We have some hot news for you. Our news spans from newest addition to the 2011 Seminar Series to Rhône wine and food pairings for this busy holiday season. What are you waiting for? Get reading!

MOrgan and JOey Join the Show
Joining the stellar 2011 Seminar Series will be Joey Tensley of Tensley representing the Santa Barbara growing region and from another famous corner of California will be Morgan Twain-Peterson of Bedrock Wine Co. sharing tastes from the North Coast. Both tout a strong obsession with Syrah and a passion for multiple vineyard sourcing. Together they will share their Syrahs and additional Rhône varieties along with stories of how they have become staunch Rhône advocates and winemakers.

Rhône for the Holidays
We are a lucky bunch, yes we are. Why? Well, Rhône wines are extremely versatile when it comes to the vast selections of holiday dishes we will encounter this month. As you party hop, take a Rhône wine or two with you to share with friends and family. Below we have listed out a  few tidbits on Viognier, Mourvèdre and Syrah along with food pairing suggestions to help you through this holiday season.

Viognier (Vee-ohn-yea)
• Viognier also known as Condrieu within the Rhône
• Enjoys a warmer climate and is drought tolerant
• In Côte-Rôtie vignerons are allowed to blend no more than 20% Viognier with Syrah
• Serve Viognier with a cheese plate filled with a variety of Blue Cheeses and Gorgonzolas

Mourvèdre (More-ved)
• Mourvèdre also goes by the names of Monastrell or Mataró
• Adapts well to a variety of soils and can bounce back from an early spring frost
• Blends nicely with both Syrah and/or Grenache
• Try Mourvèdre with Paella this season, which happens to be a fun dish to make with friends a family.

Syrah (C-rah)
• Syrah also known as Shiraz
• Syrah is the prominent grape of Northern Rhône in which the variety originates from
• A heat-loving vine that has adapted well to California’s Central Coast and Eastern Washington State
• Syrah pairs nicely with all-things lamb. We suggest serving savory lamb kebabs with mixed veggies.

Hashtag Central
For you Twitter folks out there we would like to announce our official #Hashtag for the 2011 event! Drum roll please, it is…#HdR2011. Use this Hashtag when tweeting so that all can easily search to see what the current Rhône buzz is. If you do not tweet, jump on board with us. It is a fun way to stay up-to-date on items of interest to you.

Give the Gift of Rhône
The time is now to grab your wine lover a pass to attend the annual event! We will even send you a certificate to wrap for the lucky recipient.

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

We are thrilled to announce the Hospice du Rhône application for your iDevice! With over 1000 Rhône wines and over 140 international Rhône producers and importers you will never be at a lost for Rhône wines when at the event or at home. From inside the application you will be able sort by attending producers, variety and region or filter by any combination of the three. Tweet from inside the application to share your tasting notes or adventures at the event. Try your hand at a variety quiz, chart your course with our event schedule and much more! Download iRhône today from your iDevice or iTunes. Search Hospice du Rhône for this free Rhône guide! In the coming days, updates to this application will occur which will give you even more sorting ability and interactive elements!