Hospice du Rhône in Walla Walla

Last December, my girlfriends and I were sipping Champagne when we learned that Hospice du Rhône was coming to Walla Walla in 2024. Tickets had just gone on sale. In our happy tipsy space, we proceeded to purchase a few for the Grand Tasting. And just like that, plans were made for our next trip to back to wine country.

Beautiful Abeja Winery in Walla Walla

So What Exactly is Hospice du Rhône?

Hospice du Rhône is a non-profit business league with the goal of promoting Rhône variety wine growers and producers. Its catchy tagline reads “Twenty-Two Varieties. One Vision.” But the organization had a humble starting with only one variety - Viognier. It all began in 1991 when wine shop owner Mat Geretson showcased 35 Viogniers to about 20 tasters near Atlanta, Georgia. It was called Viognier Guild. 

Rhône River by Txllxt TxllxT via Wikimedia Commons

The next year, John Alban offered to host the event in his winery and expanded it to include other Rhône variety wines. Renamed Raisin’ Rhône’s, the event was moved to the Alban Vineyards in Edna Valley, California. Over the years, the celebration of Rhône variety wines grew into a multi-day affair. 

In 1998/99, the event was rebranded again as Hospice du Rhône (HdR). Vicki Carroll was hired as the Director, and Paso Robles became the new venue. Under Vickie’s leadership, HdR became the largest international vintners association that focused on Rhône grape varieties. Its event brings over 120 Rhône variety wine producers all over the world. 

In 2010, HdR added luxury resort Blackberry Farm in Willard, Tennessee as a second venue for the celebration of Rhône variety wines. The format there was smaller and more intimate. After a brief pause, Paso Robles continued to be the venue for its biennial flagship events starting in 2016. There were two exceptions. The event was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic, and it came to Walla Walla in 2024!

HdR, Walla Walla Edition

Four to five years in the making, Walla Walla became the third destination to host HdR in 2024. The three-day affair that ran from April 25 to 27 consisted of a dozen Rhône Around Dinners, two Master Classes, two seminars, two focus tastings, and a Grand Tasting. 

Walla Walla has a few things going to make it HdR-worthy. First, the region has over time built its cred in producing high-quality Rhône variety wines starting with the likes of Christoph Baron and Charles Smith as well as the more recent recognition of the Rocks District AVA. 

Force Majeure winemaker dinner

Second, the culinary landscape and hospitality industry continued to excel in showcasing the wine offerings and making Walla Walla a wine destination. But HdR could not have happened without the support of the wine community, and in particular, Carrie Alexander of Atelier Freewater and Force Majeure Vineyard.

My Grand Tasting Experience

The Grand Tasting featured over 130 international and domestic Rhône variety wine producers and importers. The biggest showing came from California, followed by France and Washington. Since I am not blessed with an unlimited alcohol tolerance, I went prepared with a dozen “must try” wineries circled in my copy of the exhibitor map. (I deliberately skipped my French favorites like Vieux Télégraphe and Beatus as well as Walla Walla gems such as Reynvaan and Latta because I either already own or have access to those wines.)

The clear winners at the tasting for me were Cave Yves Cuilleron and M. Chapoutier. Yves Cuilleron (the man himself) was at the event pouring a selection of wines that included an unclassified Syrah, three classified Northern Rhône wines, and a collaboration project with Sonoma’s Jeff Cohn Cellars. I particularly enjoyed his 2020 Labaya Crozes-Hermitage and 2020 Madinière Côte Rôtie.

Cave Yves Cuilleron 

As for M. Chapoutier, you could spot the stall a mile away. It was the one with the longest line, but the wait was worth the while. The pour included one Hermitage (2018 Sizeranne) and three Chateauneuf de Papes (2021 La Bernardino, 2015 Croix de Bois, and 2015 Barbe Rac). There was not a miss among them!

M. Chapoutier

While it was no chump change at $175 per ticket, the HdR Grand Tasting experience was phenomenal given the quality of wines that were poured. There were a couple of things that would have elevated the experience for me. One, the space was tight for the number of participants. I had moments of pandemic PTSD. Two, plain demi baguettes were a paltry offering for a tasting that ran around dinner time. I would have happily paid $25 more per ticket to have hors d'oeuvres instead to pair with the wine.

My Verdict: Despite an initial buyer's remorse (especially after I found out about the demi baguettes), the answer was a resounding YES! I wish I had given more thoughts about other HdR activities such as the focused tastings, seminars, Master classes, or wine dinners; each of which ran the gamut of $50 to $500. For a Rhône lover with a deep pocket and a palate to match, participating in multiple HdR activities could run into thousands of dollars. But if the Grand Tasting is any indication, they may be worth every penny for the right person.

