In the heart of winter, and in between storms, we dream of sunny summer days, and being home on the range or at least Rhone Rangers. Three upcoming events help us achieve our Rhone Ranger dreams at least. First, if you keep reading, you’ll find we have three Rhone wines from Kukkula which will be pouring at Sunday’s Rhone Rangers Experience event in Paso Robles; more details below. We also celebrate one of the original Rhone Rangers, Fred Cline, with two of his wines in this article. And everyone can get in on the Rhone action tomorrow because Friday February 16 is Syrah Day. Finally, keep in mind that Hospice du Rhone which is usually held in April in Paso Robles this year will be in Walla Walla, Washington.  To get in the mood for the Garagiste Festival and the Rhone Rangers Experience, last week we opened up two sparkling wines I bought at the Garagiste Festival Silent Auction a few years ago from Steinbeck Vineyards & Winery as Winemaker and Steinbeck son-in-law Bryan Widstrand will be discussing his 2021 Cuvee Rhone Sparkling from Paso Robles. Read about the Steinbeck sparklers here and here.

Other wines in the Sunday Feb. 18, 2024 seminar that kicks off the Rhone Rangers Experience are a Texas Viognier from Becker Vineyards, a Picpoul from Santa Barbara’s Babcock, a Rosé from Lodi’s Covenant, a Sta Rita Hills Grenache from Clementine Carter, an amphora made Mourvèdre from Oregon’s Troon Vineyard & Farm, Syrah from Paso’s Willow Creek District by Caliza, Cinsault from Paso’s Nenow Family Wines in the Adelaida District, and finally an MGS from Copia Vineyards & Winery along the central coast. Quite a range of Rhone Experiences for sure! 

Rhone Rangers members from Paso Robles, Santa Barbara County, Ojai, Temecula, Monterey, Napa, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma, El Dorado, Lodi, Oregon and Texas will be pouring their wines during the Grand Tasting Sunday afternoon where you can also bid on lots donated by Rhone Rangers member wineries; funds raised help support the Rhone Rangers educational mission. 

The Rhone Rangers started in the 1980s to promote enjoying Rhône varietal wines made in the United States. Today the Rhone Rangers include over 100 wineries from the United States which are dedicated to wines from the 22 grape varieties originally from France’s Rhône Valley from well known grapes like Syrah to the more obscure  like Counoise and Picpoul. 

As big fans of Rhone wines, we’ve tasted and written about quite a few of the wineries planning to pour this year including

• Acquiesce Winery in Lodi
• Clementine Carter in Santa Barbara County
• Eberle Winery in Paso Robles
• Halter Ranch in Paso Robles
• Lava Cap Winery in El Dorado
• Lindquist Family Wines in Santa Barbara County
• Miraflores Winery in El Dorado
• Morgan Winery in Monterey County
• Ridge Vineyards – Santa Cruz Mountains & Sonoma County
• Robert Hall Winery in Paso Robles
• Seven Oxen Estate Wines in Paso Robles
• Steinbeck Vineyards &  Winery in Paso Robles
• Tablas Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles
• Tercero Wines in Santa Barbara County
• Troon Vineyard in Oregon
• Zaca Mesa Winery & Vineyards in Santa Barbara County

Some of these wineries we’ve written about more than once, and other Rhone wineries may or may not be members or be pouring this year.

But we hadn’t published about Cline or Kukkula, and we had samples of each, so on two occasions, we fired up the grill and made burgers and fries, a classic summertime meal. With the Kukula wines, we also had potato salad and a green salad full of fresh fruit while with the Cline we did lamb and beef burgers with tomatoes from my garden (yes, I still have tomatoes! And their stills sweet and juicy!)  

Last summer, the Rhone Rangers presented Fred Cline with Lifetime Achievement honors which previously went to Randall Grahm (Bonny Doon Vineyard 2013), Robert Haas (Tablas Creek Vineyard 2014), Robert “Bob” Lindquist (Qupé/Lindquist Family Wines 2015), Bill Easton (Terre Rouge 2016), Sondra Bernstein (the girl and the fig 2017), and Gary Eberle (Eberle Winery 2021).

Cline is one of the original founders of the Rhone Rangers and owner of Cline Family Cellars in Sonoma, CA . Cline grew up in LA but spent summers in Contra Costa County at his grandfather Valeriano’s farm where he learned a European approach to winemaking, and to farm grapes with care and intention leading to his lifelong love of agriculture and winemaking, and to his formal studies at U.C. Davis in viticulture. 

In 1982, Cline started his cellars in Oakley, California, making wine from original plantings, some going back to the 1880s,  of head-trained and dry-farmed Mourvèdre, Zinfandel, and Carignane. With his love of Rhone varietals, when he and wife Nancy purchased a 350-acre horse ranch property in the Los Carneros region of Sonoma County in 1989, he planted Syrah, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne. In addition to his passion for Rhone varietals, Cline is devoted to protecting those heritage vineyards in Contra Costa, and farming sustainably.

“It is a great pleasure that the Rhone Rangers have the privilege of honoring foundational leaders in the wine industry with the Lifetime Achievement honor.  Fred and his family have never wavered from their dedication to crafting fine wines from the classic Rhone varieties. They have built a foundation for all Rhone Rangers making wines from these varieties in the United States today,” noted national Rhone Rangers President Craig Camp of Troon Vineyard.  

So of course when I went to my cellar for the samples of Cline wines, I expected to find a white Rhone varietal or blend and a Syrah. Imagine my surprise to find a zinfandel and a chardonnay! Oh well, Sue was on the way and menu of lamb and beef blue cheese burgers planned.

