The HdR Rhônedezvous
HdR is Heading to Blackberry Farm
December 2009
To top off three days of exciting Hospice du Rhône news, we are extremely pleased to share with you that we have been invited to host a Rhône only weekend at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee March 18 – 21, 2010.
Nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, Blackberry Farm is one of America’s most celebrated intimate luxury hotels. For more than 30 years, the 4,200 acre estate has become a top food and wine travel destination, host to the finest chefs, vintners, importers and culinary professionals. We are honored by this opportunity to take our mission of Rhône education to the astounding Blackberry Farm.
The Hospice du Rhône weekend will encompass Rhône producers from around the globe who will share their alluring wines during this unique wine experience. Hailing from Châteauneuf du Pape, France will be Laurence Féraud of Domaine du Pegau and André Brunel of Les Cailloux. Representing Australia will be Chris Ringland of Chris Ringland Wines from the Barossa Valley. To represent California will be Paul Lato of Paul Lato Wines from Santa Maria and Scott Hawley of Torrin from Paso Robles. These giants of Rhône will share their knowledge and passion with guests, along with some of their most special vintages.
Joining these worldly Rhône wine producers will be Proprietor Sondra Bernstein and Chef John Toulze of the girl & the fig from Sonoma, California. These passionate Rhône advocates will create Rhône inspired dishes for the guests as well as hosting a food and wine seminar during the weekend.
If your calendar permits we do hope you will join us for this remarkable international Rhône gathering. Blackberry Farm will release pricing and open reservations after the New Year. To book the Hospice du Rhône experience at Blackberry Farm please contact Blackberry Farm Reservations at 865.984.8166
The Official Release of the 2010 HdR Image!
December 2009
Please welcome 22 Rhônley Hearts Club members.
| Row 1 left to right: | Pierre Gaillard, François Villard, Yves Gangloff, Yves Cuilleron | |
| Row 2 left to right: | Seymour Alban, Rhône Gal 2007, Isabelle Sabon, Pax Mahle, Eric Solomon, Justin Smith, Christophe Baron, Rhône Gal 2009 | |
| Row 3 left to right: | Rhône Gal 2005, Chester Osborn, Philippe Guigal, Christine Vernay, John Larchet, Cris Cherry, Dave Miner, Sondra Bernstein, David Powell, Bob Lindquist, Sandra Gay, Alvaro Palacios, Laurent Grangien |
Thank you to our design team Erick Wand, Dave Hudson and Nolan Henderson for making this vision come to life!
Ready, Set, Syrah!
December 2009
Time again for some Twitter fun with Ready, Set, Syrah!
We are excited to announce that we will host two events, through the online tasting forum TasteLive.com, based around the all welcoming and extremely versatile Syrah variety. This two part series will boast wines from South Africa, Australia, the Rhône Valley, Arizona, three California growing regions and Washington State.
Be it winemaking techniques, winegrowing regions, food pairings or your personal thoughts on Syrah we are looking forward to the discussions that will arise on this approachable Rhône variety. On hand to give their take and to answer questions will be the winemakers themselves. Yes folks, this will be quite an experience. Almost like a mini HdR seminar but online!
The first event will take place Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at 6:30 PST and will focus on Syrah from the Southern Hemisphere, specifically South Africa and Australia. The Syrah selections will be:
• 2006 The Old Faithful "Cafe Block" Shiraz, McLaren Vale, Australia
• 2007 Hewitson "Ned & Henry's" Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia
• 2008 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia
• 2006 Boekenhoutskloof Syrah, South Africa
• 2007 de Trafford Shiraz Stellenbosch, South Africa
• 2008 Mullineux Syrah Swartland, South Africa
The second event will take place Tuesday, December 15, 2009 at 5:00 PST and will focus on Syrah from California and the Rhône Valley.
• 2007 Tercero Larner Vineyard Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley
• 2006 JC Cellars Syrah, Haley’s Reserve, Rockpile Vineyard, Rockpile
• 2006 Ortman Family Vineyards Syrah, Paso Robles
• 2005 Domaine François Villard Rouge Les Reflets, St Joseph, France
• 2006 Domaine François Villard Mairlant Rouge, St Joseph, France
Grab a bottle of Syrah, gather a group of friends and head over to TasteLive.com to delve into an in-depth discussion of Syrah with us and others from around the world.
