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Grab your glass and take to the wine trail with food genealogist Sherry Monahan as she traces the roots of California's Vines, Wines & Pioneers." While cowboys and early settlers were writing the oft-told history of the Wild West, California's wine pioneers were cultivating a delicious industry. The story begins when Franciscan missionaries planted the first grapes in Southern California in 1769. Almost a century later, news of gold drew thirsty prospectors and European immigrants to California's promise of wealth. From Old World vines sprang a robust and varied tradition of wine cultivation that overcame threats of pests and Prohibition to win global prestige. Journey with Monahan as she uncorks this vintage history and savors the stories of California's historic wineries and vineyards."

To a region flush with the success of alcohol, Prohibition was a sobering thought. Against the backdrop of national events, author Lin Weber introduces a cast of Napa Valley's leading citizens, embroiled in a fight for their livelihood with temperance champions and federal agents. Theodore Bell filed a Hail Mary suit to stop California's ratification of the Eighteenth Amendment. Vintner Georges de Latour made money hand over fist on altar wine. The Nichelini winery hid a cache of contraband under the floorboards, and the Blaufuss Brewery avoided prosecution when the law turned a blind eye. Join Weber as she relates a wry tale of cherished vines, widespread corruption and alcohol-inspired mayhem during a time when morality" tightened the noose around Napa's prized alcohol industry."

As ethnic neighborhoods in other cities assimilate to American life, the exuberant local flavor of San Diego's Little Italy remains both culturally and culinarily distinct. Tucked between Interstate 5 and San Diego Bay southeast of San Diego International Airport, the blocks surrounding the landmark Our Lady of the Rosary Roman Catholic Church contain many of the most notable eateries and gourmet cafes in America's Finest City." Join Maria Desiderata Montana, a daughter of that Italian heritage and one of the city's most notable food writers, on this savory tour through the zesty Italian food traditions, businesses and recipes both in Little Italy and across San Diego."