2021 Cline Hat Strap Chardonnay, Carneros

ABV: 14.5%
SRP: $30
Grapes:  Chardonnay
sample for my review

They say: “Our Los Carneros vineyards are exposed to the afternoon winds that blow across the San Pablo Bay like a giant fan demanding you cinch your hat-strap! Grape hang time is extended by this cooling effect promoting flavors of golden peach, pineapple, lemon curd and freshly baked bread – all with a lush richness. Hang on to your hat!”

Appearance: Deep lemon yellow, very clear, very bright, daffodil, golden, 

Aroma: Sweet apple, red delicious, vanilla, lemon curd, lemon and herb, like a cough drop, Bartlett pear

Palate: Creamy mouth feel, lemon curd, lemon danish, citrus peel bitter finish, 

Pairing: If you are a Chardonnay only person, this burger works well with the wine, the rich lamb with the beef, the creamy blue cheese and the spicy arugula work very well with this wine. John felt that the wine was very even and enjoyable with the food. On the following evening, I paired it with grilled lobster slathered in butter and garlic– now there’s a pairing for the books! 

2020 Cline Eight Spur Zinfandel, Dry Creek, Sonoma

ABV: 14.5%
SRP: $35
Grapes:  Zinfandel
sample for my review

They say: “Dry Creek Zinfandel vines resemble small trees – free standing, low to the ground and spur pruned to eight canes to form well-spaced branches. The resulting low hanging fruit bask in the radiant ground heat, rewarding us with intense flavors of black cherry, black currant, cinnamon, and baking spice with a rich, ripe palate. Hope this spurs your senses!”

Appearance: Rhubarb, brickish, mauve rim

Aroma: Fruit forward, boysenberry jam, black pepper, ginger spice, carnation, sweet cedar,  

Palate: Surprisingly tart, raspberry jam, grippy tannins, the oak is quite present, 

Pairing: Salt in food tames the tannins and enhances the fruit.  The wine highlights the meal completely.The fruit, the smoke, the richness, and the lovely wine is perfect with this rich smoky meal.  It brings me back again and again for another bite of smoked burger and another sip of wine. This wine loves grilled meat and would be a perfect companion for any BBQ get together. 

And now for some actual Rhone varietals from kukku­la (kook-koo-luh), which is Finnish for ​“the hill, or high place.” In 1992, Kevin and Paula Jussila were living in Topanga on a couple of acres when and where Kevin got the grape growing and wine making bug. After a few years, (12 to be exact), they took it to the next level by purchasing property in the Adelaida Hills in Paso Robles with a commitment to grow their dry farmed grapes organically  and to make low-intervention wine using native yeasts and no fining and filtering the reds. 

For this menu, we grilled the burgers, added blue cheese, and enjoyed several side salads: potato salad, squash salad, fresh fruit salad, grilled corn.

 

2018 Kukkula “Vaalea” 

ABV 14%
Grapes: organic dry farmed 36% roussanne, 35% grenache blanc, 29% viognier|
SRP: $38
sample for my review

Vaalea is Finnish for light blond.

Color:  Very pale yellow

Nose: Orange blossom, grassy knolls, fuelsol, anise, meadow, 

Palate: Clean, herbaceous, lemon, white flower, citrus blossom, luscious mouthfeel. Slick and lovely, complex lingering finish. 

Pairing:  The fresh raspberry, strawberry and peach salad are a perfect companion to the wine. It really brings out the grenache blanc. peach meets peach. This is a perfect wine for this fruit and fresh greens salad. the different layers and flavors of the fruit match the different flavors in the wine. The potato salad shines with the wine. There is something about the pickle brine and the wine that just works magically together. While we thought we would try to pair the wines to our many salads, this wine worked with all of the salads across the board. The wine loves the salty flavors of the pancetta and the pecorino Romano cheese. Great first course wine. It went perfectly with all three of our salads. in addition, most corn is terrible with wines, but this roasted corn is fabulous with the wine. 

2018 Kukkula “pas de deux”

Grapes: organic dry farmed 59% grenache, 41% syrah
SRP: $65
ABV: 15.3%
sample for my review

French for “dance for two” — a close relationship between two people or things.

Color: Cloudy, ruby going to garnet, mauve rim 

Nose: Earth and spice, pepper, baking spice, carnation, dusty rose, blue fruit

Palate: Tart raspberry, cherry, herbs, dry herbs, rosemary, thyme, sage, chaparral, mint eucalyptus, chalky mouthfeel, bold tannins could it be from whole cluster fermentation??

Paring: This wine loves the strawberry fruit in the fruit salad. The fruit in the salad brings out lovely elements in the wine. Loves the chard grilled meat. The simplicity of the grilled meat brings out great fruit in the wine. 

2018 Kukkula “noir”  

Grapes: organic dry farmed 86% syrah, 14% counoise
ABV 15.7%
SRP: available to wine club members only 
sample for my review

“dark, black, without light”

Color Dark and rich, plum with a magenta rim. Medium plus density. 

Nose Blue fruit, blueberry, boysenberry, black pepper, eucalyptus, sage, blackberry, 

Palate Big and bold, tart blue fruit, fresh blueberries, the tartness of the skin, stewed fruit, fruit compote, blackberry sauce, 

Paring I wanted this wine with duck. The rich dark wine loves the ripe raspberry and strawberry in the salad. Perfect companions. Super fantastic  blue with the BBQ blue cheese burger. We all found this wine to be perfect with the burger. It is fine with the potato salad, and lovely with the squash salad loving the procuitto, cranberries, toasted walnuts and pecorino cheese. However, best of all with our burgers. 

Get in the mood for summer by enjoying these songs during dinner:

or how about “Summer Wine” by Nancy Sinatra?

Incoming atmospheric river or no, I’m headed to Paso Robles to the Rhone Rangers Experience with summer in my heart and ready to get some Rhone wines on my lips!