Rocks by Any Other Name

I first tasted wine from the Rocks in 2014, a year before there was a Rocks District of Milton-Freewater AVA. It was at a tasting hosted by Esquin, with a line-up of Washington great reds, that included Christophe Baron's Cayuse wines.

Cayuse and Quilceda Creek Tasting at Esquin

While he might not be the first to grow grapes in the Milton-Freewater area, the French winemaker was the one who brought that region to international fame. When Baron first set eyes on the terroir, he saw a field of cobblestones, that reminded him of Châteauneuf-du-Pape. He planted his first vineyard there in 1997 and named his winery Cayuse Vineyards, after the Native American tribe. Incidentally, the word "Cayuse" was derived from the French word for stones, cailloux.

Terroir or Wine Flaws?

Cayuse tasting room that is always closed

Baron was a controversial winemaker. While many absolutely adore his wines, he has his fair share of skeptics. Kori Voorhees of Wine Peeps wrote a compelling blog post in 2010 on whether Cayuse wine flavor profile was a reflection of a unique terroir or simply wine flaws. She even ran lab tests to prove that it was the latter.

I confess that I went into the Esquin tasting as a skeptic. Then I tasted four of his wines; Bionic Frog Syrah, Cailloux Syrah, Widowmaker Cabernet Sauvignon, and God Only Knows Grenache. It was not hard to pick up the unique flavor profile across the different varietals. What Voorhees would call pickle brine and cooked cabbage, I called kimchi. However, I found the umami in the wines oddly pleasing with a well-rounded complexity.

I was sold! (And yes, I love kimchi too.)

Rocks or Stones?

Fast forward five years from the tasting, the Rocks District was established as an AVA and continues to attract a lot of attention from both wine critics and wine collectors. The number of wineries that offer or increase wine offerings in the Rocks District AVA has also grown exponentially.

Sleight of Hand Cellars, for example, added two Syrahs from the Rocks District (Funk Vineyard's Funkadelic and Elevation Vineyard's Spider from Mars) to its popular Stoney Vine Vineyard's Psychedelic. All three single vineyard Syrahs are offered in the newly formed "For Those Who Love the Rocks" club.

Sleight of Hand Cellars' Single Vineyard Syrahs from the Rocks District

Interestingly, while others are cashing out on the Rocks District AVA branding, Baron did not jump on the bandwagon simply because he didn't like the name. (He prefers "Stones.") Truthfully, Baron didn't need to use the coveted AVA on the label. When people think of the Rocks District, people already think of Cayuse.

Regardless of the AVA listed on the label, the Rocks District produces beautiful wines. I want to share with you three from my cellar that I am super excited about.

Force Majeure's SJR, Rasa's Primus Inter Pares & Reynvaan's ITR Syrah

2016 Force Majeure's SJR Syrah is a departure from the winery's typical Red Mountain offerings. The project paid off when it received 100 points from Jeb Dunnuck of Wine Advocate. I tasted the SJR Vineyard Syrah the past spring at the Force Majeure winemaker's dinner before it was officially released. While every Force Majeure wine that night was incredible, the SJR was the most terroir-driven and interesting for me. It made such a lasting impression that I begged the winery to allocate a bottle to me.

2017 Rasa Primus Inter Pares Grenache is such a fun and fascinating wine. I tasted it during this past Spring Release in Walla Walla. Made with 100% Grenache from Monette's Vineyard, the wine is fruit-driven with cherries and berries and yet savory with the minerality that is typical of the region. International Wine Report gave it 95 points.

2016 Reynvaan Family Vineyards Syrah In the Rocks is just stunning. In fact, Baron sold the Reynvaans the parcel of land that would become the estate In the Rocks Vineyard. A protégé of Baron, winemaker Matt Reynvaan is a star producer of Rhône-style varietals. I tasted the Syrah also during the past Spring Release in Walla Walla. It has well-balanced layers of fruit, meatiness, and umami. Jeb Dunnuck gave it 97 points.

My Verdict: I have definitely been converted from a Cayuse skeptic to a big fan of the Rocks region.  I do not disagree with Voorhees' blog post about the lab test results, and I certainly do not think that the Rocks District wines taste anything like Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I do, however, have a different perspective of what constitutes wine flaws. After all, there is no accounting for taste. I would encourage anyone to keep an open mind and try a wine from the Rocks District. I'd love to hear your thoughts!