Rhone Rangers Riding into Seattle On August 6 for a Syrah Stampede; Complimentary Seminars with Richard Kinssies and Andy Perdue

The Rhone Rangers Second Annual Grand Benefit Tasting -- the Syrah Stampede -- has rounded up over fifty winemakers from California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho to pour their premium Rhone varietal wines for the trade and public on August 6, 2005 at Seattles luxurious McCaw Hall, to benefit FareStart.

(PRWEB) July 22, 2005 -- The Rhone Rangers Second Annual Grand Benefit Tasting -- the Syrah Stampede -- has rounded up over fifty winemakers from California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho to pour their premium Rhone varietal wines for the trade and public on August 6, 2005 at Seattles luxurious McCaw Hall, to benefit FareStart.

A series of dinners hosted by the Rhone Rangers will lead up to the Grand Benefit Tasting on August 3rd, 4th and 5th. Winemakers from California and Washington will present their selections in the intimate setting of Seattles finest restaurants, including the Waterfront Seafood Grill, Dulces Latin Bistro, Café Campagne and Nells.

Complimentary seminars will precede the tasting at 11:00 am for trade professionals and consumers interested in learning more about the nuances of Rhone wines. Richard Kinssies, wine writer, educator and owner of the Wine Outlet, will conduct a comparative seminar, Other Rhones: Old World vs. New World, examining three classic Rhone varieties adapted from their native soil to new world vineyards. Guests attending The Great Syrah Taste-Off, lead by Andy Purdue, editor of Wine Press Northwest, will have the opportunity to explore the regional and stylistic differences of Syrahs from four major regions: Rhone Valley, Australia, California, and Washington.

The tasting showdown begins Saturday at 12 noon for trade and media tasting, and continues from 2-5 pm for public tasting. Participating wineries include Bridlewood Winery, Curtis Winery, Morgan Winery, Tablas Creek Vineyard, and Zaca Mesa Winery from the celebrated vineyards among the Central Coast Range. North coast wineries such as Cline Cellars, Fife Vineyards, McDowell Valley Vineyards, Novy Family Winery, Provisor Syrah, and Steele Wines will indulge attendees in the product of their micro-climates and shallow soil. The Renwood Winery and Sobon Estate will join the elite from the Sierra Foothills, as well as San Francisco Bay Areas Rosenblum Cellars, Bogle Vineyards, Bonny Doon Vineyard, and Michael-David Phillips of Lodi. Doyenne Cellars/DeLille Cellars, Dunham Cellars, Dusted Valley Vintners, Hogue Cellars, Silvan Ridge, Syncline Wine Cellars, Terra Blanca, and Zefina will represent Washingtons distinguished wine region.

Rhone Ranger NW Grand Benefit Tasting for FareStart Event Information
Tickets to the NW Grand Tasting are available at www.ticketmaster.com- (Search for Rhone Rangers.)
www.rhonerangers.org
Ticket prices $30 at Ticketmaster.com or $40 day of event.
Event Date: August 6, 2005
Event Times:
Trade Tasting 12:00 noon -2:00 pm
Public Tasting 2:00 pm -5:00 pm
Place: The Marion Oliver McCaw Hall is located at Seattle Center.
Trade Seminar I with Andy Perdue of Wine Press Northwest       11:15 am --Noon
Trade Seminar II with Richard Kinssies of the Seattle Post Intelligencer    12: 15 -1 p.m.
Public Seminar I with Andy Perdue                2:30-3:15 p.m.
Public Seminar II with Richard Kinssies             3:30-4:15 p.m.

About the Rhone Rangers
The Rhone Rangers are a non-profit organization focused on promoting the enjoyment of Rhone varietal wines produced in the United States. These grapes include the 22 traditional varieties approved by the French government grown in the Cotes du Rhone (about 13--14 of these grapes are grown in the United States), as well as Durif (Petite Sirah), a grape that originated in the Rhone but is grown primarily in California today. As criteria for membership, wines must contain 75% of any single or combination of these varieties to qualify as "Rhone Ranger" wines. Additionally, all wines must comply with BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) regulations for label content.

www.rhonerangers.org

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