The Rhone Rangers are moving across San Francisco Bay to the spectacular and historic Craneway Pavilion at Ford Point, for the 17th Annual Bay Area Grand Tasting on Sunday, April 6, 2014. The day will celebrate the craftsmanship of 100+ American winemakers who will pour over four hundred Rhone-varietal wines. Guests will be able to enjoy spectacular views of the bay and city skyline from the recently renovated architectural gem built more than 80 years ago by Henry Ford as an assembly plant for automobiles. Small plates of iconic American fare will be available from Assemble Restaurant, under the direction of Richard Mazzera, an alumnus of Chez Panisse and the owner of Cesar in Berkeley. Over 2,000 wine lovers and members of the trade and media are expected to attend the Rhone Rangers tasting. Tickets are now on sale at: WWW.RHONERANGERS.ORG.
“The move to the Craneway Pavilion provides us with a world-class venue, breathtaking views of San Francisco Bay, and greater accessibility with improved parking, highway access and public transit options for our attendees,” explained David Gates, President of the Rhone Rangers Board of Directors. Private ferry service will be available for our San Francisco-based fans for a safe and fun way to travel to-and-from the event. For those who would prefer to use BART we will provide round-trip complimentary shuttle service to the Craneway from the El Cerrito BART Station. There are also thousands of parking spaces available for attendees who will be traveling by car from the North Bay, East Bay, Sacramento and South Bay. “My vision for the renovation of Ford Point, including the stunning Craneway Pavilion was to utilize the award winning architecture of Albert Kahn and offer the ultimate San Francisco Bay Area special event venue, perfect for food and wine events.” The Rhone Rangers wine event adds to the realization of this vision and we are thrilled that they have chosen the Craneway as the new home for their signature Bay Area event,” said Eddie Orton, Orton Development Inc. Orton undertook the $40 million restoration of the historic Ford Assembly Plant several years ago to create a state-of-the-art event center that would capitalize on its landmark architecture and unique waterfront site to attract dynamic events to the East Bay.
Schedule of Events
- Sunday, April 6, 2014, 10 AM – 12:45 PM Seminar Series
- Sunday, April 6, 1-3 PM — Trade & VIP Tasting
- Sunday, April 6, 3-6 PM — Grand Tasting (General Admission)
PURCHASE TICKETS
Tickets are now on sale and the public is invited to purchase them online at: WWW.RHONERANGERS.ORG. For more information call 800 467-0163.
About the Rhone Rangers
The Rhone Rangers are a group of roughly 150 wineries dedicated to making wines from the 22 grape varieties originally made famous in France’s Rhone Valley. These varieties range from the better-known Syrah and Viognier to the up-and-coming Mourvèdre, Grenache and Roussanne, to the obscure (but delicious) grapes like Counoise and Picpoul.
The Rhone Rangers started from a small gathering of American vintners who began meeting informally in the 1980s. As their numbers expanded, the group organized under the name “Rhone Rangers.” The Rhone Rangers is a non-profit organization focused on promoting the enjoyment of Rhone varietal wines produced in the United States. These grapes include the 22 traditional varieties approved by the French government for the Côtes du Rhone, as well as Durif (Petite Sirah). In order for a winery to join the Rhone Rangers, they must produce at least one wine that contains 75% of any single approved varietal (or combination of these varietals).
About the Craneway Pavilion
The Craneway Pavilion is a 45,000 sq. ft. world-class, sustainably designed event facility centrally located in one of the planet’s most iconic destinations. Set on 25 waterfront acres with stunning views of San Francisco Bay, the architecturally renowned Ford Assembly Plant building offers a one-of-a-kind historical venue combined with state of the art technology and delivers the most unique event venue on the Bay.
