, in so doing, chronicles the collective ripening of the American dream. Napa is a must-read for anyone interested in our country’s obsession with money, land, power, and prestige. “An extraordinary American success story: a pageant of family dramas and blood feuds.” —People “This is more than a ‘wine book’—it is a fascinating and closely reported social history.” —Tracy Kidder
From the bestselling author of "Tra Vigne Cookbook" and host of his own weekly PBS show comes the story of Napa Valley winemaking and its people. 20 recipes. 150+ full-color photos.
The NapaLife Insider's Guide to Napa Valley is a guide to America's wine heartland by Paul Franson, editor of NapaLife, the Insider's Guide to Napa Valley - for those who live there and those who wish they did. More than a guide, it gives the opinions of a long-time resident and writer who has been writing about Napa Valley from the Insider for more than 20 years.Franson has also written for the Napa Valley Register, Napa Valley Life, Food & Wine, Decanter, Wine Enthusiast, San Francisco Chronicle, Wines & Vines, Wine Business Monthly and many other publications as well as hosting radio programs on Napa Valley.In the NapaLife Insider's Guide to Napa Valley, you'll learn the stories behind the valley and its people and everything from the best views of Napa Valley to why Napa Valley is the unique place it is.
"Napa Valley, once known for its cattle and silver mines, has grown into an international wine destination. On the way, many buildings and institutions have vanished. ... Join author and historian Lauren Coodley as she celebrates those once-beloved landmarks in California's Wine Country."--
This is an indispensable guide to the Napa Valley, with details on the area's best wineries, up-to-date directions, tasting-room hours, an improved regional map, and information on wine-making and the local vintners.