Be sure to follow Hospice du Rhône on Twitter.com and the Ready, Set, Syrah list that holds the tweeting Syrah producers.
Seminars, Dishes and Brags
September 2009
Seminar Sneak Peek
Drum roll please! Producers along with their wines hailing from South Africa have been added to the line-up for the 2010 Hospice du Rhône Seminar Series.
Five, possibly six, producers from South Africa will make their way to HdR 2010 to share their wines, winemaking techniques, vineyard practices and history of producing Rhône variety wines throughout South Africa. Each of the attending producers continues to play a vital role in the South African Rhône movement. The South African producers currently confirmed for the seminar are: Boekenhoutskloof based in Franschoek, SA, De Trafford based in Stellenbosh, SA, Mullineux Family Wines based in the Swartland, SA, Sadie Family based in the Swartland, SA and Stellenzicht based in Stellenbosch, SA. Please note, one more producer may be added.
This South African Seminar marks the second seminar added to the 2010 Seminar Series. Announced earlier, Stéphane Ogier of Domaine Michel and Stéphane Ogier from Ampuis, France will also take part in the 2010 Seminar Series. Stay tuned for further seminar announcements.
Cuisine fit for a Rhône
To celebrate the love of Rhône wines and the love for exceptional food we have invited our Rhône loving friends from the girl & the fig of Sonoma, California USA to create Rhône inspired dishes during the 2010 event. Proprietor Sondra Bernstein along with Chef John Toulze and their astounding culinary team will tantalize taste buds with meals that pair perfectly with the worldly Rhône wines that will be flowing throughout Hospice du Rhône 2010. Please take a moment to check out the girl & the fig website and be sure to give them a big HdR hello on their Facebook Fan Page or on Twitter. We will be sure to feature the girl & the fig in a later email issue so you may learn a bit more about them from an insider’s perspective.
The Brag Rag
Do you have “Festival Fever?” We do! In the September 2009 issue of Decanter Magazine, Marguerite Thomas writes, “…If you’re the sort of person who likes to collect winegrowing trivia, there’s ample opportunity at HdR (as insiders know it) to pick up facts and figures about clones, trellising, pH balance and so on. Mostly, however, this event is about providing an informal, laid-back, unceremonious occasion to taste wines made from grapes of the Rhône region…it’s the relaxed atmosphere and absence of attitude that compels winemakers to come to HdR from Hermitage, the Barossa, South Africa, Spain and Italy, bringing with them their wines, dedication, and enthusiasm.” Read the full article by clicking here.
Ready, Set, Mark your Calendar
Join us as we celebrate the 18th annual Hospice du Rhône event April 29 – May 1, 2010 in Paso Robles, California USA. We hope you will come along for a Rhôneing good time, one that is sure to go down in the books. Ticket sales for the 2010 event will open in November 2009. Check your inbox and our website often for updates regarding the 18th annual event. For daily interaction, follow us on Twitter.com and become a Fan on Facebook.com.
Best Regards!
The HdR Team
Get Ready to Rhône
July 2009
The July Rhônedezvous is here and is packed full of some major inside scoop. You’ll learn how the Robert Parker, Jr. tasting on California Rhône wines comes together, obtain a sneak peek into Hospice du Rhône (HdR) 2010 and meet our newest staff member. Seriously, there is a lot of new information so get reading.
282 Days Until Hospice du Rhône 2010
We are still beaming from the energy created during the festivities at the 17th annual Rhône celebration in May. So much that we jumped feet first into planning 2010.
If you’ve been following us on Twitter or are a Fan on our Facebook Fan Page you know that we’ve been hinting some exciting news. The news is here and we are happy to announce that Stéphane Ogier of Domaine Michel and Stéphane Ogier from Ampuis, France has confirmed for the 2010 Seminar Series.
