Hosts
.jpg)
Your hosts on the Rhône River: Vicki Carroll, Kelly McAuliffe and John Alban
Vicki Carroll
President, Hospice du Rhône
John Alban
Founding Director, Hospice du Rhône
Kelly McAuliffe
Wine Director, Hospice du Rhône - Rhône River
Vicki Carroll
As president of Hospice du Rhône, Vicki Carroll has led the nonprofit business league in their mission of improving the business conditions of the grape growers and wine producers of Rhône varieties throughout the world. Over her 25-year tenure with Hospice du Rhône, Carroll has been instrumental in developing the organization’s events into world-class educational opportunities for Rhône winemakers, allied industries and wine enthusiasts.
In addition to Paso Robles and Walla Walla events, Carroll has directed the Hospice du Rhône at Blackberry Farm partnership, an annual event at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee now in its 16th year, and partnered with the France-based Inter Rhône on seminars for Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône. She has sat on the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Advisory Council since 2003, and in 2019, she was a Wine Enthusiast Wine Star Awards Person of the Year nominee.
John Alban
Captivated at the age of 24 by a glass of Condrieu while earning his master’s degree in enology at UC Davis, John Alban embarked on a formative journey to the Rhône Valley, determined to deepen his understanding of Viognier and Rhône varieties. A pioneering force in the California Rhône Movement, Alban’s influence has been widely recognized; Robert Parker described him as “the spiritual and qualitative leader of the movement” in The Wine Advocate.
In 1986, Alban founded Alban Vineyards, becoming the first American winery established exclusively to Rhône varieties, and played a seminal role in introducing grapes such as Viognier, Roussanne and Grenache Noir to California. As the Rhône renaissance expanded onto the international stage, Alban’s leadership and vision helped shape its direction, along with his efforts in founding Hospice du Rhône. In recognition of his lasting contributions, he was named an honorary citizen and Decurion of the Rhône Valley appellations of Côte-Rôtie and Condrieu in 2005.
Kelly McAuliffe
Kelly McAuliffe is an American sommelier who has worked in France for more than two decades, building an international career centered on Rhône Valley wines. Early in his career, McAuliffe completed an internship at Alain Ducasse’s three-Michelin-star restaurant in Paris, leading to roles within the Ducasse group, including directing the chef’s restaurant in Monaco and later his acclaimed Paris restaurant, Spoon.
McAuliffe subsequently returned to Avignon to serve as head sommelier at Restaurant Christian Etienne, a move that allowed him to establish deep relationships with leading Rhône Valley winegrowers and producers. After six years in Avignon, he was invited by Chef Ducasse to lead the wine program at Mix, the celebrated restaurant atop the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.
In recent years, McAuliffe has led the French Wine Society’s Rhône education program, working closely with regional appellations to promote the diversity and excellence of Rhône Valley wines. In addition, he conducts private wine tours throughout France for industry professionals and wine enthusiasts.