Two in a Row at Tria: Roaming the Rhône

Back in action I'll be tonight, once again, at Philadelphia's Tria Fermentation School. In three years of teaching classes there, I do believe this is the first time I'll have led sessions on back-to-back days — definitely a good way to stay in the groove.

Tonight's class will provide a broad overview of the wines and viticultural practices of France's Rhône Valley. As with yesterday's class, seats for today's gig have long been sold out, so the following list of what I'll be pouring is presented here for those that take a distant interest or academic curiosity in such things. If you'd like to drink along with one or two (or all seven) of the wines, all the better; if so, please come back and share your thoughts.

Even though class will be presented in such a way as to provide a general informational understanding of both the Northern and Southern Rhône, a quick perusal of the list will clue many of you in to the fact that only one of the seven wines I'll be pouring actually hails from the Northern Rhône. This is hardly a suggestion of preference on my part — I'm a big fan of Northern Rhône wines and would much rather show a 2:5 or even 3:4 ratio. Rather, it's a simple reflection of what's available and, just as importantly, good on the Philadelphia-area market right now.

The links in the list below point to pieces I've written in the past on previous and/or current vintages of some of the wines. So, here's what I'll be pouring, in order of presentation and without further ado:

• Côtes du Rhône Villages Visan "À Fleur de Pampre" Blanc, Domaine la Florane 2009


• Côtes du Luberon "Le Châtaignier" Blanc, Domaine de la Citadelle 2009


• Tavel, Château Trinquevedel 2009


• Vin de France "Vin de Pétanque de Libian," Mas de Libian 2009


• Crozes-Hermitage, Domaine Combier 2008


• Côtes du Rhône Villages "Plan de Dieu," Domaine Saint Pierre 2007


• Châteauneuf du Pape "Signature," Domaine la Barroche 2006