What Hospice Du Rhone does

Hospice du Rhône (HdR) is a California-incorporated nonprofit 501(c)(6) business league that operates as an international vintners association dedicated exclusively to the 22 Rhône variety wines and grapes. Founded by John Alban — who established Alban Vineyards in 1986 as the first American winery exclusively for Rhône varieties — and led for 25+ years by President Vicki Carroll, HdR's core purpose is to improve business conditions for Rhône grape growers and wine producers worldwide through promotional and educational opportunities.

HdR's product portfolio centers on two flagship annual events: the Rhône River cruise, a five-day chartered journey aboard Avalon Poetry II from Lyon to Châteauneuf-du-Pape featuring master classes, focus tastings, and winemaker dinners (60 rooms, 128 max occupancy, room pricing from $5,000 Deluxe Stateroom to $10,000 Royal Suite plus a $2,200 per-person event fee); and the Hospice du Rhône at Blackberry Farm event in Walland, Tennessee, now in its 16th–17th year, featuring international winemakers, wine critics, and chefs. Supporting products include regional events in Paso Robles and Walla Walla, a digital Rhône Grape Varieties resource covering all 22 varieties, and a curated directory of international Rhône-focused wine organizations.

The business model is event-driven B2C/B2B with revenue from event registration fees, room bookings, and producer/trade participation. Distribution is direct via the website, with cruise logistics outsourced to Group Voyagers Inc. (Globus, Cosmos, Avalon Waterways). Key partnerships include the flagship Blackberry Farm hospitality collaboration (since 2010), France-based Inter Rhône for co-hosted seminars, and direct relationships with multiple French AOC bodies including Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Ventoux, and Tavel. The organization operates with a small core staff (President, Founding Director, Wine Director, Special Projects, Communications Consultant) and is not affiliated with any parent company or charitable foundation.

Name

Hospice Du Rhone

Legal name

Hospice du Rhône

Website

https://hospicedurhone.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hospice du Rhône is a California-based nonprofit 501(c)(6) international vintners association dedicated to the 22 Rhône wine varieties. It produces annual flagship events — the Rhône River cruise in France and Blackberry Farm gathering in Tennessee — alongside regional events in Paso Robles and Walla Walla.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Association and Educational Event Services

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wineries & Vineyards (Tasting Rooms) (THAFALAE), Culinary & Wine Travel Agencies (THAKAFAH), Food, Wine & Beverage Festivals/Expos (MPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Wine industry association
• Wine event organization
• Rhône wine education
• Vintners association services
• Rhône wine promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

San Luis Obispo

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Registration and Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from event fees and room bookings for the annual Rhône River cruise experience and Blackberry Farm events. Event fees cover port charges, ship crew gratuities, and wine director gratuity. Room pricing tiers range from $5,000 (Deluxe Stateroom) to $10,000 (Royal Suite), with event fees of $2,200 per person in addition to accommodation costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hospice Du Rhone is a non-profit 501(c)(6) business league acting as an international vintners association for Rhône variety wines. The organization plans and hosts world-class educational wine events, headlined by a five-day Rhône River cruise through France and an annual multi-day event at Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, supplemented by regional tastings in Paso Robles and Walla Walla. Programming centers on focus tastings, master classes, winemaker seminars, and winemaker dinners for Rhône producers, trade professionals, and wine consumers.

Product overview

Hospice du Rhône is a non-profit business league (501(c)(6)) serving as an international vintners association for Rhône variety wines. The organization operates as a platform-plus-events model, providing promotional and educational opportunities for grape growers and wine producers worldwide. Its core product portfolio includes the Rhône River cruise event—a five-day chartered journey featuring master classes, focus tastings, and winemaker dinners—and the annual Blackberry Farm event in Tennessee celebrating Rhône varieties with international winemakers and chefs. Supporting offerings include digital resources on Rhône grape varieties and a directory of international Rhône wine organizations. Event accommodations range from Deluxe Staterooms ($5,000) to Royal Suites ($10,000), each with an additional $2,200 per person event fee.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rhône River: A five-day cruise event aboard an Avalon Waterways vessel journeying from Northern to Southern Rhône Valley in France
• Blackberry Farm
• Paso Robles
• Walla Walla

Products and services

• Rhône River Event A flagship multi-day educational wine event organized as a five-day river cruise through southern France's Rhône Valley, providing attendees with intimate access to top Rhône producers from regions including Cornas, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Hermitage, and Côte-Rôtie. The program combines educational tastings with curated hospitality for wine enthusiasts and trade professionals.
• Hospice du Rhône at Blackberry Farm An annual multi-day educational wine event held at Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, centered on focus tastings, master classes, winemaker seminars, and winemaker dinners for consumers and the wine trade.