Over the next few months we will announce the rest of the panelists for the 2010 Seminar series along with detailed information regarding the Ogier seminar. We will also publish updates and additions to the 18th annual event and even unveil the 2010 themed graphics.
Get A Room
In the midst of our excitement for Hospice du Rhône 2010 we’ve already secured room blocks for the 18th annual event. These hotel rooms are booked on a first come, first served basis and do sell out quickly. Please view our preferred accommodations in and around Paso Robles to book your HdR experience today.
California Rhône Report
For the past seven years, Robert Parker, Jr. has reached out to Hospice du Rhône to organize his annual California Rhône tasting. This year is no different. In mid-May, Mr. Parker made the trek from the East Coast to the West Coast to taste 400 California Rhône wine submissions. Each day, Mr. Parker would spend eight hours meticulously tasting all submitted wines and jotting down copious notes to be used in his published report. We are happy to announce that the results from his 2009 California Rhône wine tasting will be printed in the August 2009 issue of The Wine Advocate and posted to erobertparker.com.
You are probably wondering, how does Mr. Parker choose the 400 Rhône wines he tastes when in California. The answer is he doesn’t individually choose each wine. He accepts finished wines based on vintage, on a first-come, first-served submittal basis. This year he focused his tasting on the 2007 and late 2006 California Rhône wine releases.
So then, how do the wines come together for this yearly California Rhône wine tasting? In the months leading up to Mr. Parker’s arrival the Hospice du Rhône organization sends out a call for submissions to all California Rhône wine producers. Then, it is up to the producer to submit their wines through an online submission system followed by sending wine samples to the HdR office for safe storage and organization. With time of the essence, Mr. Parker can usually accept about 400 wines. As you might imagine, registration for this opportunity fills up quickly. This year the 400 wine submission mark was reached in just under 36 hours.
The Who’s Who of Hospice du Rhône
Please give a warm HdR welcome to our new Communications Director, Faith Wells. Faith joined us in February of this year, right as HdR was kicking into high gear for the May event. In her new role, Faith will oversee the Marketing and Public Relations platforms here at HdR along with all Producer Communications. She comes to us with a strong sense of understanding the unique community that has been built at HdR coupled with knowledge of the wine industry. She will showcase our individuality amongst consumers, trade, key gate-keepers and media through tactical campaigns.
Faith is a local Central Coast girl who, after college, packed-up her belongings and moved north to gain more wine experience. In Napa Valley, Faith worked as a Public Relations Manager at Icon Estates for four years. There she managed wineries in many renowned wine regions throughout the world such as California, Washington, New Zealand and Australia. For each of the estates she represented, Faith created successful campaigns focused toward consumer lifestyle, wine and trade media outlets. Along with her role in public relations, she worked on new brand development, managed the company's national events, planned and executed the Sommelier Summit held in New Zealand in 2007, and held a role in Robert Mondavi Winery's annual Taste3 conference. Prior to her career in Napa Valley, Faith worked in Paso Robles in both public relations and hospitality for Meridian Vineyards.
A graduate of Cal Poly, SLO, Faith holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture Business, with a concentration in Sales and Marketing. She truly loves the Central Coast and packs her weekends with many adventures involving her friends and family. However, she can still be found in Napa every now and then, cheering on her ex-bocce team, the Tipsy Moonshiners.
Facebook Fun
We are the proud owners of a brand new Facebook Fan Page. When we launched HdR’s Facebook Fan Page back in February we did not know the digital photography connection to which the abbreviation HdR has. To resolve any confusion, we have created a new Fan Page with a name that clearly states what HdR stands for in the world of wine. To us HdR equals Hospice du Rhône and the full wording is now reflected in our Fan Page title. See you over at the new Fan Page where we promise to share the inside scoop about Hospice du Rhône 2010
We look forward to seeing you at Hospice du Rhône 2010. Be sure to check your inbox and our website often for updates regarding the 18th annual event taking place April 30 – May 1, 2010 in Paso Robles California.
Best Regards!
The HdR Team
P.S. For daily interaction with us follow us on Twitter.com and become a Fan on Facebook.com.
