The Rhone Rangers Experience  

Annual fundraising drive benefits the Rhone Rangers educational mission. 

March 1, 2023 (Paso Robles) – The Rhone Rangers have announced great success in both attendance  and fundraising from the recent “Rhone Rangers Experience” held in Paso Robles, California, over  the Presidents’ Weekend.  The annual event celebrated its fifteenth year and featured 71 Rhone  Ranger member wineries from throughout the United States, representing Paso Robles, Santa  Barbara County, Monterey, Napa, Sonoma, Lodi, El Dorado, Oregon, and Texas, with a sold-out All Access pass which included a “Rhone Essentials” seminar, Vintners’ Luncheon prepared by Chef  Jeffery Scott, Grand Tasting, and Silent Auction.  The all-day event is a favorite for wine enthusiasts,  with guests enjoying the opportunity to interact first-hand with the many leading American Rhone  winemakers and principals in attendance. 

The event’s Silent Auction is the primary fundraising drive of the year for the national organization, recording $16,000 in gross revenue for the 2023 lots. The fundraising proceeds are utilized for the  501c (6) non-profit’s educational endeavors with annual contributions to the Rhone Rangers scholarship program. Benefactors of the scholarships have included Allan Hancock College, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Sonoma State, CSU Fresno, UC Davis, and the James Beard Foundation. In 2022, the Rhone Rangers donated two scholarships to Cuesta College for distribution to an Ag Business student and a Viticulture/Plant Science student. “As an educational non-profit, our mission is to  educate and create awareness of the many American Rhone varietals and blends, which we  accomplish through both our virtual and in-person events. The silent auction which includes  exclusive wine offerings and experiences donated by our member wineries, is a great fundraiser for the Rhone Rangers, assisting with our annual calendar of educational events, while, at the same time contributing to the organization’s ability to provide scholarships to the next generation of  enologists, winemakers, viticulturists, sommeliers, and wine business professionals,” stated Kim  Murphy-Rodrigues, Executive Director of the Rhone Rangers. 

Plans are currently underway for a Rhone Rangers Summer Gala to be held in Sonoma, California on June 24, 2023. In addition, the Rhone Rangers invite you to save the date for the 16th Annual  “Rhone Rangers Experience” to be held on Sunday, February 18, 2024, in Paso Robles, California. 

About the Rhone Rangers 

Founded in 1998, the Rhone Rangers 501c (6) non-profit is a group of 100+ wineries throughout the United States dedicated to making wines from the 22 grape varieties originally made famous in France’s Rhône Valley.  With a mission to educate and promote American Rhone varietal wines, the organization holds special events and fundraisers throughout the year to raise funds for the Rhone Rangers Scholarship Fund, which benefits students studying viticulture, enology and wine business.