|
2007 Hospice
du Rhône
Twenty-two varieties, so little time...
A tasting event at which more than 170 wineries and importers each pour an average of three or more wines can be daunting to anyone. Going to such an event takes preparation and planning. You have to know what to expect at the event. Having a strategy is a key step to getting the most of the tasting. |
 |
For decades, Cabernet sauvignon and Chardonnay reigned supreme in the land of American wine, with Pinot noir a recent pretender to the throne. Those convinced that there are no other wine varieties of any importance in the world may be surprised to find that Rhône varieties, Syrah in particular, have long been used to strengthen their favorite red wines. This practice is not at all foreign to wine makers in Bordeaux and Burgundy during challenging vintages. It has been used in France and California to add color or structure (and at times some alcohol) to wines. Although they have dazzled and charmed with alluring complexity, power and finesse, only recently have the varieties grown in the Rhône Valley begun to emerge from esoteric, cult appreciation to a wider public consciousness in the US.
Under the title: “Twenty-two varieties. One vision.” the 15th annual Hospice du Rhône consisted of seminars, lunches, tasting events, a bowling tournament and the Syrah Shootout – a blind Syrah tasting by winemakers to pick the top three wines – and a wine auction. All this is packed into two and half days from May 4th to May 5th at the Paso Robles Fairgrounds and surrounding area. There are also ancillary events such as the Dine Around - dinners at local wineries - and Robert Parker's Rhône Tasting – where wine media and other professionals join Parker in a blind tasting. (Read our notes from our visit to the Robert Hall Winery during the Dine Around.)
|
redwinebuzz.com attended the Library Tasting on Friday (along with 900 others visitors) and the larger, aptly named, Grand Tasting which drew 1,200 tasters on Saturday, according to Vicki Carroll, Hospice du Rhône Director. Tackling the largest international celebration of Rhône wines in three hours is no easy feat. Producers and distributors from Arizona, California, Missouri, Oregon, Washington State, Australia, France and Mexico were present. In addition to “industry people”, enthusiasts, collectors and wine geeks, casual wine lovers were in good attendance. |
|
||
|
A banner over an entrance to the Paso Robles Events Center greets visitors to the 2007 Hospice du Rhône |
Location, Location, Location!
Our plan this year was to get a sense of the event, its organization and a cross section of the wines being poured and the regions represented. While focusing on Central Coast producers, we wanted to take advantage of the terrific opportunity to sample Rhône variety wines from all over the globe.
The Paso Robles Events Center (formerly, the California Mid-State Fairgrounds) is in the heart of Paso Robles. Close to many restaurants, hotels and motels and Highway 101, the facility has ample parking and restroom facilities. The large, cool pavilions are well suited for the Library and Grand tasting events. There are plenty of benches outside to sit on and rest tired feet (and clear fuzzy heads).
|
|
Registration takes place just inside the gate. Several lines handle ticket and tasting guide distribution for a smooth and painless process. Over-the-counter pain relievers and antacids are set out near the registration tables - a sign worth heeding. Pulses quickened by anticipation, we came around the corner of the pavilion to take our polite place at the end of another line. A group of event staffers distributed tasting glasses with courteous efficiency in exchange for a glimpse of our tickets. A few snapshots, and we got our glasses and proceeded into the pavilion. |
||
|
Hospice du Rhône staff distribute out tasting glasses to attendees outside the pavilion. |
Food For The Masses.
No wine tasting event can get by without food. At its simplest, this fare severs to regenerate weary tasters and slow the absorption of alcohol. At its best, though, it serves to complement and enrich the tasting experience. Visitors can test the wines' food friendliness and indulge in gustatory and culinary pleasures. The primary source of food (and water) at Hospice du Rhône was Albertson's Supermarkets. A small selection of artisan cheeses and specialty foods was provided by the girl and the fig. The Albertson's spread included breads, dips and specialty cheeses. Their garlic bread and spinach dip were pretty addictive. Not haute cuisine, but quite well done and popular enough to be gone before the end of the event.
A Range of Rhônes
The spiral-bound, 220-page tasting guide provided the background on the event and catalogued participants by variety and growing region. Individual wines poured at both tastings were listed on separate pages dedicated to each participant. These were arranged alphabetically. Inside the pavilion, however, participants' tables were organized by growing region. While there are 22 Rhône varieties, by our tally there were 11 varietal wines poured. The number of varieties represented was most likely higher if one considers that the cépage of some of the blended wines probably included some additional varieties. Most represented were: Syrah as the number one red varietal (over 130 offerings) and Viognier as the number one white varietal (39 varietal wines at the event).
Pourers were engaging, friendly and informative. Even French pourers, who at times struggled with the limitations of their English (and our French) language skills were warm and eager to communicate. Both events were quite full and, at times, one had to be a bit more proactive to get an empty glass before someone with a bottle - especially at the more popular tables. The main reason for this is that, with a few exceptions, the wines are generally poured by the winemaker or someone on the winemaking team. This affords people on both sides of the table some good face time. The winemakers can share their philosophy or some other information about their wine or their style and people on the opposite side of the table get to ask questions.
