An annual
gathering of the Rhone Rangers, hosted by the Paso Robles chapter, drew a sold
out crowd Sunday, February 16, to a full day of events at Broken Earth Winery. I
was surprised to find so many of the attendees had come from LA or the Bay area
to make the day a focus of an extended Valentine's day weekend. And, to include
education on the current state of Rhone varietals in winemaking along the
Central Coast as part of that experience.
Bulldog nation was also well represented by members of CSU
Fresno Viticulture Club, currently headed by Patrick Tachella. Apparently, they
through one heck of an annual BBQ event later this year, to which I received
multiple invites. I have the feeling wine may be involved as well.
The morning seminar session took a look at three white, one
blush and five red wines, both single grape versions and blends. This
represented many of the more well known of the twenty two types of grapes
included in Rhone style wine; Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Viognier and Mourvedre
but also varieties that are lesser known, with only a few acres currently in
production, such as Picpoul Blanc, Counoise and Grenache Blanc.
Master Sommelier (and author) Evan Goldstein, acted as
moderator for the panel of winemakers whose wines were represented in the two
flights of recent releases, primarily from the 2012 vintage. He was also
available during the afternoon tasting to those attending just that portion of
the event. And to sign copies of his newest tome, Daring Pairings, exploring food and wine combinations outside the
box. We first met in 1988 as invitees to the first Court of Master Sommeliers
training held in America, in conjunction with the Monterey Wine Festival. Evan
currently operates Full Circle Wine Solutions and is very involved in emerging
wine markets and wine education.
Chef Jeffery Scott and his crew did a flawless job in both
menu items and making the lunch buffet user friendly. Each table was joined by
a winery representative who provided appropriate wines to pair with the menu
and informational chat with those attending.
Nearly four dozen wineries and 200 wines were represented at
the well attended afternoon tasting. Thirty eight silent auction packages were available
for bids during the walk around and Vivant provided some excellent cheeses to
match with the Rhone-ish flavors. No small feat to pull off, kudos to Jason
Hass for his efforts to organize a multitude of details as well as Chris
Cameron and Broken Earth Winery for providing the venue and logistics of doing
so at a working facility.
Watch for information on plans for next year. The morning
session has been an early sell-out for many years and tickets to the tasting
only are limited to a manageable crowd size. As mentioned, the event draws far
more than a local crowd, so I suggest getting your request in early for this
popular and fun gathering.
