America’s Best Wine Festival Returns to One of America’s 10 Best Small Historic Towns: Garagiste Festival Comes to Solvang February 8th – 10th

January 26, 2019 by evebushman Leave a Comment

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival, which was named America’s Best Wine Festival by USA Today, returns February 8th – 10th to Solvang, which was named One of America’s 10 Best Small Historic Towns by USA Today. Tickets are now on sale.

This marks the seventh year that the Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure has showcased the wines of some of California’s best small production winemakers in one of California’s most charming small towns, which is celebrating its 107th anniversary this year. Solvang is in the heart of the renowned Santa Ynez Valley wine country, just north of picturesque Santa Barbara, California.

“America’s best wine festival meets one of America’s best historic small towns for the seventh year in a row…what could make for a better wine country weekend?” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “There is a special place in our hearts for Solvang, and for the amazing small production winemakers who pour at this venue. Solvang, and the beautiful Veteran’s Memorial Hall, lend such a charming and intimate setting for attendees to chat and taste with the winemakers and owners who will be pouring their hard-to-find wines. We love the diversity of the wines poured here, with multiple micro-climates, grape varieties and innovative blends represented.”

Over 40 winemakers from Santa Barbara County and across California converge at Solvang’s Mission-style Veterans’ Memorial Hall to pour over 150 wines over three days of events which include the continuation of the festival’s ‘Original Garagiste’ seminars, moderated by Garagiste Festival Co-founder and KRUSH radio host, Stewart McLennan, and, this year, featuring Central Coast winemaking legend Ken Brown of Ken Brown Wines.

“We are proud to lead off our main event with a one-on-one discussion and tasting with Ken Brown – a true original ‘garagiste’ many years before micro-production winemaking became a movement,” said McLennan. “Ken was one of the first to recognize the cool climate potential of this region back in the 70s and to craft delicious wines from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay right here in Santa Barbara. We are looking forward to an informative and inspiring conversation as we taste some of his delicious wines.”

Brown, whose Ken Brown Wines focuses on very small lots of Pinot Noir from the finest vineyards of Sta. Rita Hills, is recognized as one of Santa Barbara County’s pioneering winemakers and innovators. Not only was he among the first vintners to realize the tremendous promise for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Santa Barbara County, but he was also the first winemaker to introduce the Syrah grape, as well as Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, to the region. He was founding winemaker at Zaca Mesa Winery and spent 20-years at Byron Vineyard and Winery which later sold to the Robert Mondavi family. In this seminar, attendees will learn how he helped shape the Santa Barbara wine scene and why he ultimately returned to small-lot winemaking.

The Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure 2019 kicks off on Friday, February 8th from 6:30-9:00pm with the very popular “No Repeats, Rare & Reserve,” where attendees can get up close and personal with the winemakers as they share limited Club Only, Library and Pre-Release bottles and Barrel samples, and enjoy a BBQ buffet from local favorite Tim’s BBQ. On Saturday, the seminar with Ken Brown, “Original Garagistes: A Deep Dive & Tasting,” runs from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm and includes a Wine Country boxed lunch (VIP/Weekend pass ticket holders only). The day continues with the main event, the Grand Tasting, from 2-5pm showcasing over 40 winemakers pouring 150+ wines and 20+ unique varieties. All tickets include unlimited tastes, complimentary cheese and charcuterie and a souvenir Stolzle crystal wine glass – plus a Silent Auction full of enticing wine packages which benefits The Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly. On Sunday, Garagiste Passport Day returns, offering discounts and special offers to festival attendees at area wineries.

The festival also announced that it will return to Sonoma California for its 2nd Annual Sonoma Garagiste Festival the weekend of April 13, 2019. Said Minnick: “We are very excited to return to Northern California in April. The reception we received last year was fantastic and we already have an exciting group of No Cal micro-production wineries signed up. Stay tuned!”

