California Wine For Dummies is an educational book for wine enthusiasts of a beginner level.

The book is organized into 5 parts and 15 chapters. Chapters 1-3 cover a background of California wine production with lots of statistics, what is in a varietal wine and which grapes are the most grown and harvested in California, and how to decode California wine labels

Chapter 4 covers the major wine regions of California which issentially means there is a section for Napa (5 pages), Sonoma (7 pages), and everything else (11 pages).

Chapters 5-11 cover different varietal wines and a bit about blends. These chapters also include the author's favorite examples of each varietal. They have LOTS of favorites. I think that it's good to offer examples and favorites (I think that lots of readers want guides of this type to assit them at the store as well), but it might encourage a reader to only seek out those wineries, which is pretty sad.

Chapter 12 covers pairing, collecting, storage, and a basic vintage guide.

Chapters 13 and 15 contain travel information.

Chapter 14 is sort of an FAQ (Are California Chardonnays Too Oaky? Are $100 wines worth the price?)

My opinion of the book is a bit mixed. I am very happy that I bought it because it does contain a lot of useful information and overall I am quite pleased with it. But I dislike that Chapter 4 was really about Napa and Sonoma and didn't contain as much information about the other regions in California. I think that these other regions are offering great values and should be explored and studied a bit more. After all, the book explains that Napa represents only 4% of California wine production.

So should you get this book? If you are at all interested in California wine, especially if you are a beginner my answer is a loud and clear YES! There is a lot of great information contained in these pages.

But I really do hope that subsequent editions of this book contain more information about other wine regions that are representative of production numbers.

Like actors who are perfectly cast, the husband-and-wife team of Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan are the ideal pair to write the "Dummies" wine books. Ewing-Mulligan, the first female MW (Master of Wine) in the U.S., is president of the International Wine Center in New York City and U.S. director of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET). Both are Certified Wine Educators with many years of teaching experience between them. They know how to organize a book and bring clarity to a subject. And they know their subject backwards and forwards--as well as sideways and upside-down.

"California Wine for Dummies" is especially good at presenting the nuts and bolts: the regions (including the American Viticultural Areas [AVAs]) and what they're known for, the varietals, the six star grapes, the up-and-coming grapes and the supporting cast. Blends, rosés, sparkling and dessert wines are also featured. "Pairing and Sharing California Wines" presents vital information on food-and-wine matching, vintages, aging and collecting. Sidebars include subjects like advice for travelers, glassware, serving temperatures, producers that deserve special attention, how to taste wine like the experts do, etc. The authors don't always agree on everything and occasionally offer his and hers opinions.

As you probably know, California produces a wide gamut of wines, from the plebeian to the divine, with prices ranging from $2 to $750. The authors guide you to the most reliable producers at all price levels. Although it's not always easy to find delicious, inexpensive California wines, their Top Value recommendations feature some lovely wines that cost less than $12 or $15. Other categories include Moderately Priced (usually less than $20), Moderate-Plus (usually $50-$100), and occasionally Luxury (over $100) wines.

BOTTOM LINE: Since, as the authors write, "almost 70% of all the wine consumed in the U.S. is California wine," this book fills what was a surprising void in the "Dummies" line-up. "California Wine for Dummies" is a must-buy for those interested in wine. Much of it merits studying-even memorizing!

This book is OK, but I thought it would be a little more in depth. It's partially my fault as I spent the last year going to school for wine to obtain my sommelier certification. The problem was that we did not spend much time on US wine, or new world wine at all for that matter. Turns out I was very very familiar with the information already with minimal exposure. Too much time spent on travel tidbits. I wanted a good foundation of all the regions and subregions, but this book doesn't really focus on wine knowledge. I guess it's more of a consumer handbook, with lots of producers and recommendations. This information is also a very important aspect of wine knowledge. I am happy with the book anyway. The price is good, and it does have lots of tidbits of information. In the context that it is a "Dummy" book, I would highly recommend it.