What The Rhone Rangers does

The Rhone Rangers is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 1998 and headquartered at PO Box 1724, Paso Robles, California. The organization promotes American wines made from the 22 grape varieties originally made famous in France's Rhone Valley, including Syrah, Viognier, Mourvedre, Grenache, Roussanne, and lesser-known varieties such as Counoise, Picpoul, and Petite Sirah. It serves a membership of 100+ winery and grower members across 11 U.S. regions, with local chapters and regional tastings in California (Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Lodi, El Dorado, North Coast, Monterey, Ojai, Temecula), Oregon, Washington, Texas, Virginia, Michigan, and Arizona. The organization operates with a small staff (1-10 employees) and is governed by a Board of Directors; founding president John MacCready (deceased 2018) was succeeded by subsequent presidents including Pam Bowker (2019) and Craig Camp of Troon Vineyard (current).

The Rhone Rangers' core offerings include the annual Rhone Rangers Experience grand tasting event held in Paso Robles, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and regional tours; a YouTube-hosted Virtual Events channel; a Wine Education content library covering all 22 grape varieties, food pairings, recipes, and California acreage statistics; an annual scholarship program supporting students in viticulture, enology, and wine business at Allan Hancock College, Sonoma State University, and Cuesta College; and a Lifetime Achievement Award program honoring foundational figures of the American Rhone movement. Underlying technology is minimal: a content website with a searchable member winery database, an email newsletter (37,000+ subscribers), and YouTube hosting. No proprietary technology systems, apps, or AI/ML capabilities are disclosed.

The business model is a hybrid of recurring and transactional revenue. Annual winery membership dues ($400/year) provide recurring baseline revenue; a formalized multi-tiered corporate sponsorship program (Business/Corporate $1,200, Partner $2,500, Brand Partner $5,000, Magnum $7,500, Title $10,000, plus virtual event sponsorships $500-$2,500) generates higher-margin revenue from wine industry suppliers, logistics providers, trade media, and regional alliances. Transactional revenue comes from event tickets (Grand Tasting $60-$90, seminars $125, Lifetime Achievement dinner $250) and live/silent auctions that also fund the scholarship program. Customer segments include Winery Members (primary), Associate Business Members (secondary), and a consumer enthusiast tier called "Sidekicks." Distribution to end consumers occurs through member wineries' own tasting rooms, wine clubs, and DTC shipping rather than through the organization itself.

Name

The Rhone Rangers

Legal name

The Rhone Rangers

Website

https://rhonerangers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rhone Rangers is a 501(c)(6) non-profit founded in 1998 that promotes American Rhone varietal wines through education, grand tastings, virtual events, and a scholarship program, serving 100+ member wineries across 11 U.S. regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wine Industry Trade Association

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Wine Tastings & Vineyard/Winery Tours (THAJAGAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Beverage Craft Classes (Coffee, Tea, Mixology, Wine/Beer Education) (THAJAKAF)

Keywords

• Rhone wine promotion
• Wine industry association
• Winery membership programs
• Wine trade events
• American rhone varietals

Headquarters

HQ city

Paso Robles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Winery Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for wineries ($400/year), providing access to national organization, regional and national events, PR opportunities, and enhanced website listings.
2. Sponsorship Programs: Multi-tiered sponsorship levels ranging from $500 for individual virtual events to $10,000 for Title Sponsorship, offering business logo placement, event tickets, advertisement space, and VIP benefits.
3. Event Tickets and Auctions: Revenue from Lifetime Achievement Award dinners ($250/person), Grand Tastings ($60-90), seminars ($125), and wine auctions that also fund the scholarship program.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Rhone Rangers is a national non-profit membership association that promotes American wines made from 22 traditional Rhone grape varieties (plus Durif/Petite Sirah) through winery membership programs, annual grand tasting events, regional tours, virtual educational events, wine education content, and a scholarship program for viticulture and enology students. It serves over 100 member wineries across 11 U.S. regions and generates revenue through membership dues, corporate sponsorships, event tickets, and auctions.

