First established in the 1980s and revived in 1997, the Rhône Rangers is a non-profit trade organization of American vintners devoted to promoting Rhône-style wines. Local chapters in California include El Dorado Hills, North Coast, Paso Robles, and Santa Barbara.
The Rhône wine region in Southern France produces twenty-two grape varieties including red varieties of Carignan, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvèdre (Mataro), Muscardin, Syrah (Shiraz), Petite Sirah, Picpoul Noir, Terret Noir, and Vaccarèse and white varieties of Bourboulenc, Clairette Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Picardin, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Ugni Blanc, and Viognier.
The Rhône Rangers promotes events throughout San Luis Obispo County and the United States. In 2019, the Rhone Rangers established tasting events in Boston, Washington DC, and Paso Robles. Follow the Rhône Rangers on Facebook @RhoneRangers for up-to-date events.
The Rhône Rangers mission is to, “educate the public on Rhône varietal wine grapes grown in America and to promote the production and enjoyment of these wines, with emphasis on integration into our daily lives. For a wine to qualify as a Rhône Rangers wine, the winery must be a member of the organization and 75% of the wine’s content must include one or more of the twenty-two traditional Rhone grape varieties as approved by the French government for the wines of the Cotes du Rhone, including Petite Sirah/Durif.”
The organization maintains a membership database of more than 100 wineries and growers. They provide educational materials on red and white Rhône varieties as well as a list of sponsors.
