White wines that aren’t Chardonnay. Fabulous rosés. Chillable red wines. Lighter, versatile reds with lower tannins. All these categories of wine seem to be having a moment in the public’s consciousness right now. And there’s one wine region in the world whose grapes are more suited for these categories than most: the Rhône Valley.
It’s a beautiful place to visit, of course, and the wines are amazing, but luckily enough for busy wine lovers, Rhône grapes grow amazingly well on the West Coast of the USA. And hundreds of wineries in California, Oregon, and Washington make fantastic wines using these grapes.
These wineries are united under the banner of The Rhône Rangers organization, and they’re inviting you to a summer garden party! On June 29th, you can join more than 30 of the organization’s members, who are collectively pouring more than 150 wines for an afternoon of deliciousness at Cline Cellars in Sonoma.
There will be live music. There will be “light bites.” But most importantly there will be delicious wines on offer. Time to discover whether Clairette Blanche is gonna be your new house white, or whether you need a fridge full of crunchy Cinsault for the hot summer to come.
The wineries scheduled to pour include: Acquiesce Winery, Alta Colina, Anaba Wines, Becker Vineyards, Belong Wine Co., CASS Winery, Chateau Potelle, Clementine Carter, Cline Family Cellars, Covenant Winery, Decemil Estate Wines, Derby Wine Estates, Doctor’s Orders Natural Wine Company, Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah!, Kobler Estate Winery, Lasseter Family Winery, Lost Draw Cellars, Meadowcroft Wines, Mooney Family Cellars, Ridge Vineyards, Starfield Vineyards, Staysail Cellars, Tablas Creek Vineyard, Tercero Wines, Thacher Winery & Vineyard, The. Grenachista Wine Co., Troon Vineyard, Two Shepherds, William Chris Vineyards, Winery Sixteen 600, and Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards
It’s going to be a great way to spend a summer Sunday.
2025 Rhône Rangers Summer Wine FêteSunday, June 29th 1:00-3:30 PMCline Family Cellars24737 Arnold Dr.Sonoma, CA 95476 (map)
Tickets for the event are $86.93 inclusive of fees and taxes and should be purchased in advance online, as they will likely sell out. My usual tips for such public tasting events apply: come on a full belly; hydrate; white is a dangerous color to wear to a wine tasting; and spit your wine—palate education is so much more interesting than a hangover.