Three Days. Twenty-Two Varieties. One Vision
June 2009
Just over one month ago the 17th annual Hospice du Rhône (HdR) celebration took place in Paso Robles, California. What a weekend! The event was chock-full of Rhône education, Rhône wines, Rhône lovers and fabulous cuisine inspired by the world of Rhône. Below are highlights of the festivities that took place throughout HdR 2009.
Rhône Room Education
Education is key when attending the annual HdR event. At the 2009 celebration enthusiasts were able to taste wines from throughout the world, speak directly with winemakers who craft the wines and listen intently as panelists discussed a variety of Rhône topics.
The 2009 Seminar Series kicked off at 9:00 a.m. where enthusiasts were asked to throw their spit cups on the floor by sommelier turned winemaker, Richard Betts of Betts & Scholl. “These wines are made to be tasted,” stated Betts. The spirited tasting continued as John Lancaster and Robert Perkins (Skylark), Paul Lato (Paul Lato Wines) and Cris Cherry (Villa Creek Cellars) discussed their passion for wine and why they took the jump from table to vineyard.
In the second session, Clarissa Nagy (Bonaccorsi Wine Company) and Greg Brewer (Melville and Brewer-Clifton) guided the group through a remarkable tasting showcasing how wine styles differ in small regions. Their approach and ideas are as diverse as the terroir of the Santa Ynez Valley and the western limits of the Santa Rita Hills.
On Saturday, the Seminar Series continued as participants were challenged to taste three distinct wines from three countries in five different stemware options. A passionate Georg Riedel led the Riedel Seminar where he encouraged the audience to search for the glass that paired best with each wine. You’ll be happy to know that the plastic cup never did garner a vote.
The final session concluded with winemakers Justin Smith (Saxum) and Sashi Moorman (Stolpman and Piedrassasi) as they shared thirteen, yes thirteen, barrel samples with the foom. These barrel samples showcased both viticultural and enological experiments. The unique willingness of these winemakers to share and discuss their experiments is both the essence of HdR and the force that has propelled Rhône varieties so far, so fast.
Rhône Producers Flock to HdR
One of the biggest draws at the annual Rhône celebration is the fact that HdR brings together Rhône producers from throughout the world. This year, over 160 producers converged from France, South Africa, Australia, California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona to share their wines with attendees. The Friday Rhône Rendezvous and the Saturday Grand tastings allowed producers to highlight barrel samples, new, current and older vintages for the patrons. Each tasting was complimented by specialty food purveyors who shared their wares to close to over 1,500 enthusiasts.
2009 Person of the Year
Since 1996 HdR has felt it appropriate to publically recognize particular individuals for their unwavering passion for Rhône varieties and staunch support of HdR’s message and goals. This year the honoree was Georg Riedel, longtime sponsor of HdR, for his generosity to the event and his dedication to crafting stemware collections that beautifully capture and translate the flavors of wines.
With Love from HdR
We’d like to give a big shout out to all of our sponsors who helped make HdR 2009 a great success. Thank you to Riedel, Umpqua Bank, Silicon Valley Bank, Wine & Spirits Magazine, SJL&M Attorneys, TAPP Technologies, Vintage Logistics, Syndicat AOC Tavel, Inter Rhône, Papé, Tonnellerie Bernard, California Winery Advisor, Pacific Beverage, Nestlé, C&N Tractors, Wine Country Pack and Ship, J&L Wines, Trilogy and the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance.
Mark Your Calendar
This annual celebration of all things Rhône will continue in 2010. Dates will be April 29 - May 1 at the Paso Robles Event Center in Paso Robles, California.
The Write Stuff
We at HdR want to share the world of Rhône with you. To do so, we are kicking off a monthly newsletter that will touch base on a variety of topics. Each month look forward to learning more on the unique Rhône varieties, worldly Rhône producers and distinctive Rhône regions. We’ll also fill you in on what HdR is up to and what you can expect in the future. In addition we’ll be hosting guest authors to share their thoughts with you regarding any and all things Rhône. If there is a topic you’d like to know more about or you are a producer and would like to submit an article for consideration, please send us an email.