Product overview

The Rhone Rangers is a national 501(c)(6) non-profit membership organization dedicated to promoting American Rhone wines made from 22 grape varieties originally famous in France's Rhone Valley. Founded in 1998, the organization comprises over 100 member wineries across the United States. The organization's offerings include the Rhone Rangers Experience (annual grand tasting events featuring member wineries in locations such as Paso Robles, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Texas, and Oregon), Virtual Events (online content via YouTube), Wine Education Resources (educational materials on grape varieties and food pairings), a Scholarship Program (supporting students in viticulture/enology), Winery Membership ($400 annual membership with event access and promotional benefits), and Sponsorship Opportunities (multi-tiered corporate sponsorship from $1,200 to $10,000).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Winery Membership Annual $400 membership program for U.S. wineries that produce Rhone varietal wines, providing access to regional and national events, public relations opportunities, enhanced digital winery listings, and participation in the annual Rhone Rangers Experience.
• Sponsorship Opportunities Multi-tiered corporate sponsorship program ($1,200 Business/Corporate up to $10,000 Title Sponsor) offering wine industry suppliers event tickets, advertising placement in event brochures and on the website, logo placement in member e-news, and presentation opportunities at member mixers.
• Rhone Rangers Experience Annual grand tasting event series featuring multiple Rhone Ranger wineries pouring wines, seminars, and VIP experiences, held in Paso Robles, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and regional tour locations across the U.S.
• Virtual Events Online wine education and tasting content hosted on YouTube, featuring virtual seminars, winemaker interviews, and archived event recordings for consumer and trade audiences.
• Scholarship Program Annual scholarship awards funded through event auctions and donations for students studying enology, viticulture, or wine business with a focus on Rhone varieties, supporting institutions such as Allan Hancock College, Sonoma State University, and Cuesta College.
• Wine Education Resources Educational materials covering the 22 traditional Rhone grape varieties — including white grapes (Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier) and red grapes (Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Counoise, Carignan, Cinsault) — plus California acreage statistics, food pairings, and recipes.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ag West Farm CreditminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Rhone Rangers organization. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage alongside other industry sponsors.
• TricorBraun WinePakminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPackaging supplier sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• Coastal Vineyard Care AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVineyard management company sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• wineshippingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine shipping/logistics company sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• Paso Robles Wine Country AlliancecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional wine industry alliance that partners with the Rhone Rangers for events in the Paso Robles wine region.
• Travel Paso Robles AllianceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism organization sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• The SOMM JournalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine industry publication sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• WiVi Central CoastminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine industry tradeshow/conference sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• Eastern Winery Exposition & ConferenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine industry event sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• American Wine SocietyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine education organization sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• Wine History Project of San Luis Obispo CountyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNonprofit wine history organization sponsor of the Rhone Rangers. Logo appears on the Rhone Rangers website homepage.
• AVA Wine AdventurescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerRhone Rangers preferred travel partner and affiliate of Departure Lounge of the Virtuoso network. Partnered with Allan Hancock College Viticulture & Enology Department for a $1,200 scholarship donation.
• Allan Hancock College Viticulture & Enology DepartmentminorOthersRecipient of $1,200 scholarship from the Rhone Rangers Scholarship Fund in partnership with sponsor AVA Wine Adventures. Located in Santa Maria, California.
• Dream Big DarlingminorOthers501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Paso Robles, CA. Recipient of $1,200 scholarship resulting from the Rhone Rangers 'Women in Wine' fundraiser event held in Spring 2019.
• Sonoma State University - Executive MBA in Wine BusinessminorOthersRecipient of Rhone Rangers scholarship donations for 2023/2024 academic year.
• Cuesta College Ag Business & Viticulture DepartmentsminorOthersRecipient of Rhone Rangers scholarship donation in 2022, made in memory of Rhone Ranger and Cuesta College Trustee Angela Mitchell of Mitchella Winery.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Santa Barbara County Vintners: A regional wine trade association for Santa Barbara County wineries using events, marketing, and tastings to promote member producers — directly comparable regional association model.
• Lodi Winegrape Commission: A regional wine commission representing Lodi, California grape growers and wineries — operates the same grower/winery promotion model and is referenced as a regional chapter area by the Rhone Rangers.
• Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance: A regional wine trade alliance based in Paso Robles that promotes member wineries through events, marketing, and education — directly comparable as a regional wine association, and explicitly a mutual partner of the Rhone Rangers.
• Inter Rhône (Rhône Valley Wine Board): The French trade organization promoting Rhône Valley wines and the original 22 grape varieties. It is the international equivalent and the source of the varietal category the Rhone Rangers promotes in the US; Perrin family ties to Tablas Creek connect the two organizations.
• Washington State Wine Commission: A state commission promoting Washington wine grape growers and wineries through marketing, research, and education — directly comparable state-level wine trade body and one of the regions Rhone Rangers already covers.
• Napa Valley Vintners: A California regional wine trade association promoting Napa member wineries through events, education, and PR — operates the same membership/event/sponsorship model as the Rhone Rangers but at much larger scale.
• Sonoma County Vintners: A Sonoma-based regional wine association using member dues, events, sponsorships, and PR to promote its member wineries — same operating model and comparable to Rhone Rangers, with Cline Family Cellars among its members.
• Oregon Wine Board: A state-level organization supporting and promoting Oregon wineries through marketing, education, and research. Troon Vineyard (whose owner Craig Camp serves as Rhone Rangers President) sits within Oregon's wine ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• WineAmerica: The national association representing the US wine industry before Congress and federal agencies. Operates as a broader trade body with overlapping advocacy and education missions to the Rhone Rangers' varietal-specific scope.
• American Wine Society: A national consumer wine education and tasting organization with similar educational, event, and chapter-based member structure — already an explicit sponsor of the Rhone Rangers, indicating direct ecosystem overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCI9u4yCo-dydKB2DqOtF25g
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-rhone-rangers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Rhone Rangers