Over 70 Artisan Winemakers to Pour at 2014 Garagiste Wine Festival: Paso Robles

The Garagiste Festival unveiled the winemaker line up for the fourth annual Garagiste Festival: Paso Robles to be held November 6th to 9th. Over 70 garagiste* winemakers are scheduled to pour over 150 wines during the non-profit festival, which is the first and only festival dedicated to undiscovered and under-recognized American garagiste winemakers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot wines in the world. Tickets are now on sale at http://californiagaragistes.com/buy-tickets/.

2014PasoHeaderFifty+ artisan winemakers from the Paso Robles area are slated to pour during the festival’s Grand Tasting at the Ponderosa Pavilion at the Paso Robles Fairgrounds on November 8th; and 20 winemakers from Northern California and Santa Barbara County (90% of whom do not have tasting rooms) will be featured for the first time at The Opening Round at the historic Carlton Hotel in Atascadero on November 7th. This event includes cheese and charcuterie from Vivant Fine Cheese and hearty appetizers from popular local chef Johnny Jantz. Kicking off the festival on Thursday November 6th is the Shiners, Samples, and Secrets Winemaker Mixer at Templeton’s First Crush, offering barrel samples, off-the-grid tastings and nibbles from Vivant Cheese.

Tasting seminars this year include: ‘Taste Like a Pro’ led by Matt Kettmann of The Wine Enthusiast, and ‘Making A Dream Come True: My Second Career as a Vineyard Owner and Winemaker,’ featuring some of the festival’s most successful garagistes (and their signature wines) – Bob Tillman of Alta Colina, Carl Bowker of Caliza, and Victor Abascal of Vines on the Marycrest.”

In addition, the festival’s ‘Rockin’ After Party’ winds down (up!) the main event on November 8th, with the return by popular demand of local band High Voltage, as well as beer from Barrelhouse Brewery and down-home eats from Jeffrys Catering. Rounding out the Festival is Sunday’s popular Winemaker Symposium, sponsored for the second year by Laffort, and designed for those wine lovers ready to, or contemplating, making the leap to winemaker.

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