Thank you,
The HdR Team
P.S. For daily interaction with HdR be sure to find us on facebook.com and follow us at twitter.com.
Delicious Bites at HdR 2009
April 15, 2009
HdR is delighted to announce that acclaimed Chef Maegen Loring will be spearheading all of our dining experiences for this year’s event!
A longtime friend of HdR, Maegen brings a dynamic combination of talents to the table, including a keen palate for wine and food pairing and a passion for authentic regional cuisines. As chef and co-owner of The Park Restaurant in San Luis Obispo, Maegen’s “California Rustic” style encompasses elements of Latin America, the Mediterranean, and the Southwest, and always relies on the finest seasonal produce available from local farmers’ markets and other small artisanal producers. She also has over two decades of catering experience ranging from intimate special occasions, to winemaker dinners, to black-tie formal events.
In developing her dishes, Maegen often looks first to the wine for inspiration, so expect her HdR menus to be pitch perfect pairings with all these wonderful Rhônes, whether they be floral Viogniers or full-bodied Syrahs. You’ll be able to experience Maegen’s cuisine at the Friday lunch featuring Rosé Rhône wines from around the world, the Saturday lunch and live auction, and at the Farewell BBQ.
HdR + Twitter = Largest On-Line Wine Tasting Ever
April 13, 2009
HdR is taking over TwitterTasteLive.com on Friday, April 17th! This event will span five, yes five, time zones, two countries and is hailed as the largest on-line wine tasting ever! Join Rhône enthusiasts from throughout the world as we celebrate the 22 Rhône varietals from around the world. The event will kick off in the U.K., skip across to the US East Coast then finish up on the West Coast of the USA.
When the celebration begins at 7:00 p.m. (local time) in the U.K., Robert MacIntosh from wineconversation.com will be leading the pack. While in the U.K., TTL’ers will focus their tasting of wines from the Rhône Valley. The place where it all began!
The tasting will then jump across the pond at 7:00 p.m. East Coast time. Joe Roberts from 1winedude.com will host the East Coast stop on the HdR TTL train. Here, Joe will twitter live from the Wine Riot in Boston, Massachusetts with 500+ of his closest friends. At Joe’s table attendees will taste through California and Australia Rhône style wines.
The final leg of this on-line international tasting will take place at 7:00 p.m. on the West Coast of the USA. Twitters and Rhône enthusiasts from throughout the West will celebrate wines from California, Australia and the Rhône Valley. HdR will be on location twittering live from Estate in Sonoma, California.
Join in on a twitter event in your area or gather your friends to create your own twitter event. We look forward to your tweets celebrating all things Rhône on Friday, April 17th!
We’d like to send a big thank you to Craig at Bin Ends and Joe at 1winedude.com for pulling together the coolest and largest international on-line tasting.
Thank you to The Second Glass for allowing us to crash their Wine Riot event on April 17th and 18th.
A big shout out and thank you to Sondra at Estate for opening her doors to the droves of West Coast Twitters. Come rain or shine we’ll be there with fingers on the keyboards.
Last but definitely not least, we couldn't pull of this tasting without our producers, retail partners and wine industry hosts. Thank you to Inter Rhone, Vinquire, Domain 547, The Jug Shop, Mutineer Magazine, Gary’s Wine & Marketplace and Christopher’s Wine & Cheese, VERGE, Kinton, Tablas Creek, Yangarra, The Australian Premium Wine Collection, Four Vines and Bonny Doon.
Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie, Condrieu
March 21, 2009
By Vicki Carroll
Team Taste ends their six-day Decouvertes adventures in the Northern Rhône. Over the past 17 years HdR has been fortunate to make many friends in the Rhône Valley. A good number of them happen to be in the Northern Rhône.
Today was bittersweet as we tasted our way through the wonderful wines of Saint-Joseph, Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu. Don’t get me wrong, the wines were fabulous, but the fact that this is the last day of the DVR is what made it bittersweet.
