BR: The Wine-Oh Guide to Calif's Sierra Foothills..

Picked this up when I was out in Calif last. It's a guide to the wineries and folk's behind them in the SierraFoothills; Nevada/Placer/Amador/ElDorado and Calaveras counties. Paperback from WildernessPress. Authored by Dahlynn&Ken McKowen. Lots of familar faces in it and lots of new ones (to me).
The book is not what you'd call polished/professional writing. No glitzy multi-color pictures. No tedious TN's. The rather amateurish/folksey/down-home/aw-shucks/breezy tenor of the writing is something that I found rather appealing, in fact. A lot of personal looks at folks behind the wineries. This quirky little tome is an easy read and one that I'd definitely recommend for anyone interested in SierraFoothill wines.
There is just one major criticism I have of the book...the section on Renwood Wnry. It made me want to barf. A totally inaccurate depiction of the origins of Renwood...based solely on the BS that RobertSmerling fed them...hook/line&sinker. He was NOT the founder of Renwood...that would be ScottHarvey. It was NOT founded in 1993, but well before that when it was SantinoWnry. The wnry was NOT named Renwood in honor of Smerling's wife (man...she has one huge cross to bear w/ that guy) Rene...but based on Scott's fondness for Wren birds. And all the usual Smerling crap about GrandPere Vnyd.
Other than that....it's a fun read.
Tom

I remember Scott's Renwood zins fondly, with the little bird on the label..Tom, correct me if I am wrong but wasn't there a barbera as well?

I remember Scott's Renwood zins fondly, with the little bird on the label..Tom, correct me if I am wrong but wasn't there a barbera as well?

Scott made a bunch of wines, Jon. Incliding a Barbera (Linsteadt) and even a GrandPere Barbera. The little bird (wren) is still on the label, but nothing
like the Renwoods that Scott made. And Scott made a bunch of Zins.
Tom