RICHMOND, CA—Environment and setting is, of course, quite complementary to any exhibition: painting, sculpture and, yes, even in the culinary and wine worlds. If a brilliant painting is put down on the wrong substrate it becomes a lessor piece. Presented within an incompatible frame -- a work of art is certainly depreciated.

Bravo to those who selected the perfect setting for this year’s Rhone Rangers San Francisco Grand Tasting which was held on March 28, 2015. The Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, CA proved a terrific space to showcase a stellar group of wineries. The 525,000 sq ft historic building basks in natural light streaming in through a magnificent array of glass skylights. Though, at heart, an industrial structure, the 1931 marvel sits at the edge of the water with a commanding view of the Bay Bridge. No matter what your mood upon arrival, the salty sea breeze here will always render you unable to suppress the giddiness that comes with being in the presence of the region’s most prominent natural wonder. 

Some Favorite California Wineries In Attendance—

I was absolutely in the right frame of mind to sample the various Rhone varietal grapes that were featured at the event. 

The Reds: Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah, Picpoul, and others. 

The Whites: Viognier, Roussanne, Marsanne, Grenache Blanc, and more. 

So much delicious wine... It was a casual affair and there was plenty of time to chat and socialize with winemakers. Once I went through the list of participating wineries — I knew that I’d be in for a grand day of tasting...

The following fine producers were in attendance. I am quite familiar with the quality of their wines. They are all HIGHLY recommend:

Maggie Tillman of Alta Colina

Benjamin Silver of Silver Wines

Fess Parker Winery

Carl Bowker winemaker, Caliza

Legendary winemaker: Ken Volk

Larry Schaffer - Tercero Wines

Stacey Burkman from Clayhouse Wines

Kevin Archambeault of Derby Wine Estates

Stacy Bonnifield of Eberle Winery

Soren Christensen, Winemaker at Hearst Ranch

Elisa Brennan of Lasseter Family Winery

Mark Stern of Pomar Junction

Matt Mauldin of Zaca Mesa Winery

Stephanie and Zane Fisher of Vina Robles

So much good wine -- alas, so little time... Below are additional California wineries I tasted at the event that are now on my watch list (and should be on yours' too!)—

Adelaida Cellars 

Campovida

Field Stone Winery

J. Ricards Winery

Law Estate Wines 

Le Cuvier

Minor Family Winery 

Onx Wines

Sanglier

Sculpterra Winery

Truchard Vineyards 

Venteux

Some of the above wines are in wide distribution while others can be hard to find outside of their tasting rooms. This annual Bay Area event is one that should be on your calendar. It's really an economical way to sample a variety of wines and take note of the brands that suit your taste. Then, the next time you're out for a good dinner you can peruse the wine list and be more in control to make sure you select a wine that you know you love. (Please - never drink bad wine with a good meal!)

The Rhone Rangers also host events in Los Angeles and Paso Robles. These events are put on by good people... To me, that's an important side note.

The Rhone Rangers mission: "Advancing the knowledge and enjoyment of Rhone wines produced in America". I recommend visiting their website to learn more about these delicious wines.

NOTE TO OUR READERS: If you have not already done so, please click this LINK to "Like" our Facebook page directly. Clicking the Facebook icon below only registers on this blog post. We are trying to offer more variety in our Wine Country Blog posts and this will help us to reach a larger and more diverse audience. Thanks for your help.

—TS