We had 89 producers to chose from today. Quite a task. Since there are five in our group we split up and worked the room. My goal is to meet as many producers as possible, introducing them to HdR and to also say hello to the producers who have attended HdR in the past. Yes, I do also taste the wines.
On my list today – Louis Chèze, La Tache, M. Chapoutier, Les Vins de Vienne, Domaine Pierre Gaillard, Delas Freres, Cave Gérard Courbis, Cave Yves Cuilleron, Domaine François Villard, Domaine Georges Vernay, Domaine Niero, Guigal, Domaine Patrick et Christophe Bonnefond, Domaine Jean-Michel Gerin, Mathilde et Yves Gangloff, Domaine Michel et Stephane Ogier and Domaine Courbis.
Time and my palate did not allow me to visit more producers, although I wish that I could have. After six days of tasting, visiting, up late for social obligations, up early to be the first at certain tables….you get the picture. It is Day 6 after all!
The expression of terroir in these wines was exceptional and so very obvious. After comparing notes with my fellow tasters, we all agreed that this day was one of our favorites.
One more DVR event to go – the Magnum Reception in Ampuis - an informal gathering of all the producers present at today’s tasting with magnums of their wine. A fond farewell it will be. As I said, it’s a tough job, but someone has to do it!
François Villard at the Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône
Pulling it all together…Inter Rhône
March 19, 2009
By Vicki Carroll
I would be extremely remiss if I did not commend Inter Rhône for the incredible effort put forth to organize the Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône (DVR). This bi-annual, trade event is the most impressive wine tasting I have ever attended.
Inter Rhône represents all the wine-growing regions and wine merchants in Côtes du Rhône and Rhône Valley and combines all promotional, economic and technical actions concerning AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlée) wines. They serve to promote these wines in France and abroad.
The Decouvertes 2009 began on March 16 in the Southern Rhône regions of Tavel and Roquemaure and will end in the Northern Rhône town of Ampuis. This tremendous event includes the participation of 727 wineries with tastings hosted in eight venues. Please visit their website to learn more about this very important organization.
The folks behind the scenes at DVR work very hard. Their hospitality to us as we visit each venue has been beyond any expectations one could ever have. How they extend this incredible hospitality while enduring the stress an event such as the DVR entails is beyond me. However, they extend this hospitality with such graciousness that even Emily Post would be put to shame.
Jean Michel Guiraud serves as Head of Communication for Inter Rhone and he does his job with incredible knowledge, skill and grace. He hosted our group through a beautiful dinner at the Palias des Papes in Avignon, a private tour of the vineyard of the Popes at the Palais des Papes and some not open to the public areas of the Palais and made sure that we were never wanting for information. Our thanks go out to Jean Michel and the entire team at Inter Rhône.
In the Rhône Again
March 17, 2009
By Vicki Carroll
Trying to explain the emotions of arriving in the Rhône Valley is beyond words for me. Let me just say it is an at home at last sort of feeling. This feeling has in part come about from the incredible hospitality that is always extended by our wine industry friends, no matter where we travel in the world. I believe that you all know what I am talking about if you are interested enough to read this.
Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône is a bi-annual celebration of wines organized by Inter Rhône and the individual AOC organizations representing the producers. This is a tremendous (for the trade only) tasting of wines spanning the entire Rhône Valley. Each day of the six-day event features different AOCs.
Day 1 (March 16) featured Costieres de Nimes, Clairette de Bellegarde, Tavel, Lirac and Côtes du Rhône. Venues for these tastings were in Tavel and Roquemaure (Château de Clary). 84 wineries represented.
Day 2 (March 17) featured Châteauneuf du Pape, Côtes du Rhône, Côtes du Vivarais and Côtes du Rhône Villages. The venue for these tastings was the fabulous Palais des Papes in Avignon. 194 wineries represented.
In addition to tastings we have been invited to many special events. A dinner put on by the wineries from Day 1 at the Palais des Papes was an incredible experience for Team Taste. Below is a photo of our group in the Popes Kitchen (chef holding HdR t-shirt).
Stamina and spitting are the keys to keeping up. We have 4 days to go!
