Wine Tasting in the Trapp Family Lodge Wine Cellar

Saturday, November 21st 4:00 to 6:00

We will be tasting new releases of California Rhône style reds, for inclusion on our list. The most common Red Rhone varietals are Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre, with Syrah predominant in the Northern Rhone and Grenache in the Southern Rhone.  Other relatively common red grapes include Cinsault, Carignan, and Petite Sirah (in California). Finally, the list includes some grapes that are found only in trace amounts even in France, and are just beginning to be explored in the United States, including Counoise, Muscardin, Picpoul Noir, Vaccarese, and Terret Noir.  For the sticklers out there, the Rhone Rangers have adopted Petite Sirah, a French cross also known as Durif, due to its extensive interplanting with traditional Rhone varietals in Calfiornia. “Rhône Ranger” is a term used to describe pioneer winemakers in California in the 1980s who introduced grape varieties from France’s Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, Viognier and more) to the soils of the region. These grapes flourished, making some of the early “Rhône Rangers” famous for the idea. It now commands a large following with even a Rhône Ranger association of which dozens of California wineries are members. It's too simple, of course, to lump all Rhone wines together. Among Rhone reds, the wines of the northern Rhone, like Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie, are made almost entirely of the syrah grape. On the other hand, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, from the southern Rhone, and Côtes-du-Rhônes are blended wines. More than a dozen grapes can legally be included in the Châteauneuf mix, but the most important are grenache, mourvèdre and syrah. The format will be casual, walk around with cheese and bread. The wines featured will be:

Cline, “Cashmere”, California 2008

Terre Rouge, “Les Côtes de L’Ouest”, California 2006

Novy, Syrah, “Christensen Family Vineyard”, Russian River Valley 2006

Morgan, “Côtes du Crow’s”, Monterey 2007

Tablas Creek Vineyard, “Côtes de Tablas”, Paso Robles 2006

A sign-up sheet will be available at the front desk (253-5742 or 800-826-7000) and there will be a $15.00 fee per person.