I love watching the green buds burst forth on the trees this time of year, hard on the heels of the cherry blossoms. Yes, it’s California, and the groundhog doesn’t agree with me, but the barest hint of any season gets me excited, but especially Spring. And with Spring in San Francisco comes lots of wine tasting events, and a few really good ones.

The Annual Rhone Rangers Tasting in San Francisco is certainly one of the Spring highlights for wine lovers in the Bay Area. Held at Fort Mason, like all the other big tastings, Rhone Rangers offers the change for wine lovers to taste through a vast field of Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, and many other varietals and blends that fall under the general banner of Rhone-style wines.

I adore these wines, they’re a great break after tasting hundreds of Cabernets in Napa, and this is always a great tasting event. I highly recommend it to anyone, especially those that might be stuck in a Cabernet rut (or a Merlot, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc rut for that matter). There’s a lot more out there in the wine world, and this tasting will provide a heck of an education to anyone looking to explore alternatives to such varieties.

And of course, for those who are crazy for Rhone-style wines, then there’s a whole weekend of activities, from a winemaker and library wine dinner on Saturday, as well as several wine seminars on Saturday and Sunday morning. Complete details can be found on the event web site.

Rhone Rangers Grand Tasting
Sunday, March 22th
2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Fort Mason Festival Pavilion
Buchanan Street and Marina Blvd
San Francisco, CA

Tickets to the grand tasting are $65 in advance, and should be purchased online.

And remember my tips for optimum enjoyment at public tastings: wear dark, comfortable clothes; get a good night’s sleep; come with food in your belly; drink lots of water; and SPIT !