El Dorado County (July 1, 2024) – Friday evening marked a reunion of sorts for the Rhone Rangers, as the esteemed group gathered in Sonoma to honor longtime Rhone winemaker Steve Edmunds with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Those in attendance shared nostalgic stories of the group’s beginnings, highlighting Steve’s pivotal role in producing exceptional wines. Randall Grahm, in a fitting tribute, likened Edmunds to George Harrison of The Beatles – the quiet, yet extraordinarily talented Beatle.
The Zig Zag Path to Wine
Steve Edmunds’ journey to winemaking is as unconventional as it is inspiring. As he recounted to Jason Haas of Tablas Creek on Instagram Live, beer was his first love. At 23, an unemployed Edmunds, expecting his first child, secured a job at a local shop based on his beer-making prowess. The job, however, required him to learn about wine.
“I had never approached wine with very much curiosity because everybody had bad-mouthed it,” he admitted. But as he began tasting different wines, his perspective shifted. “Each one was distinctly different… My brain lit up like a pinball machine. And I was on fire just like that,” he recalled.
Starting as a home winemaker, Edmunds followed his passion and became a pioneer of Rhone varietals in California. By the mid-1980s, he had connected with others who shared his enthusiasm for Rhone grapes like Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah.
The Birth of the Rhone Rangers
In 1987, John Buechsenstein and Edmunds organized a gathering of Rhone winemakers at Lalime’s restaurant in Berkeley. The group, hailing from across California, agreed to form an organization. Initially nameless, the group found its identity thanks to Mike Higgins, who suggested the name “Rhone Ranger” for one of Edmunds’ blends. While Edmunds initially dismissed the idea, it soon became the moniker for the group.
The Vines and the Wines
Steve Edmunds, an urban winemaker, sourced his grapes from various vineyards. Notably, he found Mourvedre at Brandlin on Mount Veeder and sourced his GSM Rocks and Gravel from Unti in Dry Creek Valley. He put the Sierra Foothills on the map by working with Ron Mansfield’s Fenaughty Vineyard in El Dorado County and convinced Mansfield to plant Gamay Noir in the Barsotti Vineyard. His most recent venture includes a Tempranillo-based blend from Ann Kraemer’s Shake Ridge Ranch in Amador County.
Edmunds, also a musician and writer, gave whimsical names to his wines, such as Bone-Jolly and El Jaleo. His wife, Cornelia St. John, is a rare co-namesake on the labels.
Integrity and Soul
Edmunds’ wines, priced between $25-45, are known for their life force and dimensionality. Patrick Comiskey, author of “American Rhone,” praised Edmunds for bringing authenticity and a moral compass to the Rhone movement. For Kermit Lynch, a key importer of Rhone wines, Edmunds was “the magician,” capable of making his California Syrah reminiscent of those from the northern Rhone.
A Legacy Celebrated
“Without Steve, there’d be no Rhone Rangers,” said Bob Lindquist, who played a significant role in Edmunds’ decision to become a winemaker. Lindquist shared a vintage Edmunds St. John Mourvedre at the dinner, impressing sommelier Chris Sawyer with its age-worthiness and stateliness.
In presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award, Jason Haas reflected on the history of the Rhone movement in California. He emphasized the pioneering spirit of winemakers like Edmunds, who saw the potential for Rhone grapes in California.
“I really can’t think of anybody more deserving than Steve of this honor,” Haas concluded.
Past recipients of the Rhone Rangers Lifetime Achievement Award include Randall Grahm (2013), Robert Haas (2014), Bob Lindquist (2015), Bill Easton (2016), Sondra Bernstein (2017), Gary Eberle (2021), and Frederic Cline (2023).
