we.are.rhone.
Swiss Rhone Rangers - where it all began
#borntorhone
we.are.rhone.
This is WE.ARE.RHONE, a Swiss registered trade mark intended for use for Swiss wine growers located on the Swiss northern Rhone valley. It is controlled by the Swiss Rhone Rangers that operate as a non-profit association with the specific purpose of improving the business conditions of the grape growers and wine producers of Rhône variety wines and grapes in Switzerland. We serve as a Swiss wine grower association, providing promotional and educational opportunities.
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to discover the very best the Swiss Rhone Valley Vineyards have to offer!
higher elevation Rhone cépages (and autochthone treasures!)
from the #swissrhonevalleyvineyards
Many families and Swiss wine dynasties have moved up the Rhone River valley over time to settle at the Source of the Rhone valley. We have just started to scratch the surface and there are many gems yet to be discovered.
We've been supported by insiders that have been tending the steep terraces of vines over generations as well as new comers from differing fields of activity. If we have missed someone, which we are certain there are many, we're happy to receive any and every imput. Feel free to reach out.
Our mission is to educate the public on Rhone varietal wine grapes grown in the northern Rhone and to promote the production and enjoyment of these wines.
We defend the Swiss Rhone Valley growing region from being censored by the main stream wine media and put it firmly on the map as the epicenter of the Rhone.
With a growing number members spanning the Swiss Rhone River Valley, the Rhone Rangers continues to grow, further strengthening the Swiss Rhone Movement.
It's well documented that the Celts have already cultivated vines in the Swiss Rhone Valley. Visit our medieval towns. Induldge in the local produce. Where else can you combine world class golf and Ski with wine hiking trails all within 12hrs?
The vineyards often deeply penetrate the lateral valleys; such is the case of Visperterminen at an altitude of 1100 meters, that ranks among the highest in Europe. Walk along the spectacular vineyards that stretch along the Swiss Rhone Valley.
The breathtaking vineyards extend for two hundred and twelve kilometers along the NORTHERN Rhone river and lake Geneva (Lac Léman). Their well-exposed slopes stretch from the east village of Visperterminen to Satigny. The majestic Rhone has its source in the pristine alps of Switzerland.
The only non profit organization dedicated to the education and promotion of higher elevation Rhone wines. WE.ARE.RHONE.®
"If you are Rhone, then who are we?"
The French "Côtes du Rhône" have been usurping Switzerland's historical claim to the Swiss Rhone for way too long. They have been hogging the river's fame, while technically, their Rhone's diluted by the Saone and has little to do with the pristine majesty of the Swiss Rhone river valley of the north.
WE. (ie. the Swiss) ARE. RHONE. is not only geographically accurate, because we literally sit on the Rhone's banks, but it's also rooted in the Celtic-era viticulture (ca. 800 - 600 BC) and distinct from France, hence a confusion from a consumer's perspective is impossible.
We drink the best. Therefore, we occasional dabble in French wine (see left pic) to see where we stand. In doing that, we reach into the depth of the founder's collections. A wine is not merely judged on release at some odd tasting here and there. A wine is properly tasted on release and again revisited at differing stages of evolution. That entails buying and holding wine over decades. How else would one form an opinion that is based on experience rather than hear say?
We're aiming to push the boundaries and try not to be stuck in old conventions. As such, we leave nothing unconsidered and go to great length to broaden our horizons. We don't claim to be an authority on the subject of Rhone wine. We simply don't hold back and refuse to be held hostage to the mainly Anglo-Saxon wine world that simply and arrogantly ignores the most important section of the Rhone river vineyards.
That would be Switzerland. From the Source of the Rhone to Geneva, which is 177 km north of the confluence of the Saone with the Rhone, which in turn is 87 km north of Tain, the heart of the misnomer French "Northern Rhone".
Most wine writers are dependant on occassional and random tastes at curated trade shows. Therefore, they get to taste what the ITB folks want them to taste. Whomever is dependent of such "handouts" can and simply will be controlled. In short, the trade buys and steers their wine writings. They are about as trustworty as the tobacco industry was trying to get you hooked on dubious smokes!
Contrast that to the Swiss Rhone Rangers that preserve the Swiss Rhone legacy in their own, proper wine libraries.
We divide the Swiss Northern Rhone into 3 distinct regions. Come back and check out as we break down each region going forward.
Geneva is Switzerland's third-largest wine-producing state, boasting over 1,400 hectares of vineyards. The region's unique climate, influenced by the presence of Lake Geneva and protected by the surrounding mountains, creates an ideal environment for vine cultivation. It sits at the southern most part of the Swiss Rhone Valley.
The steep terraced vineyards of the Rhone valley benefit from three-fold warmth from solar, thermal and radiation sources: directly from the sun, the reflections from Lake Geneva and that of heat stored in the many stone walls in the surroundings.
The vineyards often deeply penetrate the lateral valleys; such is the case of Visperterminen at an altitude of 1100 meters, that ranks among the highest in Europe as well as Chamoson, the headquarters of the Swiss Rhône Rangers.
The Northern Rhône wine region in is situated in the Swiss Rhône valley at the source of the river Rhône and produces numerous wines under the Swiss appellation d'origine contrôlée designation. The Rhône is generally divided into two sub-regions with distinct viticultural traditions, the Northern Rhône (Valais) and the Southern Rhône (Geneva).
Protected by the Swiss Alps, the state of Valais has by far the driest climate of all of the Swiss wine-producing regions.
History
The name Rhone Ranger is wordplay and stems from the term Lone Ranger and was coined by the US wine magazine The Wine Spectator in 1989 to describe Randall Grahm, wine maker extraordinaire (Language of Yes - yet another excellent and very creative pun to Rhone wines, this time coined by the man himself, is his latest wine project) in their April issue, that featured Grahm dressed as a Texas Lone Ranger. He's widely credited to having been at the origin of the Rhone Ranger movement that connects wine growers that cultivate Rhone cépages outside of France.
The French have been very supportive of the movement, up until, the Swiss had their natural coming out, since, after all, the source of the Rhone and therefore the true northern Rhone, lies in Switzerland.
“Is this South Australia's answer to Chateau Rayas or Beaucastel? Time will tell,” writes Jones in his excellent piece.
There not only are excellent Rhone Rangers in Australia.
Don't miss the Rhone Ranger scene in South Africa.
The inspiration drawn from Switzerland's northern and France's southern Rhône regions is evident in the landscapes that, in a way, mirror each other. South Africa's vignerons, in some instances, find common ground with the Rhône, courtesy of amphitheatre-like terroirs that retain heat, ensuring the ripening of Shiraz and its accessory, Grenache, with that sought-after berry flamboyance.
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