I credit Hospice du Rhône for introducing me to some of the most memorable wines I have ever had the thrill to taste: A luscious lineup of Rhône wines from France’s exceptional E. Guigal Winery, including an exquisite Condrieu Viognier. Alban Vineyards’ intensely intriguing Reva Syrah (we were so intrigued, my youngest daughter was given the middle name Reva). And Bodegas El Nido’s Clio, a bold, cherry-red Spanish Mourvèdre-Cabernet Sauvignon blend that knocked my sandals off on one hot Paso Robles afternoon.
Thank you, Hospice du Rhône, for bringing these outstanding producers—and hundreds more—year after year (20 years to be exact) to the Central Coast.
Held in nearby Paso Robles, Hospice du Rhône (HdR) is the world’s largest international celebration of Rhône variety wines. Twenty-two varieties of wine grapes are recognized in the Rhône Valley in France and are now planted around the world and close to home: in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. The most well known of these varieties are Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. Lesser-known Rhône varieties include Bourboulenc, Muscardin, Picpoul, and Vaccarese.
The annual wine extravaganza brings in hundreds of Rhône zealots and producers, in addition to global wine buyers and influential wine media, for the tastings, seminars, wine auction, and gourmet cuisine from the likes of Sonoma-based Chef John Toulze of the girl & the fig restaurant and local chefs Maegen Loring of the Neon Carrot, and Rick Manson of the Far Western Tavern.
More than 1,000 wines, produced by 130 wineries, are poured at the Saturday grand tasting, April 28. HdR organizers claim that “to duplicate this extraordinary tasting, one would need a passport, many weeks off work, and thousands of airline miles” to taste the variety and quality of wines showcased.
“The Grand Tasting is so huge you will not ever see all those Rhône wines in one room basically ever again,” said Santa Barbara County winemaker Joey Tensley, who himself makes stellar Syrah.
“It’s the largest collaboration of brands together, wines together, all focused on Rhône wines—all the way from South Africa, Australia, all over the Rhône, Italy, California, Oregon, Washington, from every corner of the world, pretty much,” Tensley said. “To taste all the wines is a great opportunity.”
“The variety is mind-blowing,” exclaimed Zaca Mesa Winery President/CEO Brook Williams. “You get to taste wines from all over the world, which rarely happens in this day and age. We’re so California-centric, and we should be. We’re all about buying local, but it’s also nice to see the international side of things as well.”
(Los Olivos-based Zaca Mesa produces 30,000 cases of wine; seven Rhône varieties.)
Williams suggests having a game plan before attending an HdR tasting, or it can be overwhelming: “I think you have to try things you wouldn’t normally try, or decide to just try Viognier today and go to each table and taste them. Or Grenaches or Syrahs—just stick to one variety so you can then do a horizontal cut through the tastings.”
Or do what I do: Research ahead of time and come with a list of must-try wines. Then start with the whites and finish with the reds, allowing a rosé here and there.
Give the wine your full attention. Examine the aroma and savor your sip. And one more important bit of advice: Prepare yourself for a lot of spitting! It seems a shame to “waste” such wonderful wine, but most people at HdR spit into cups. It allows one to taste far more wines.
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“Hospice du Rhône is great fun,” Williams said. “But it’s a great educational opportunity to taste what a Syrah tastes like from the Barossa Valley in Australia vs. Paso Robles, to the Hermitage in Rhone, and you can taste what the grape does in different locations, which is really fun to do, and not a lot of people get a chance to do that.”
Tensley, winemaker/owner of Tensley Wines, with a tasting room in Los Olivos, was a seminar panelist last year at HdR.
“The seminars are very educational,” he said. “If people can afford to go for the whole weekend, I would highly recommend it.”
This year’s wine seminars are: Why Spain (continues to) Rock; The Return of the Bionic Frog—Christophe Baron, of Cayuse Vineyards in Walla Walla, Washington; Research, Revelations, and the Art of Being Different, presented by winemaker Chester Osborn of McLaren Vale, Australia; and A Collective Quest, featuring French winemaking superstars Yves Cuilleron, François Villard, and Pierre Gaillard.
Tensley also recommends the BIG Rhône Rendezvous Tasting on Friday, April 27. Producers pour difficult-to-find, large-format bottles: magnums dusted off from the cellar or new wines created for this occasion.
The luxury resort Blackberry Farm in Tennessee showcases its culinary talents at HdR’s Friday evening event.
For wine producers—and there are many Santa Barbara County vintners attending and pouring this year—it’s a good opportunity to be noticed.
“There’s the exposure, there’s a lot of media, there’s a lot of networking going on, there’s a lot of sommeliers, buyers, and distributers, so that’s all great,” Tensley said. “Taste wine, hang out; there’s a lot of people to talk to.”
Described as a “palate-provoking weekend of serious fun,” Hospice du Rhône is April 26 to 28 at the Paso Robles Event Center. Event passes begin at $100. Hospice du Rhône events often sell out; some already have, so get your tickets online soon at hospicedurhone.org.
Sun wine and food writer Wendy Thies Sell is confident she’ll find a wine at HdR 2012 to knock her sandals off—or at least her socks. Contact her at wthies@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 5-12, 2012.