Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/688647
108 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } JUNE/JULY 2016 { encounters } A BRACING WIND WHIPPED THE MAKESHIFT ESPRESSO BOOTH on the grounds of the Paso Robles Event Center as guests lined up for warming cappuccinos on Friday, April 15. Hospice du Rhône Paso Robles 2016 was getting off to a rousing, if chilly, start. The event would span two days, featuring seminars, tastings and meals on both days. It was a brave new world for Rhônes as French-speaking attendees (lots of them) chatted in their native language under a sign welcoming them to "Pioneer Town," where the morning's seminars would be held. Blue-jeaned and booted American winemakers from Paso, Santa Barbara and beyond seemed right at home in this mock Western stage set (also home to the California Mid-State Fair every July). The two tasting seminars, scheduled for what would normally be breakfast time, were about to examine Rhônes Old World and New, revealing just how passionate people on both sides of the globe get about these varietals and blends. The Intricacies of Châteauneuf-du-Pape In the first seminar, Rhône specialist Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate led attendees through an exploration of the terroirs of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, the Rhône Valley's largest appellation. In addition to wines from the famous rolled stone soils (galets roulés) that the region is known for, Dunnuck selected wines from the region's sand-dominated terroirs for a comparison, with both classic and modern styles from the region being represented. Standouts from among the ten wines included the gorgeous, silky- textured 2010 Domaine de la Font du Loup, the meaty and very old- school 2012 Domaine du Pegau Cuvée Réservée and the 2011 Le Clos Rendezvous in Paso Robles FRANCE MEETS AMERICA AT HOSPICE DU RHÔNE 2016 Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate moderated the Châteauneuf-du-Pape seminar. by David Gadd / photos by Stasi Seay The Châteauneuf-du-Pape seminar contrasted stone- versus sand-dominated soils.