Ever wonder why the annual Hospice du Rhone event is held in Paso Robles California and not the Rhone Valley of France? Well so did we! We asked John Alban, the founder of and chief evangelist of the Hospice du Rhone movement, this very question and many others and got answers that may surprise you. Who would have thought that you would hear Rhone wines mentioned in the same sentence as Baskin Robins, 80′s big hair glam rock, and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. What are some of your favorite Rhone style wines?
Here is a comprehensive list of the twenty-two Rhône wine Varieties
- Bourboulenc: (Burr-buh-lanc) light bodied, delicate floral, citrus, peach, melon, earth
- Camarese: (Cam-are-ess) firm, tannins, delicate aromatics, pepper, spice
- Carignane Noir: (Care-ig-non No-our) tannic, solid acidity, good color, cherry, raspberry, pepper
- Cinsault Noir: (Sahn-so No-our) elegant, soft & lightly aromatic, strawberry, raspberry, smoke, earth
- Clairette Blanc: (Claret Blan) big bodied, floral, aromatic, honeysuckle, tropical flowers, tropical fruits
- Clairette Rose: (Clare-et Rose) light aromatics, fruit notes, soft strawberry, cherry, rose petal
- Counoise Noir: (Coon-wahz No-our) lively acidity, spice, richness, raspberry, cherry, cranberry
- Grenache Blanc: (Gra-nash blan) big bodied, soft, delicate peach, melon, pear
- Grenache Gris: (Gra-Nash Gree) full-bodied, light in color, delicate strawberry, cherry, rose petal
- Grenache Noir: (Gra-Nash o-our) big bodied, supple, & rich strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, black pepper
- Marsanne: (Mar-san) broad palate, soft & rich, peach, nectarine, stone fruits, tuberose, sweet nuts
- Mourvèdre: (More-ved) tannic, deeply colored, aromatic, black currant, dark cherries, leather, smoke, earth
- Muscardin: (Mus-car-dan) floral, aromatic, firmly structured, rose petal, barnyard, earth
- Muscat a Petits Grains: (Mus-cat ah Pet-eet Grahn) elegant, aromatic, floral, musk, honey, honeysuckle, lily, stone fruit
- Picpoul Blanc: (Peek-pool Blan) floral, soft, aromatic, pear, earth, lily, daisy, wildflowers
- Picpoul Noir: (Peek-pool No-our) floral, elegant, aromatic, rose, violet, dark cherry
- Roussanne: (Roo-sahn) firmly structured, powerful, very rich, apricot, honey, almond, nutmeg, honeysuckle, iris
- Syrah/Shiraz: (C-rah)/(She-raz) highly colored, firmly structured and aromatic, plum, raspberry, blueberry, blackcurrant, violet, roasted meats, smoke, chocolate, pepper, anise
- Terret Noir: (Tare-it No-our) delicate, perfumed, bright acidity, rose petal, lavender, dark berries, spice
- Ugni Blanc: (Ewn-yee Blan) delicate fruit, good acidity, pear, honey-dew melon, earth
- Vaccarese: (Vac-car-ess) aromatic, firmly tannic, floral, pepper, spice, earth, smoke
- Viognier: (Vee-ohn-yea) big bodied, very aromatic, complex apricot, musk, peaches, grapefruit, lychee, papaya, mango, tropical flowers
Podcast version of interview
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