Friday Fishwrap: the S.F. Chronicle, and the Petaluma Gap
It’s really sad how the San Francisco Chronicle’s wine coverage has dropped off the cliff since the paper and Jon Bonné parted ways.
I didn’t always agree with Jon. I hated his attitude towards alcohol and thought he was unfair in his treatment of California wineries. But at least Jon was a true wine writer: passionate, opinionated and with the means to taste broadly and deeply.
Now that he’s gone, the Chron—which is not only Northern California’s largest-circulation newspaper but is based in the gateway to wine country, San Francisco—is barely covering wine at all. I’ve read the Chron for more than thirty years, and this is the worst its wine reporting has ever been. It is, to the best of my memory, the first time in decades that the paper hasn’t had a fulltime wine writer/critic.
The need for having one is obvious. Wine is huge in Northern California. Nearly everybody drinks it. Food and restaurants also are huge in Northern California; people love to eat out, or tinker in their kitchens. The Chron does a very good job of covering food and restaurants. And what beverage is more intimately connected with food than wine?
I suspect, although I can’t prove it, that the Chron canned its wine coverage because wineries don’t advertise. I understand that ads, not subscriptions, are what keep print publications afloat. I suppose it made sense, in a green eyeshades way, for the Chron’s management to ditch wine. But it doesn’t make sense from the standpoint of being a great newspaper.
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I’ve been thinking of that winegrowing area east of Petaluma in Sonoma County where the Sonoma Coast, Carneros and Sonoma Valley AVAs all sort of come together. It’s a weird little place whose most significant terroir impact comes from the Petaluma Gap. Up until fairly recently, we hadn’t seen many vineyards or grapes grown there, but that’s fast changing, especially with the growing popularity of Pinot Noir. Later today, I’ll be driving up to Hartford Court Winery, where we’re doing another of our weekly tastings, this time of Sonoma Coast Pinots. Among them is DuMol’s 2012 Eoin, made from grapes grown in the Sonoma Stage Vineyard, which is right in that funny area. It’s a cool-climate region, not as cool as, say, the Santa Maria Valley, but almost. There aren’t many new Pinot-growing areas in California that are interesting these days, but this one is. Stay tuned.
And have a great weekend!
It is rumored that the Chronicle does have a new winewriter. She is said to be very young and to have been recruited from the Wine Spectator. Supposedly she starts within the week.
Looking at the map brings back memories.
I attended Casa Grande High School, which looks like a minimum security prison, in the 70’s.
All the area southeast of Casa Grande road was cow pastures and a place for us teenagers to drink and drag race. Frates Road was littered with cans, pull tabs, and bottles.
I guess I should have saved my money back then and bought up a few acres.
BTW Steve, thanks for the
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That also brings up memories
I wonder if the deterioration of the relationship between certain wineries and the SFChron contributed to the decline in advertising revenue
scrappymutt: Could be!
Steve, is all this recent focus on Pinot noir a part of JFW’s West Burgundy Wine Group? Sounds interesting but also similar to IPOB. What can you tell us about WBWG?
http://m.napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/wine/the-new-west-burgundy-wine-group-focusing-on-world-class/article_31dee91b-6796-542a-9472-50fd7528b7c9.html?mobile_touch=true
“I suspect, although I can’t prove it, that the Chron canned its wine coverage because wineries don’t advertise. I understand that ads, not subscriptions, are what keep print publications afloat.”
Advertising is the life’s blood of print media.
I have been graced with hard copies of The Chroncle’s “Food and Wine” section — mailed by a wine friend who retired to Carneros — for almost 10 years.
(Likewise every other “wine country” newspaper carrying wine editorial.)
As memory serves, I saw comparatively little “corporate image” or “product” display advertising by North Coast wineries.
The section had a dual audience: the public and the trade.
That the section has catered because North Coast wineries didn’t support it adequately is (as they say) “on them.”
Linda Murphy, if you are on the sidelines reading this blog entry, care to offer us your invaluable insights as a former editor of The Chronicle’s “Food & Wine” section?
[http://www.winebusiness.com/news/?go=getArticle&dataId=43839]
(signed)
A “4As” full-service ad agency-trained professional
Dear Unknown Comic:
Geez, the bread crumbs you left point directly to . . .
http://www.winespectator.com/author/show/id/102
(signed)
Sheer-luck Holmes
ERRATUM
That the section has CRATERED because North Coast wineries didn’t support it adequately is (as they say) “on them.”