TheRhone Rangers are a group ofAmerican winemakers who promote the use ofgrape varieties from theRhône Valley. They are mostly based on the West Coast, particularlyCalifornia, and have created anot-for-profit organization for the promotion ofwines containing at least 75% of the 22 Rhônegrape varieties. The name is a pun onThe Lone Ranger, and was coined byWine Spectator to describeRandall Grahm for their 1989 April 15 issue, which featured Grahm dressed as the Lone Ranger under the title "The Rhône Ranger" (singular). The name was subsequently used for other winemakers.
In the 1980s,Randall Grahm ofBonny Doon Vineyard and Bob Lindquist ofQupé Wine Cellars, among others, began popularizing the marketing of the Rhônevarieties. Their success helped to revive plantings of many traditional Rhône grapes that were dying out in California likeGrenache,Mourvedre andViognier.Syrah also saw a dramatic increase in plantings[1] after Gary Eberle, then with Estrella River Winery (nowMeridian Vineyards) planted it inPaso Robles and made available the clone he used to other interested growers.[2] With no formal structure or organization, the group disbanded in the early 1990s.[3]
Beginning around 1998, a second wave of innovation in the Rhone Rangers movement began with John MacReady of Sierra Vista Winery as its executive director. The structure was loosely based on that of theZinfandel Advocates and Producers, which had been successful in promotingZinfandel in the industry. MacReady credited the new group's success to its acceptance of the use of Syrah as a blending grape,[3] a controversial view in the eyes of some.[1] Tablas Creek imported new clones of many of the 13 varieties allowed inChâteauneuf-du-Pape, includingGrenache blanc,Counoise, andPicpoul blanc that had never before been used in California[4] and made the clones available to other vineyards.
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