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Blackberry FarmflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Annual partnership with Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee hosting multi-day Rhône wine events since 2010. The collaboration features international Rhône winemakers, wine critics, and acclaimed chefs. Now in its 16th year, the event has become a signature experience showcasing Rhône variety wines through seminars, rosé lunches, and finale dinners.
• Group Voyagers Inc. (Globus, Cosmos, Avalon Waterways)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAuthorized tour operator and intermediary for travel services associated with the Rhône River cruise event. Provides the chartered Avalon Poetry II vessel, logistics coordination, and tour operations including transportation, sightseeing, and accommodations.
• Inter RhônecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance-based organization partnered with for seminars at Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône, providing international promotional support for Rhône Valley wines.
• AOC Châteauneuf-du-PapecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppellation director Michel Blanc and head of promotion Manon Missongé collaborate with Hospice du Rhône for the Châteauneuf-du-Pape land excursion and Focus Tasting featuring nineteen producers at the historic Château cellar.
• AOC VentouxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresident Frédéric Chaudière and director Marie Flassayer partner with Hospice du Rhône for the Ventoux Focus Tasting featuring fourteen producers, showcasing the region's rich history and sustainability commitment.
• AOC TavelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppellation director Sandra Gay-Moulines presents the Rosé Lunch featuring Tavel rosés, the exclusively rosé-producing Southern Rhône region known for deeper, more complex rosé profiles.
• ValrhonaminorOthersCité du Chocolat offers chocolate-making experience as optional excursion activity in Tournon/Tain-l'Hermitage, providing tasting and shopping opportunities.
• Chef Serge Ghoukassian (Chez Serge)minorOthersChef in Carpentras provides truffle-based culinary bites for the Ventoux Focus Tasting event, showcasing local terroir through food and wine pairings.
• Braz & Bro's (Traiteur Braséros)minorOthersFire-cooking team provides al fresco lunch at Châteauneuf-du-Pape Château featuring local seasonal vegetables, seafood, meats, and cheeses cooked over brazier.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Rhône Rangers: US-based advocacy and trade group specifically promoting Rhône variety wines in America. Closest direct peer given identical varietal focus, US producer/trade audience, and educational event programming.

Broad incumbents

• Sonoma County Vintners: Non-profit wine trade association in Sonoma County running educational tastings, trade events, and consumer experiences. Closely mirrors Hospice du Rhône's association-plus-events business model at broader varietal scope.
• Napa Valley Vintners: Established non-profit vintners association running premium events (e.g., Auction Napa Valley) for a major wine region. Comparable trade association + event-driven model at significantly larger scale and broader varietal focus.
• Vinitaly: Major international wine trade fair and event organizer (Veronafiere). Comparable event-driven B2B and enthusiast programming for wine producers globally, though at much larger scale and broader varietal scope.
• Vinexpo: International wine and spirits trade exhibition organizer. Comparable in event-driven B2B and trade-facing model for wine producers, though broader in scope and region.
• Wine Institute: California statewide wine trade association representing producers and promoting California wine globally. Comparable non-profit association structure and trade/consumer event programming, though California-wide rather than Rhône-focused.

Regional players

• Walla Walla Valley Wine Alliance: Regional vintners association in Walla Walla Valley hosting Rhône-leaning producers and events. Direct peer in geography, association structure, and Rhône-style programming overlap.
• Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance: Regional wine trade association that hosts Rhône-focused events and tastings in Paso Robles, one of Hospice du Rhône's established regional event geographies. Comparable non-profit association model serving grape growers and wineries.

Emerging players

• Cellar Tours: Specialist wine tour operator running curated Rhône and other region immersive trips. Comparable in chartered/exclusive tour experience offering but as a commercial operator rather than non-profit association.

Others

• Inter Rhône: France-based interprofessional body promoting Rhône Valley wines globally. Direct counterpart in mission and Rhône focus; overlaps as a partner (Découvertes en Vallée du Rhône seminars) and as a peer promotion platform.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HospiceduRhoneIntl
• Instagraminstagram.com/hospicedurhone
• Xx.com/hospicedurhone
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hospice-du-rh-ne

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hospice Du Rhone