JetBlue Announces Its Own Wine Expert, Jon Bonne

SAN FRANCISCO, CA --(Marketwired - October 23, 2014) - In anticipation of the launch of its new Mint service to San Francisco, JetBlue Airways ( NASDAQ : JBLU ) today announces its very own wine expert, Jon Bonné. The esteemed wine expert is also the Wine Editor at The San Francisco Chronicle and author of the award-winning book The New California Wine .

In this unique role, Jon is responsible for selecting the wines that will be served onboard JetBlue, specifically the selections for the airline's premium offering, Mint. As Mint is offered on transcontinental routes from New York's JFK Airport to Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) (starting October 26, 2014), JetBlue opted to select the very best wines that California has to offer.

"We are continuously working to enhance the Mint experience. The wine menu will undoubtedly be a focal point for those traveling in Mint and we want to offer our customers something that is truly different from anything they can get elsewhere in the sky. As an independent airline, when it came to our wine selection, we decided to work with smaller winemakers with the same entrepreneurial spirit and desire to innovate to ensure that our customers get to discover unique options they wouldn't find on other airlines," said Jamie Perry, director of product development, JetBlue Airways. "To bring our unique wine menu to fruition, we partnered with Jon Bonné, who brings his one-of-a-kind wine expertise to JetBlue and will provide our customers with an exceptional wine tasting experience onboard."

The selection, which will be available onboard shortly, includes a rare treat for those that may like to imbibe in the sky: the Juvenile Zinfandel from Turley Wine Cellars, California's foremost Zinfandel producer. The range of wines includes selections from other top-quality California producers: Birichino Malvasia Bianca from Monterey County, the Lioco Sonoma County Chardonnay, Copain's Tous Ensemble Pinot Noir from Mendocino's Anderson Valley, and Roederer Estate Brut, made by the California outpost of Champagne Louis Roederer.

"It's incredibly exciting to debut the new Mint wine program. This is a unique opportunity to bring a remarkable quality of wine to customers, and to rewrite the rules for airline wine selection. Our goal is to provide customers with wines they'd expect to find in top restaurants and boutique shops. We'll focus on a new generation of small California producers and will introduce them to the emerging revolution in taste that is taking place on the West Coast. It's exactly the sort of experience I believe JetBlue's customers have come to expect," said Jon Bonné.

About JetBlue Airways JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline™, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale/ Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 30 million customers a year to 86 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of more than 800 daily flights. New service to Curaçao begins in December. With JetBlue, all seats are assigned, all fares are one-way, an overnight stay is never required and the first checked bag is included in the standard fare (subject to weight and size limits and exceptions for itineraries including flights marketed or operated by other airlines). For more information please visit JetBlue.com .

About Jon Bonné

Jon Bonné is wine editor of The San Francisco Chronicle and author of The New California Wine . He covers wine throughout Northern California and around the world, responsible for the Chronicle's wine and spirits coverage and the annual Top 100 Wines, and is the U.S. columnist for Decanter magazine.