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Out of the 'Chicken Soup,' into wine for author-couple

Source:Soup can soothe the soul, they say, but wine is fine as well.

Dahlynn and Ken McKowen of Orangevale have spent a good chunk of their literary lives writing inspirational vignettes for the 100 million-selling "Chicken Soup" book series, contributing to such titles as "Chicken Soup for the Fisherman's Soul: Fish Tales to Hook Your Spirit and Snag Your Funny Bone" - and even "Chicken Soup for the Soul in Menopause: Living and Laughing Through Hot Flashes and Hormones."

Now they're toiling in new vineyards - specifically, in the burgeoning foothills wine country.

The McKowens last month released a brimming book about the region: "The Wine-OH! Guide to California's Sierra Foothills" (Wilderness Press, $17.95). Logging in at more than 300 pages, the guide reads like a travelogue as it winds through 83 regional wineries.

Sure, bookstore shelves tend to be pretty well stocked with wine guides. But this "Wine-OH!" book reads a little differently, not only because of the especially bright spotlight it shines on our regional wine scene but also because of its "Chicken Soup"-style sensibility and focus on human interest stories.

Readers are introduced to the foothills' wine personalities and properties, and the guide offers day-trip ideas and contact information for those planning their own tasting adventures.

The McKowens have between them 50 years of writing experience. They specialize in travel writing and co-wrote a guide to California's missions, mansions and museums.

"Wine Buzz" caught up recently with Dahlynn

McKowen to chat about her new wine guide.

How did you two get from chicken soup to wine? What prompted you to write this book?

We love to go wine tastings at Dobra Zemlja (in Amador County). One time we were picking up some wine - we're in their wine club - and started talking to the owner. We travel so much and thought, "Maybe we can write this off somehow." Then we thought, "Hey, let's do a book!" We threw the idea out to the publisher and they loved it.

I have a background in rural tourism. At first, we were torn, like we didn't want to tell anyone about (the Sierra foothills wine country). It's like Napa was 25 years ago, when it wasn't so over the top and pretentious. The people here love what they do. They're not corporations.

There's plenty of wine in them thar hills. How did you decide which wineries to feature?

When we got the book contract, we sent surveys to all the wineries that had posted hours on their Web site. We asked some fun questions about any history they might have in the place, along with some general questions. We got the surveys back and thought about who was worthy of being included. Some places sounded big, but you'd show up, and it would be in someone's garage. Some places were also closing.

The book's full of stories and history, but not many notes about the wines themselves. Why?

We're not experts. We're wine lovers. The original subtitle was going to be, "A book for wine lovers, not wine snobs."

This isn't a best-of series. We don't say, "Go to this winery and try this cab franc" because it's the best in the region. We want to talk more about the wineries and what they're known for. We have mom-and-pop places, some bigger ones and others that are out of the way. It's not about how many medals you've won.

How long did you sip your way through the Sierra foothills to put this book together?

We spent about three or four months in wine country. All of our neighbors wanted to come with us. People ask if we tasted everywhere we went, but the book would still be in the galleys if we did.

It was very fun. It wasn't like running through a museum for an hour. We could just visit and get to know these people. Meeting and learning the people was the joy of doing the book.

Your wine guide has a pretty thorough Web site (www.wineohguide.com). It's almost like a book in itself.

It's so much fun as you go through the pages. You can see more interviews, and we've also got a monthly newsletter for our Wine-OH! club.

"The Wine-OH!" guide says it's the first in a series. What wine country are you off to next?

Our publisher was looking at a San Luis Obispo/ Santa Barbara County book, but there are too many wineries. We're leaning toward Monterey County next.

I would also love to do Lodi. That's an amazing grape-growing and wine region. It's just busting out of the seams and producing great wines.

Source:http://www.sacbee.com/books/story/2303072.html

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