The New Wine Rules
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“How to select a wine, how to serve it, how to store it, how to pair it with food: These are among the topics that many consumers find so challenging. Mr. Bonné succeeds in extracting the answers from decades of overwrought expert instruction and presenting them in a clear, easygoing manner.”
“One might expect a book of ‘wine rules’ from a renowned wine writer and critic to be another stuffy compendium of dos and don’ts that takes most of the joy out of drinking wine. But Jon Bonné’s latest book is quite the opposite: a primer on all things wine that is clear, concise, and firmly anti-snob.”
“Bonné would like you to know that maybe it’s okay-and-not-scary to put down that trusty, safe glass of Moscato or Chardonnay and try something new.”
“Bonné … has come out with a book full of new wine rules that merit our attention. It is, in fact, called ‘The New Wine Rules’ — and it’s the best of its kind.”
“If you read only one wine book … ”
“From the tools and habits essential for handling and serving wine, to a delineation of the methods available for rendering it sparkling, and from a primer on pricing, to tips on tasting technique, Bonné almost unerringly manages succinct and canny coverage of, as promised, ‘everything you need to know.’ ”
“Bonné … says that with a new generation of wine drinkers and an increasingly diverse dinner menu, much of what we’ve learned about wine in the past no longer applies.”
“Veteran wine writer Bonné condenses no-nonsense must-know ‘rules’ on buying, serving and enjoying wine in simple language and attractive graphics.”
“In a market littered with books promising a crash-course in wine in a slim volume, Jon Bonné is perhaps the first to ever, truly deliver.”
“One after another the rules resonate with straightforward common sense, insight, wisdom and down-to-earth everyday applicability. … His advice is rock-solid, plain, and yet it’s liberating.”
“His handy new myth-busting guidebook is perfect for those of us who are a little intimidated by the officiousness of the wine world.”
“Former San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné is one of the best in a rising generation of writers who have begun to go deeper than the 100-point horse race that’s dominated the wine press for decades, and, in the process, he’s broken a lot of the conventional rules.”
“Instead of writing another ‘drink this, not that’ tome, he set out to create a new set of practical rules, that will help you know how much to spend, when to listen to your local wine shopkeeper, and how to be ok with just serving whatever’s open in the fridge (and have it come out tasting great).”
“This book covers everything from how to taste wine to how to confidently order from one of the most trusted wine writers around.”
“Bonné is one of the best wine writers working today, but he wears his learning lightly in conveying the essentials of buying, storing and ordering the beverage while working in some tips that go beyond the standard beginner’s wine book.”
“If the kind of snobbery that feeds into that fear isn’t yet dead, Bonné wants to kill it once and for all—in part through this slim volume, which would make a fine holiday gift for any curious wine novice.”
“This pocket-sized primer will put the fun back into wine drinking.”
“The declaration on its front cover that it is ‘a genuinely helpful guide to everything you need to know’ doesn’t overstate its utility, but neglects to state the sheer joy of this book.”
“In naming his book The New Wine Rules, Jon Bonné has essentially asserted the authority of his own line in the sand. But hey, someone has to do it. Because in a world of 24-hour opinion sharing, sometimes we need to hit the pause button, collect ourselves, and establish basic guidance for those who, amidst so much noise and so little objectivity, are just trying to enjoy a bottle of wine.”
“At last, an accessible, abbreviated guide to the basics of wine, including drinking, buying and sharing.”
“Hoping to dispel the esoteric culture often associated with wine and democratize the subject, Bonné, a James Beard Award-winning author and former wine editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, tackles everything a newbie might need to know.”
“This slim volume of practical advice … headlines this holiday season’s books for the wine lovers on your gift list.”
“With its simple and friendly advice on buying, storing and drinking wine, it’ll make you a happier and more confident wine nerd.”
The New California Wine
“Bonné has been positioned perfectly to observe the profound pendulum swing in style and attitude that has occurred among California winemakers over the last decade.”
Eric Asimov, The New York Times
“The big California wines may never go away, but now we have choices. Bonné’s intelligence and knowledge are on full display in this book. There is no better guide to delicious wines from California.”
Edward Behr, The Art of Eating
“… a wonderful, engaging read with an actual narrative and a cast of characters who think outside the box, care about sustainability, and have a strong curiosity and work ethic.”
S. Irene Virbila, The Los Angeles Times
“Bonné’s book should be mandatory reading for all fans of American wine.”
Dave McIntyre, The Washington Post
“The good news is that for those who prefer the fresher style there is now a generation of young California winemakers providing just that. In his book, Mr. Bonné has unearthed a few.”