Dubbed “tasting nirvana”, ‘strange and wondrous’, and “one not to miss” by the LA Times, the Garagiste Festival is renowned for its renegade spirit, passionate winemakers, handcrafted wines and rules-breaking, ‘no snobs allowed’ ethos. Launched in Paso Robles in 2011, the festival features the wines of commercial garagiste* winemakers who make under 1500 cases at festivals across California, including Solvang, Sonoma, Los Angeles and Paso Robles. Over 350 different wineries have poured over 3,000 wines for over 10,000 wine lovers at Garagiste Festivals since inception and the festival has raised over $125K in support of The Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly.

For full Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure 2019 schedule details, go to http://californiagaragistes.com/2019-syv-fest/

Tickets are very limited and Garagiste Festivals always sell out. To buy tickets, go to: https://bit.ly/2Bcs0ck. For breaking festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/ or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.

Among the over 40 winemakers already scheduled to pour are:
Ascension Cellars, Bodega de Edgar, Bolshoi Family Wines*, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Copia Vineyards, Cordon Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, D. Volk Wines, Dascomb Cellars, Hoi Polloi Winery, Kaleidos Winery, Kimsey Vineyards*, Lepiane Wines, Metrick Wines, Montemar Winery, RF Fine Wines*, Ryan Cochrane Wines, Sycamore Ranch, Temperance Cellars*, Tercero Wines and Westerly Wines.*

*First time pouring at the Solvang Festival.

Sponsors include:
AEB, California Winery Advisor, City of Santa Ynez Valley, Digital Dogma, Distinctive Glassware, ETS Laboratories, Farm Credit West, Glenn Burdette, G3 Enterprises, Hamlet Inn, The Hanover Insurance Group, House of Copper, Laffort U.S.A., mWEBB Communications, Wine Industry Insight, Wine Reach App, WiVi Central Coast Conference & Tradeshow.

For sponsorship info, email info(at)garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festival
The Garagiste Wine Festival (http://www.garagistefestival.com), named the ‘Best Wine Festival in the US in 2018 in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards, is the first and only wine festival dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ producers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

In addition to being named the US’ Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Festival was named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, * “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

*Garagistes (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. The Garagiste Festivals were the first to shine a light on the American garagiste winemaker in 2011.

Paso: The 8th Annual Garagiste Festival, Rare and Reserves and Grand Tasting

November 30, 2018 by evebushman 2 Comments

Over 60 Garagiste winemakers – aka garage winemakers, most of whom don’t have tasting rooms and don’t produce over a certain number of cases annually – would be pouring for the 8^th Annual Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles. We’d covered this event in Los Angeles and Paso Robles over the years and oftentimes these wineries would grow – they would have to leave the event to make room for new Garagistes. This turnover meant an influx of new discoveries every year, as well as seeing some winemakers that have remained small and we could then taste their new vintages.

The Garagiste events, co-created by our very own Doug Minnick of Hoi Polloi and the Double Trouble Wine Room on Main in Downtown Newhall, is also the non-profit brainchild of partner Stewart McLennan.

In this two-day Paso event Minnick and McLennan had separated the rare and reserve tasting from the main event by a day. I loved the idea as I usually experience palate fatigue after the first tasting anyway. Combining my notes with day two, the wines of special note have the winery names in bold, with the Rare and Reserves noted as RR in bold as well. And, as is my usual disclaimer, if I missed a winery or a wine it wasn’t due to any distaste but can only be blamed on palate fatigue and/or I had already tasted their lineup at Garagiste Santa Monica earlier this year:

Adron Wines*

Alta Colina

Armitage Wines*

Artisan Uprising – RR: 2015 Tempranillo and 2017 Sangiovese.

Ascension Cellars – RR: 2012 Trinity GSM and 2012 Soul Shaker Cabernet Syrah blend.

Bevela Wines

Bolshoi Family Wines*

Bon Niche Cellars – RR: They did a vertical of their Bordeaux Blends including a 2010, 2012, and 2015. I liked the balance of the 2012 the best.

