New California Wine | Jon Bonne | Talks Google

TL;DR

California wine expert Jon Bonne discusses the revival of California wine and the importance of sustainable farming practices.

Transcript

LIV WU: Hi, everyone. Welcome. Thanks for showing up in such a nice numbers on a Friday afternoon before Easter. Did you know we were going to pour wine? You did? I thought I kept it a secret. It was a test to see how many of you would come. So thank you for coming. And I didn't have to know the numbers because I had to figure out how many wines to... Read More

Key Insights

• 😋 The teaching kitchen in Mountain View aims to educate and empower people to learn about food and wine.
• 🍷 California wine faced a decline in the 1980s due to mass production and a shift towards high-alcohol, flashy wines.
• 👶 A new generation of winemakers emerged, focused on terroir-driven and site-specific wines.
• 🍷 Sustainable farming practices and a focus on balanced wines are becoming more important in California winemaking.
• 💗 There is a growing interest in lesser-known grape varieties such as Chenin Blanc and Sinsault in California.
• ✋ Dry-farmed, organic vineyards are gaining popularity and are producing high-quality wines.
• 🍷 Critics need to be aware of their biases and provide a contextual perspective on wine.
• 😮 The affordability and accessibility of California wine remain a challenge, especially with rising prices and increasing demand.
• 💦 Water scarcity in California is a concern, but sustainable farming and innovative technologies can help mitigate its impact on vineyards.
• 💗 There is a growing trend of pairing Cabernet Franc with Szechuan cuisine, highlighting the versatility of this grape variety.

Questions & Answers

Q: What sparked the creation of the teaching kitchen in Mountain View?

The food team in Mountain View believed in teaching people how to cook and explore food. The teaching kitchen provided a space for people to learn about food and wine.

Q: How did Jon Bonne's view of California wine change during his time as a wine editor?

Bonne initially had reservations about California wine but discovered a new generation of winemakers focused on terroir-driven wines. This shifted his opinion and led him to write "The New California Wine."

Q: How did California wine decline in the 1980s?

The 1980s saw a shift towards mass-produced, lower-quality wines and an overreliance on technology and additives. This led to the departure of serious winemakers and critics began promoting big, flashy wines.

Q: What role did critics play in the rise of big, high-alcohol California wines?

Critics began favoring bigger, more expressive wines, which led to an increase in demand for these types of wines. Winemakers responded by producing wines with higher alcohol content to cater to the critics' preferences.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Liv Wu and Jon Bonne discuss the creation of a teaching kitchen in Mountain View, focused on food and wine education.

• Bonne shares the genesis of his book, "The New California Wine," and his exploration of the changing landscape of California winemaking.

• Bonne explains the rise and fall of California wine and the emergence of a new generation of winemakers focused on terroir and site-specific wines.