The bulk of wines poured at the Library Tasting were from the 2004 and 2003 vintages with some 2002, 2001, 2000 and 1999 vintage wines being offered. Tasting these wines reaffirmed how just a few years cellaring can bring out beauty and charm in Rhone reds.
|
New World examples were dominated by varietal Syrah or Syrah-based blends. As a group, they were big, richly extracted, brawny and fruit-driven. Washington State wines were typified by a more finessed compositions. Old World wines relied less on Syrah. Grenache, Mourvèdre, Carignane and others went into their cépage. They were earthier, with more delineated spice and leather. As a group, they possessed more delicate fruit flavors. Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines were particularly captivating. They, alone, were reason enough to attend. Regrettably, whites were underrepresented at the Library Tasting. |
|
||
|
Producers and distributors poured their wines at tables arranged by origin of the wine. |
The Grand Tasting offered primarily 2005 wines, with some 2004, 2003, 2002 and even a few 2006 wines. This tasting offered an even greater volume of wines, with more producers and importers in attendance. The styles and characters of the newer offerings were generally consistent with those poured at the previous day's tasting. Nevertheless, the reds tended to be less expressive and a good number showed more distinct heat. This may be a manifestation of these wines' youth (among other things): in tight and aromatically restrained wines, alcohol comes through more prominently. The white varieties were better represented at this tasting. For the most part, they were from the 2005 and 2006 vintages. The main differences between Old and New World offerings were greater richness and a higher incidence of detectable residual sugar in the latter.
|
|
Two participating wineries deserve mention by virtue of standout presentation and personality of staff - the merits of their wines notwithstanding. After all, besides the tasting events and seminars, Hospice du Rhône is about celebrating a passion for wine in a fun, collegial setting. Twisted Oak Winery from Calaveras County, brought a Mel Brooks-meets-Bugs Bunny sense of of fun with unique names for their blends and an ample supply of rubber chickens. Cayucos-based Red Zeppelin Winery put winemaker Stillman Brown's irreverent spin on fun with a poster giving a synopsis of Elvis Presley's life. |
||
|
Arthur compares notes with Departure Wines' winemaker Tim Grubb. |
If you spend enough time in the wide, wide world of wine, pretty soon visits to events like Hospice du Rhône become visits with familiar faces. Festivals and tastings become opportunities for wine enthusiasts to commune with each other. The people of wine enrich us as their wines enrich our lives. At each of these occasions you make new acquaintances, learn new things or you are reminded of things you already knew. After Friday's Library Tasting, we briefly joined a few winemakers in the parking lot for a tailgate party because, as Morgan Clendenen explained: "After a day of tasting wines, all you want is a cold beer".
The Aftertaste.
In 15 years, Co-Founders John Alban and Mathew Garretson's small celebration of Viognier has flourished into a movement with a mission. But Hospice du Rhône is also serious about having fun. The atmosphere is light and celebratory. For those who can and feel up to more cerebral pursuits, there are always several great seminars at which prominent winemakers discuss a specific topic.
One of this year's seminar's focused on Rhône whites. They are overshadowed by the showiness of Rhône reds and were present in notably small numbers at the Library Tasting. Their amazing food friendliness aside, the age worthiness of Roussanne and Viognier (and other white Rhône varieties) is not a secret. It is certainly not unknown to those winemakers who make Rhône wines their domain. Perhaps the sparseness of white Rhône wines at the Library Tasting could be explained by a general public unfamiliarity with Rhône whites, coupled with a generally held notion that white wines don't age but are best enjoyed young. Some might also argue that public preferences (and those of influential critics) could dictate a style less amenable to extended cellaring. The stylistic leaning of some of the New World examples might lend some credence to the first part of this notion. It still remains to be seen if these wines' detraction from the "lower sugars-higher acids" formula believed to be the recipe for longevity will limit their life spans. We hope future Hospice du Rhône tastings will include more white library wines to help answer that question.
Tips For Attendees.
The dizzying array of wines poured in Paso Robles on May 4th and 5th could challenge the most seasoned speed tasters. Truth be told, large tastings like this one are, at some level, designed so that that nobody tastes all the wine poured. Even with spitting, one would end up at least slightly intoxicated. The idea is to know what you want to taste and have fun.
"Planned Fun" sounds neither fun nor spontaneous, but this is a truly huge event. Certainly, you can stroll leisurely and see what comes your way. But remember that this is a 3 hour event with an immense number of wines. Regardless if you want to take your time tasting select wines or if you are determined to taste a large number of wines, you must have a plan. Set priorities for what you must taste and what you can and can't do without. It's a good idea to do a little homework as well. The Hospice du Rhône web site lists participants and links to their respective web sites. Reading up in advance can clarify your goals.
It is also important to remember that due to the size of the event, lodging is at a premium. Be sure to book your room well in advance. If your hotel is outside of Paso Robles, know how long your drive will be. It's a good idea to make dinner reservations well in advance. Finlly, give yourself time to clear your head before getting behind the wheel.
Tips For Organizers.
The tasting guide provided is a valuable resource. The booths were organized by growing region, which made the layout of the floor easy to navigate. However, it becomes difficult to flip through alphabetically arranged pages to find the page with a noteworthy wine. Perhaps clearly labeling each table with a number, and arranging the booklet in a corresponding order (with pages also clearly marked) would be helpful.
Wine tasters are hungry people. Some of them are also devoted foodies. A greater amount of appetizers, as well as a greater selection with more artisan and specialty items would definitely be a great addition next year.
Tell a friend about this story!
Tell a friend about this story
Get the buzz:
-
Wine reviews
-
Great stories
-
Interviews
-
Wine education tools
-
New content every month
It's FREE!
Click here
-
New content every month
It's FREE!
Click here
Home | Contact Us | About Us | Feedback | Search | Tell a friend
Copyright © 2007 redwinebuzz.com All rights reserved.