Caldera Cuvee

Caliza Winery – We have tasted Carl Bower’s wines off and on over the years at this event, happy to have tried them today as enjoyed: 2015 Azimuth GSM, 2015 Syrah and 2014 “Cohort” blend of Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Syrah. All wines are from estate vineyards.

Circle B Vineyards

Cloak & Dagger Wines

Copia Vineyards – RR: 2016 “The Story” blend of Grenache and Syrah.

Corner Cellars*

Cutruzzola Vineyards

Decroux Wines*

DENO Wines

DeWitt Vineyard*

Diablo Paso – RR: 2014 Tempranillo Gran Reserva. Learned that these were grapes sourced from Napa and had spent 42 months in oak. My second favorite of the rare and reserves.

Dusty Nabor Wines – RR: I’ve liked all of Dusty’s wines at Garagiste, this time it was a 2016 NSO, meaning for “No Special Occasion”, California Red Wine for $19 that was the winner!

Gary Kramer Guitar Cellars* – RR: A barrel sample of Malbec? I hate barrel samples as it’s all oak to me sometimes, this one was nice indeed.

Golden Triangle

Hoi Polloi Winery – I stopped at the table to say hello, but I have had their wines many times as they have a tasting room five minutes from my home in Santa Clarita.

Hoyt Family Vineyards – RR: 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was my favorite of the entire rare and reserve tasting.

Jardesca*

Kaleidos Winery – RR: 2015 Praying Mantis Syrah.

Kitson Wines*

Last Light Wine Co

Leverage Wines – RR: 2017 Chardonnay and 2016 Trajectory GSM blend.

Lost Blues

MagnaVita Cellars*

Marin’s Vineyard

Mastro Scheidt*

MCV Wines – RR: 2011 1105 Petite Sirah blend. Also enjoyed to of their 2015 Petite Sirah – one from the Rosewynn Vineyard and the other from the Gemeny Vineyard.

Merisi Wines* – RR: 2016 Los Carneros Grenache.

Montage Russe

On Your Left Wine Co. – RR: A fellow wine taster sent me here. 2015 Two Wheeler Grenache Mourvedre that hadn’t been released but I thought was ready and a 2014 Single Track Syrah.

Pagter Brothers Winery – Of course I stopped in to say hello, even though the share a tasting room with Hoi Polloi (see my notes above) and was rewarded today with a wine club only pour of their 2016 Petite Sirah. Well done!

Pelletiere Vineyards – RR: 2015 Reserve Sangiovese and 2016 Lagrein (Lagrein is the name of the grape.)

Powell Mountain Cellars – RR: 2010 and 2011 Pinnacle Bordeaux blends.

RF Wines – Enjoyed their 2015 Exceed Malbec, 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon and their 2015 Petite Sirah was my favorite at the grand tasting.

RN Estate Winery – 2015 Estate Cabernet Franc, 2014 Cuvee des Trois Cepages Bordeaux Blend and 2014 Malbec.

Saint K Wines

Seven Angels Cellars

Seven Oxen Estate Wines

Sea Shell Cellars

T. Berkley Wines* – 2016 Cabernet Franc, Napa.

Tlo Wines – 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, Lucas and Lewellen.

TOP Winery

Torch Cellars

Transmission Wine Co.*

Turtle Rock Vineyard – I had enjoyed a wine luncheon highlighting Turtle Rock Vineyards so I was thrilled to try the new 2016 Willow’s Cuvee GSM with a touch of Tempranillo and the 2016 Maturin Rhone Blend from the James Berry Vineyard. (Winemaker Don Burns is the assistant winemaker at Saxum.)

TW Fermentations – RR: 2015 Cultivator blend and a newly released 2015 Merlot.

Ultima Tulie

Vandella Vineyards*

Vigo Cellars*

Vinemark Cellars

Vino Vargas

Volatus Wines – RR: 2008 Reserve Red – a Syrah and Petite Sirah blend.

