Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting Event - San Francisco

Online, February 6, 2011 (Newswire.com) - Media Contact: Blythe Beaubien
wine PRess
[email protected]
415-680-0821

Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting Coming to San Francisco
March 26-27th, 2011
More than 100 Vintners will Gather for the 14th Annual Event

The Rhone Rangers are excited to announce that the14th annual grand tasting is set to take place in San Francisco on March 26th and 27th at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. This is the largest American Rhone wine event in the country. Over 2,000 consumers and members of the media and trade are expected to attend and will have the opportunity to taste over 500 of the best American Rhone wines from at least 100 Rhone Rangers member wineries.

The Rhone Rangers are a group of roughly 150 wineries dedicated to making wines from the 22 grape varieties originally made famous in France's Rhone Valley. These varieties range from the better-known Syrah and Viognier to the up-and-coming Mourvèdre, Grenache and Roussanne, to obscure (but delicious) grapes like Counoise and Picpoul.

"The Rhone Rangers tasting is a celebration of America's finest Rhone wine producers and a chance for those who enjoy these wines to share two days of education, tastings and camaraderie," explained Jason Haas, President of the Rhone Rangers Board of Directors.

The Rhone Rangers Winemaker Dinner will take place on the evening of Saturday, March 26th from 6 - 10 p.m.at Dog Patch Studios in San Francisco. Fifteen wineries will participate in the winemaker dinner, which also features a live auction. The dinner will be catered by Sonoma's The Girl & the Fig Restaurant (famous for its "Rhone Alone" wine list) and offers ticket holders the opportunity to share a meal with fifteen leading Rhone Rangers winemakers. Following dinner, a live auction will feature wine, unique wine country experiences and travel packages donated by the host winemakers. Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Rhone Rangers Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarships to help educate the next generation of American Rhone winemakers. Tickets for this special evening are $125.

The Grand Tasting will take place on Sunday, March 27 from 2 - 5 p.m. and will feature over 500 of the best American Rhone wines from more than 100 Rhone Rangers member wineries. More than 2,000 trade and consumer attendees will also sample gourmet foods from 30 specialty food purveyors, including cheese, bread, olive oil, charcuterie, fruits and chocolates. Attendees will also have the opportunity to bid on silent auction items, including wines and wine-related packages donated by the Rhone Rangers wineries. Tickets for the Grand Tasting are $45.

In addition to the Grand Tasting on Sunday March 27, the program includes three diverse tasting seminars:

Saturday, March 26
• "Green" Rangers: A discussion among sustainable, organic and biodynamic producers. Taste wines from each as we explore how and why Rhone producers sit at the forefront of sustainability in American wine.

• Mourvedre on the Move: Long known for its ability to add structure and age-worthiness to blends, American Rhone producers are pushing Mourvedre to new heights, both on its own and in its traditional blending role. Taste six different Mourvedre-based wines and learn why Mourvedre is on the move.

Sunday, March 27
• Wild Wines and the Inside Stories on How They Came to Be: Rhone Rangers producers are pushing the envelope in a myriad of ways. Taste unusual wines and unique varietals from eight winemaking pioneers as they share with you the inside stories on their wildest wines and how and why they headed off into uncharted territory.

TICKET INFORMATION

The public is invited to purchase tickets for the Saturday Seminars ($45/ticket), Winemaker Dinner ($125/ticket) and Sunday Seminar & Grand Tasting (combined ticket $100/ticket includes early VIP entry to the Grand Tasting). Grand Tasting tickets are $40/each through February 25, 2011 and $45 thereafter. New this year, a $150 weekend pass includes all three seminars and VIP admission to the Grand Tasting. Weekend pass does not include the Winemaker Dinner.

For further information or to purchase tickets see WWW.RHONERANGERS.ORG or call (800) 467-0163.

Credentialed members of the wine trade and media can register online at
www.rhonerangers.org/traderegistrationsf/
Or send an email to [email protected] for further information.

About the Rhone Rangers
The Rhone Rangers started from a small gathering of American vintners who began meeting informally in the 1980s. As their numbers expanded, the group organized under the name "Rhone Rangers." The Rhone Rangers is a non-profit organization focused on promoting the enjoyment of Rhone varietal wines produced in the United States. These grapes include the 22 traditional varieties approved by the French government for the Côtes du Rhone, as well as Durif (Petite Sirah). In order for a winery to join the Rhone Rangers, they must produce at least one wine that contains 75% of any single approved varietal (or combination of these varietals).

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