Jon Bonné news

Hello, everyone. Some news to announce.

In the next month, I’ll be shifting my role at the Chronicle, becoming Contributing Editor for wine, writing my column monthly with a California focus.

This is happening for a number of reasons, but one in particular: After more than 8 years in San Francisco, and nearly 15 on the West Coast, I’m returning to New York.


That has created some great new opportunities.

First, I’ll be joining the team at Punch (punchdrink.com) as Senior Contributing Editor, writing broadly about wine and wine culture. You can find more details here: > http://punchdrink.com/…/jon-bonne-joins-punch-as-senior-co> …/.

I’m thorougly excited to be working with the incredible team there.

Second, I’ve signed with Ten Speed Press, which published “The New California Wine,” to do another book: “The New French Wine.”

That will require a lot of time in France, so you’re likely to see me there a good bit in the next couple of years, in addition to New York & California, where I’ll also be returning on a regular basis.

Of course, I still look forward to my current work with Decant and JetBlue (@JetBlue). And you can find me in the other places you have all along: here, Twitter, Instagram, Delectable and so on.

Hope you’ll all keep reading and following along. And to loyal readers of my Chronicle work over the past 8 years, an enormous thanks.

Good for Jon.

Wonder what the Chronicle might do? I looked at the site for Punch and it was all booze and beer.

Leonard, the relative lack of wine at Punch is probably the reason JB is joining them. He will build it and be a great asset, I’m sure. I would think wineries on the east coast would be happy for his arrival. As far as what the Chron will do for consistent, regular wine coverage is another thing entirely. It isn’t a secret that newspapers have trimmed back coverage of wine. Will they bring in someone new, possibly with another viewpoint?

How can a team be “incredible”?

I think Jon’s one of the best wine writers in the US, I’ll miss him here.

Can someone decipher this sentence for me: “In the next month, I’ll be shifting my role at the Chronicle, becoming Contributing Editor for wine, writing my column monthly with a California focus.”

He’s going to continue to work at the Chronicle?

Yes… he’ll still be doing work for the Chronicle, but only by writing a column once a month focused on California wines… whereas his original role was much larger. From what I understand, he was the editor for all of the wine coverage (so not just writing his column, contributing to their blog or doing the yearly top 100 features… but he was also editing other writers, choosing what content the paper should cover, etc). Hope that makes sense … someone please correct me if I’m wrong.

I think you pretty much nailed it

Do people think it is still worthwhile to submit wines to him? I have been thinking of doing so. Thoughts?

Yup…gotta agree on that one, Oliver. Most every article he writes, I learn something from. But there are a number
of folks in the BayArea are delighted to see him go…so the Chron can return to reviewing RombauerChard and
SilverOak Cab. Just like in the good/ole days. No more Forlorn-Hope GemischterSatz, no more Ryme RibollaGialla,
no more of that AltoAdige crap, no more Idlewild Arneis…gone for good, probably. Good grief…maybe we’ll even see
the development of the SFChron 100-pt scale for rating wines!! [stirthepothal.gif]
Tom

Sounds right. It’s just surprising to see a professional writer cramming 2 dangling participles into one sentence.

Received his book as a Christmas present, good read.

I’m sure some people have their anti-hipster reflex triggered, but I think Punch has a lot of potential to become something big. I think they’re positioned to ride a wave of wine drinkers as they grow up and get a little money. Adding a good voice to the wine contact would be a nice boost. I love the layout and the “flavor”, but scratch my head at some of their wine content.

Maybe I missed something. But I have read a couple of his columns here after links were provided. Never really found much to be excited about. I hope he does better for Punch.

Jon does great work. Perhaps you’ll feel the excitement if he ever turns his attention to Italy?

Agree, Mike. Jon may not write the most profound or scintillating prose, but I (almost) always learn something new from reading
his stuff. He’s pretty much the only writer out there ploughing new territory when it comes to Calif wines.
Now…if only he’d learn to answer his e-mails!!!
Tom

Perhaps he doesn’t believe in them.

I would settle for one grammatically perfect paragraph that clearly and concisely makes a point that can be easily understood, without regard to regional content. He is a dreadful writer from a technical point of view, Mike. Unless you are Faulkner or Joyce, you do not get to make up your own rules of grammar. I understand that you and Tom are interested in Bonne’s content, which is fine, but the delivery leaves much to be desired. Straining to be hip does not work for wine writing, either. Well, except maybe at Punch, so maybe there is a marriage made in heaven in the offing. If Punch can only find a sustainable audience…


P.S. Maybe Kelli White will give you fellows that cutting-edge CA stuff that you thrive upon when she hits the ground at Vinous!

And out creep/leap the naysayers.

I have found Jon’s work very useful and always read his columns with interest. I will look forward to his “New French Wine” book. That sounds intriguing.