Willow Creek Wine Group*

*First time pouring at the Paso Festival.

To see the photo grids from all of our Paso winery visits from this trip click this.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 15k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

The 8 Million-Bottle Man Keeps Gold Medal Wine Club’s Focus on Artisan Wineries and Gifting

October 14, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (PRWEB) – After twenty five years and the delivery of 8 million bottles of wine to his club members, Gold Medal Wine Club’s David Chesterfield feels a responsibility to keep doing what he and his wife Linda have always done: Focus on introducing their members to the dedicated artisan winemakers who form the core of the California wine industry.

Now embarking on the beginning of his second quarter century in the Wine Club channel, Chesterfield believes his past success and future success will depend entirely on providing what he believes is at the foundation of what wine lovers want.

Real Value in Wine Depends on Delivering Substance and Quality

“It’s all about the act of discovering something that is real and that carries with it an authentic and compelling story,” says Chesterfield. “It’s fine to guarantee a customer cheap, drinkable wine, but that’s not what we did to deliver 8 million bottles to our members. What we have done and plan on continuing to do is introduce our members to the real artisan producers that deliver value through quality and substance.”

David and Linda Chesterfield established Gold Medal Wine Club in 1992 and were one of the first wine of the month clubs in existence and remains as one of the oldest, most respected, independent wine clubs in the country. Over the years the Chesterfields have added new club levels to meet the demands of changing tastes and interests. Today, six different clubs are offered: Gold Club, Platinum Club, Diamond Club, International Club, Pinot Noir Club and the Garagiste Club. They range in price from $39 to $179 per two-bottle shipment and all of them feature wines produced by genuine artisan winemakers at significant discounts off their winery retail pricing.

The focus on discovering artisan wineries located up and down the West Coast has been at the heart of the 8 million bottles shipped over Gold Medal’s first 25 years and define its ongoing success. Together, David and Linda have introduced their club members to hundreds of artisan wineries including the likes of Keller Estate and Couloir from the Petaluma Gap AVA, Napa Valley’s Blackbird and Odette, Santa Barbara’s Press Gang Cellars and Cordon, and Anderson Valley’s Fulcrum and Philo Ridge wineries.

Competition From Bulk Wine-Based Wine Clubs Renews Commitment to Real Winemakers

Despite increasing competition from new, bulk wine-based competitors in the wine club sphere, Gold Medal Wine Club is embarking on its second quarter century with the belief that more and more wine drinkers will demand an authentic artisan experience from their wines and their wine clubs.

“We could look toward reaching the 10 million bottles shipped mark by hawking cheaper, bulk wine and we are sure it would attract an audience,” says Linda Chesterfield. “But like our hundreds of thousands of members over the years, we don’t see any delight in this approach and prefer to continue on our course introducing our members to something real and honest.”

Wine lovers can learn more about Gold Medal Wine Club, the Chesterfields’ 25-year journey to find authentic value and see the wines that are delivered in club shipments by visiting http://www.goldmedalwineclub.com

Vintage Eve Circa 7/2015: Garagiste in the Wiltern!

October 2, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

There is nothing like a wine event held in a new venue to rev my engines/salivary glands, and The Garagiste Festival Urban Exposure held inside the Wiltern theater, with the auditorium seats moved over to the side to accommodate wine tables and guests, made for a grand showcase for so many grand wines!

Michael D Larner sharing his Larner Vineyard & Winery 2010 Reserve Syrah – OMG delicious.

We were offered an early tasting of the “Rare and Reserve” (R&R) wines and took full advantage of it. To the point that after selecting no less than 30 wines to taste, I took a break to abate palate fatigue…and still had difficulty going back to the tables to taste everyone’s full line-up. My conclusion had to be that if I loved their R&R I would most likely dig more!

So this is what I noted for you thirsty readers:

Rare and Reserve (R&R) Note: Wines denoted with the acronym GSM are a Rhone blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre, but Grenache is not automatically predominant though listed first.

