Jenne LeeBonaccorsi

Jenne Lee Bonaccorsi was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States at age five. She began writing poetry in high school and studied creative writing and literature at the University of Southern California, where she won the annual poetry contest.

In 1999, she and Master Sommelier Michael Bonaccorsi founded Bonaccorsi Wine Company on California’s Central Coast, specializing in Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. After Michael’s sudden passing in 2004, Jenne carried the winery forward, becoming one of the first Korean American winemakers in the United States. Her wines were served at the White House, and Bonaccorsi was recognized by Wine Spectator as one of the top 30 Pinot Noir producers. The Wine Bible described her as “crafting some of the most delicious, enticing wines in the state.”

Throughout her fifteen years as a winemaker, poetry remained a constant. In the early morning hours of harvest, she composed poems in her head while waiting for picking crews to arrive. After retiring from winemaking, she reconnected with her former USC professor, poet David St. John. Thirty-five years later, he still remembered her and had kept her student portfolio in his office.

Now devoted to her writing, Jenne Lee draws on her years in winemaking and travels to more than thirty countries. She divides her time between California’s Central Coast and Malibu with her partner, composer and novelist David K. Israel, and their two rescue dogs, Tune and Roumier.