Eight winemakers from around California and even Arizona are on a panel, the topic: “The State of the Rhone Nation.” The result? An extended and wide-ranging conversation covering growing syrah in Arizona to earthquake damage in Napa to the miseries of being an “Other White” on a restaurant wine list. The panel happened at a recent Rhone Rangers tasting event in Los Angeles.
The Rhone Rangers was one of the first varietal advocacy groups. Winemakers got together about 20 years ago to start these groups to help market their wines and educate the public about grape varieties that were then pretty new and strange. While most advocacy groups seem to focus on a single grape variety – ZAP or Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, and TAPAS or Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society – the Rangers focus on the whole panoply of grapes traditionally grown in the Rhone River region of France, but which are also grown all over the world now, varieties such as grenache, syrah, mourvedre, viognier and others.
We have to concede, the quality of the audio is not very good. Sorry about that. Audio is something new for us at OBG, but sometimes there is nothing like hearing things as they happened, and there’s some pretty good stuff here (even if it’s about 90 minutes long). The next recording will be better.
Thanks for your patience.
The OBG team.
Good for you. Keep trying with the audio. I just realized that a great interview I have to post tomorrow only recorded half the interview. ;( Boy, what can you do!
Nothing more aggravating! Good luck.
Fascinating to know. Keep us posted!