Alma Sol Winery: 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley – $60 – 50 cases.

Alta Colina Vineyards: 2011 Block 2 Bio Syrah – $55 – 110 cases.

Archium Cellars: 2012 Haven Grenache – $34 – 74 cases.

Artisan Uprising: Pre-release, 2013 Merlot – $32. (My husband loved their 2012 Malbec and the rest of their line-up.)

Bellissimo Cellars: Barrel sample, 2014 Chardonnay, Mount Eden. (I love winemaker Lora Marie Taylor’s current 2013 Chardonnay as well!)

Bon Niche Cellars: 2010 “Voutes” Bordeaux Blend – $50 – 97 cases.

Caliza Winery: Loved tasting the older 2006 Estate Syrah – $70 – 230 cases.

Cholame Vineyard: 2012 Grenache – $45 – 90 cases.

Cordon Wines: 2011 Highway 1 Blackbird Cuvee of Merlot and Cabernet Franc – $26 – 90 cases.

DENO Wines: 2010 Two Bill’s Zinfandel Grenache blend – $35.

Dilecta Wines: 2011 Tillers Grenache Syrah blend – $46 – 75 cases.

Halcon Vineyards: Loved them all: a Marsanne/Roussane blend, Pinot Noir, Grenache Mourvedre blend, Syrah and a Petite Sirah as well as the R&R 2011 Alturas Syrah – $70 – 180 cases.

Harrison Clarke Vineyards: 2012 Syrah Whole Cluster – $68 – 25 cases.

Imagine Wines: Another lovely older Syrah, the 2007 “Winged” Syrah, Paradise Mountain – $80 – 146 cases.

Incendium Wines: 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa – $32.50.

Kaleidos Winery: The entire line-up (Pinot Gris/Viognier blend, two GSMs and two Syrahs) including the 2012 Preying Mantis (Syrah) R&R – $55 – 24 cases.

Kessler-Haak Vineyards: 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Starlane Vineyard – $45 – 47 cases.

Larner Vineyards: 2010 Reserve Syrah – $72 – 106 cases. (I love all of Michael Larner’s wines!)

Mattina Fiore: 2012 Grenache, Murmur Vineyard – $60 – 312 cases.

Overland Wines: 2010 “Kick Ranch” Petite Sirah – $45 – 66 cases. (And I also enjoyed a very golden colored and honeyed 2011 late harvest Sauvignon Blanc.)

Powell Mountain Winery: 2011 Alta Montana blend of Tempranillo, Grenache and Mourvedre – $32 – 61 cases. (Another favorite table of my husband’s.)

Prizm Winery: 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, barrel sample $60 – 175 cases.

Pulchella Winery: 2013 Block 6 Syrah Reserve, La Vista Vineyard, yet to be named. OMG can’t wait for this one!

Ser Winery: A low acid and low alcohol but incredibly tasty 2014 Dry Orange Muscat $16 – 45 cases.

Shai Cellars: 2009 Adome blend of Syrah and Grenache…I’m a long time fan of winemaker Shawn Shai Halahmy.

STANGER Vineyards: 2009 Pinot Noir, Library Reserve – $114 – Club Only. The only Pinot I’ve ever had that doesn’t taste like a Pinot! Deep, dark and spicy. A must try! Hubby loved their 2010 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tercero Wines: 2009 Les Deux Comtes Rhone blend – $45 – 88 cases.

The Central Coast Group Project (CCGP): 2013 Barrel sample.

Tlo Wines: 2012 Reserve Petite Sirah – $35 – 90 cases.

Vinemark Cellars: 2009 Primitivo – $32 – 1st Vintage.

Vines on the Marycrest: Sangiovese – $36 – 60 cases None available so instead I tasted and LOVED everything else Victor and Jennifer Abascal shared: 2014 Summertime GSM and Zinfandel blend, 2012 Zinfandel, 2010 Syrah and 2012 My Generation blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Mourvedre and Petite Sirah.

