| |
Considered
the benchmark
in U.S. wine festivals, the Paso Robles-based Hospice
du Rhône takes place over a three-day period,
involving events like seminars, tastings, an auction, and
gourmet meals. From its modest beginnings in 1993 as The
Viognier Guild, HdR
is the brainchild of local vintner, Mat Garretson. Originally
envisioned as a conference of sorts for winemakers and vintners
who were passionate about wine varietals originating from
the Rhône Valley in France, HdR
was destined to become a watershed event, as international
winemakers came to celebrate Rhône wines with other
enthusiasts.The photos on these five pages are from the 2006
event, and offer a look at just some of the sights from the
festival.
The
Syrah Shootout, (this page) is a closed event
held at Villa Creek restaurant, that pits winemaker against
winemaker in a blind tasting of each other's wines. |
| Top :
last beer. Above :
the famous Coat du Rhône. Below
Left :
winemakers Matt Ortman, Terry Culton, Eric Mohseni, and Seth
Kunin test their palates. Below
Right :
previous winner, Susan Neel from McCrea Cellars
goes through the lineup. |