“Brisk, elegant, steely and most of all, nuanced—with this seminal account of a vinicultural revolution, these are the adjectives with which we will now be describing the Golden State’s wines.” (Favorite Food Books of 2013)
“Thanks to Bonné’s manifesto, North American wine hasn’t been such a buzz topic since The Judgment of Paris in 1976 when Steven Spurrier shocked and outraged the French wine establishment by organising a blind tasting in which a wine from Stag’s Leap managed to outrank some of Bordeaux’s finest names.”
“Jon Bonné takes on the ‘reign of big flavor’ in this smart guide to the new talents of California wine.” (Top 10 Gift Picks)
“In his impressive new book … Bonné has come to praise rather than bury his adopted state, describing the counter-cultural scene that is flourishing in the margins.”
“This is a superbly written book from the get-go in a style that flows seamlessly across the page, offering a well-balanced view of what is happening on the ground from a writer who seems to have captured the zeitgeist of a paradigm shift. It’s up there with the best books of the year.”
Paul O’Doherty, Jancisrobinson.com
“If you had any doubt that California wine is cool again, just read Jon Bonné’s The New California Wine.”
“Many of us have had an inkling that something special is happening in the California wine industry — in his new book, The New California Wine, Bonné chronicles the wines and winemakers changing California’s industry in a way that turns that inkling into a solid foundation of excitement.”
“The San Francisco Chronicle’s wine editor will give any novice the confidence to chat about the California wine renaissance and its leanings toward a lighter-bodied, more global point of view.” (The Year’s Seven Best Cookbooks)
“The New California Wine is a comprehensive look at the vanguard of personalities who are bucking what’s expected and boldly redefining California’s place in the wine world.”
“From his perch at the Chronicle, Bonné was able to dig deep into California’s wine culture to find the winemakers who never compromised.”
“[I]f I were going to put just one new book on my must-buy list for wine lovers, it would be The New California Wine by Jon Bonné of the San Francisco Chronicle. This book brings to life the people and places of California’s current wine scene: the innovators, the experimenters, and risk-takers who are making some of the most exciting wines in the country today. … It’s an exciting book about an exciting time in our country’s wine history, and it will leave you thirsty to taste some of the many wines he recommends.”
“Bonné, the wine editor for the San Francisco Chronicle, knows his stuff from the land to the glass — this is a book of on-the-ground reporting, historical breadth, and keen insight.”
“Looking to move beyond the wine basics and into hipper bottles? This is your book.”
“Jon Bonné … raises the curtain on California winemaking and shares insights into that industry that could only be unearthed by someone so close to it. There’s no sugar-coating here; Bonné’s authoritative look at California wine is unflinching.”
“This season’s most controversial book may be Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné’s The New California Wine ($35), out in November. It’s sure to infuriate big-Napa-Cab fans as it trumpets winemakers advancing a more idiosyncractic vision.”
“Jon Bonné fashions a rich tapestry of context for California wine. He weaves history, science and his own extensive visits with producers into essays that are tremendously informative yet energetic and absorbing. … I’ve been focused on California wine for quite some time now, have read and tasted widely, and spent a good deal of time at wineries and with winemakers. Yet there are many pages in New California Wine which taught me something new in every single paragraph.”
“If … Jon Bonné is the new tastemaker, then let the counter-reformation begin.”
“A timely guide for wine buyers to a set of wineries that, on the whole, are indeed making some of the most exciting California wines right now.”
“The New California Wine is a perfect gift for the sophisticated wine lover who has turned his eyes elsewhere in the wine world and is missing out on all that California has to offer.”
“You know that saying, everything old is new again? Well, actually that is the case with California wines.”
Evan Kleiman, KCRW’s “Good Food” [listen]
“California wine is experiencing a renaissance and this book really brings it to light.”
“The New California Wine is more of a coffee table book than it is a reference guide, and yet it’s more of a reference guide than your typical coffee table book.”
Rachael Myrow, The California Report [listen]
“It could be argued that not since Frank Schoonmaker advocated for quality by focusing industry attention on varietals has a critic been positioned so closely to a set of ideas and a group of winemakers whose time has come. Certainly, I can’t remember the last time I read a book about wine with quite so great a sense of thrill.”
“For anyone who has any interest in either America or wine, this is an important one.”
“Wine book of the year.”
“San Francisco Chronicle Wine Editor Jon Bonné visits the new generation of California winemakers, the mavericks taking American wines way beyond massive Cabs and oaky Chardonnays.”