Now in an thoroughly updated third edition, Hill Guide Sonoma Valley : The Secret Wine Country provides an outstanding food and wine guide to California's wine country, pairing walking tours with features of restaurants and wines and even including recipes from featured chefs. The inclusion of rates and prices makes it easy to choose lodging and attractions.

My wife and I and two other couples will travel to Sonoma Valley soon, and I've been designated trip planner. I got out this book, a copy of which I had purchased on a previous trip, and found using it a great pleasure. It's extraordinarily thorough, very nicely organized, and well-written. It is, in fact, the best guidebook I've read.

Written by two longtime residents of the area, "Sonoma Valley the Secret Wine Country," is not only an indispensable guide for those planning a trip to the Sonoma Valley, it is also a great read for the "armchair adventurer" simply wishing to learn more about Sonoma's unique history and culture. This is a travel guide that one wants to continue reading long after the trip is over. The book is organized in a somewhat non-traditional format, a format that I found far superior to the familiar one. Instead of there being "restaurants" and "lodgings" sections, the book is organized by area, so that if you find yourself in say, Glen Ellen,(the tiny hamlet of Jack London and the Valley's only winery "tram" tour) you can simply open up the book and find out what attractions, be they eateries, wineries or antique stores, are in the immediate vicinity. This format, along with the detailed "insider's" information the authors have compiled, allows you to get to know the places you are visiting in a much more intimate and realistic way than a traditinal travel guide. You will never have that dreaded feeling of seeing youself as a tourist with this book. After reading about the Sonoma Valley's freindly, but sometimes strained relations with it's more famous rival, the Napa Valley, you'll know not to say something like "oh, that Cabernet is excellent-almost as good as the one I tasted in Napa last weekend!" There is also a number of little extras in each section, such as recipies from the locals, ratings for the level of rommance in each place, and brief histories on each of the places you are visiting. Again, I found this to be a really great book, not only for travelling, but simply as an entertaining read about a very interesting place. Indeed, the book prompted me to remove myself from my laurels and write my first online review. This guide definitely earns five stars, the online reviewer's highest praise.

What a concept: a dictionary of legal terms and concepts translated into plain, readable English. The authors make even esoteric and confusing subjects accessible and readable, but do not talk down to the reader or attempt to "fudge" their definitions. The dictionary is comprehensive, including Latin and English terms, terms from all areas of law (criminal, civil, tax, contract, real estate, constitutional, and more), and explanations/definitions of the most important institutions and agencies related to the practice of law.

So, the next time a lawyer-friend offhandedly remarks that something is "sui generis," you can nonchalantly reply, "Oh, you mean it's unique or one-of-a-kind?" Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in following the law.

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.

This book provides an enormously detailed, accurate guide to Napa Valley. You can literally move from building to building along the main roads of Napa and know what sits in each one when using this guide. It provides phone numbers, hours of operation, and all that one needs to enjoy a visit to Napa. It's almost TOO detailed... if I had one complaint it would be that I wished the authors would provide some more hints on which of the many places they describe so well are REALLY worth a visit! A great companion during a trip to Napa, though.

This book is a must for a self-guided Napa tour. The quips about wineries provided a view not oftern seen. Comments about the smaller producing wineries were true and personal. We met the winemaker, owner, the bookkeeper and cashier at Dutch Henry only to learn they are the only employees. The information in the book is helpful to find not only wineries but eateries too. We even dined at the French Laundry. Ask about the waiting list! Don't leave home without this book!

Sorry but this book is a little thin on what to see and far too thick on what & where to eat. Almost half the book is all about food, recipies, and places to eat. OK there has to be some but half the book! Once the book does get going about the island itself there seems to be little detail and not much at all on what to see an do. The is a nice chapter at the end about the history of the island and a handy list of lists which sums up the first half of the book! Poor quality pictures and maps too.
The problem are there don't seem to many books available on the island...

This guide is fairly hard to use. The authors take a street-by-street approach, but there are no maps to help one follow the descriptions. In addition, the majority of the neighborhood descriptions are lumped together in a single chapter without any sub-sections or sub-headers. This means that there is no easy way to locate a particular neighborhood such as Downtown or Chinatown. More maps interspersed in the descriptions and clearer headings would make this book easier to use.

This book's tone can be annoying as well. The authors are justifiably proud of Victoria, but to the point that they unnecessarily take stabs at other cities ("Enjoy a stroll ... and bask in this rarefied atmosphere reminiscent of the banks of Paris' Seine, but with clean air" [p. 25]) and criticize out-of-town visitors. For example, there are a number of admonishments to tourists to behave properly: "Each offering is served to be tasted and digested, not to be chowed down" [p. 30]; "Modulate your voices, wait your turn, and tone down the clothes" [p. 6].

We spent two weeks in a condo in Victoria in May, and having read the Hill's Guide before we got there we felt right at home. We loved the way it was laid out by neighborhood, and were able tofind many of the shops and restaurants withoutany trouble.We also made use of the suggestions for travel out of the city. Thank you for making our visit so memorable!