Super wines - perhaps the best that the New World produces - but what a shame about the prices! Knock out all the wine investors in New York, together with the employees of Silicon Valley and Microsoft up in Seattle, then the prices might appear more attractive but until that unlikely event our Californian range will have to remain necessarily small. That said, please try the wines we do list: they have passed our value for money criteria and are excellent. Also keep an eye on our Oddments list for interesting small parcels.

Central Coast is a large area which stretches from Bridgehead in Costa Contra County just by San Francisco to Santa Barbara, two hours short of Los Angeles. This is the home of the Rhône Rangers although sea fogs protect Burgundy emulators from the worst of the sun.