Longtime Chronicle wine columnist Jon Bonné has a new coffeetable book called The New California Wine, in which he profiles the latest generation of growers and winemakers who have drawn new sophistication and flavors out of California's terroirs. And he'll be the guest of honor at a multi-course dinner at Camino in Oakland this Wednesday, which will also feature wines from four of his favorite winemakers.
Bonné tells KQED, "The reason I sort of set out to write this was I realized there’s an entire generation of winemakers who people, for the most part, haven’t really heard of. What they were doing was not only interesting and important and of course delicious, but it was really as significant, culturally, as what the first modern generation of pioneers did the Robert Mondavis and the Warren Winiarskis in terms of looking at California with a global perspective, seeing that this was an amazing place to grow wine." In the book, Bonné profiles people like Bonny Doon alum Prudy Foxx, nicknamed "the grape whisperer" in the industry; and classics scholar turned small producer Abe Schoener of The Scholium Project.
The event includes a cocktail reception with Bonné, a book signing, and a prix fixe dinner from Camino's fireplace and chef Russell Moore. Dishes will be paired with wines by Broc Cellars, Jolie Laide, La Clarine Farms, and Horse & Plow, and the winemakers will all be on hand to discuss their wines as they're served. And books will be for sale from Omnivore Books.
Dinner Party with Jon Bonné at Camino, 3917 Grand Avenue, Oakland
April 9 from 6 to 9 p.m.
$142 per person including wine pairings, tax, and gratuity. Tickets here.