Story in photos: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10206033352380288.1073741922.1455706632&type=1&l=b35921aa8d

Credits

Thanks must go out to the fabulous planning team that includes founders Doug Minnick and Steward McLennan, event director Lisa Dinsmore, great PR from Melanie Webber and a wonderful group of winemakers, wine reps, food vendors and knowledgeable volunteer sommeliers.

If you missed this Garagiste Festival event sign up for their newsletter to keep track of the next one: http://garagistefestival.com

Wine List

Alma Fria Winery, Alma Sol Winery, Alta Colina Vineyards, Archium Cellars, Artisan Uprising, Ascension Cellars, Bellissimo Cellars, Blair Estate, Bon Niche Cellars, Caliza Winery, Carucci Wines, Casa Dumetz, Cholame Vineyard, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Coda Wines, Cordon Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, DENO Wines, Diablo Paso, Dilecta Wines, El Lugar, Falcone Family Vineyards, Frequency, Graef Wines, Halcon Vineyards, Harrison Clarke Vineyards, Imagine Wines, Incendium Wines, Kaleidos Winery, Kessler-Haak Vineyards, Larner Vineyards, Last Light Wine Co., Levo Wines, Maidenstoen Wines, Mattina Fiore, MCV Wines, Moonwalker Cellars, C. Nagy Wines, Overland Wines, Pace Family Wines, Powell Mountain Winery, Prizm Winery, Pulchella Winery, Rendarrio Wines, Ryan Cochrane Wines, Ser Winery, Shai Cellars, STANGER Vineyards, Tercero Wines, The Central Coast Group Project, The Farm Winery, Theopolis Vineyards, Tlo Wines, Travieso Winery, Turiya Wines, Two Shepherds Wines, Valley Floor Vineyard, Vinemark Cellars, Vines on the Marycrest and Weatherborne.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com

The Garagiste Festival Wins ‘Best Wine Festival’

October 1, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival has been named the US’ “Best Wine Festival” in USA Today’s 10Best Readers Choice Awards.

Launched in 2011 in Paso Robles, the Garagiste Festival was the first to define, and shine a spotlight on, the American “garagiste*” wine movement and features the wines of commercial artisan winemakers who make under 1500 cases. At its festivals across California – from Paso to Los Angeles to Sonoma to Solvang – The Garagiste Festival has introduced hundreds of outstanding under-the-radar California artisan winemakers to thousands of passionate wine consumers, members of the trade and media.

“When we came up with the idea eight years ago, we were pretty sure we had lightning in a bottle, but at that point it was just intuition,” said Doug Minnick, Co-founder of The Garagiste Festival. “Fortunately, there was an amazing core of people who understood our vision – from the wineries who poured, the sponsors who supported us, the volunteers who helped make it happen and the fans who bought tickets to what was then an unknown event. We sold out that first festival – and every festival since then.”

Dubbed “tasting nirvana” ‘strange and wondrous,’ and “one not to miss” by the LA Times, the Garagiste Festival is renowned for its renegade spirit, passionate winemakers, handcrafted wines and rules-breaking, ‘no snobs allowed’ ethos. The non-profit festival, which celebrates its 21st festival in Paso Robles in November, has raised over $125K to support the education of future winemakers through the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

“We are eternally grateful to our supporters, a network that has continued to expand and which has had a real impact not only on the wine world, but also, through the Garagiste Scholarship Fund, on the future of winemaking,” continued Minnick.

A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Jill Barth, a Provence Wine Master; Karen MacNeil, one of the foremost wine experts in the U.S.; and June Rodil, a Master Sommelier were chosen for their knowledge of wine and the American wine scene.

“We have always been focused on quality and pushing the boundaries of convention, and we have never lost our healthy dose of irreverent optimism,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Stewart McLennan. “Thank you to everyone who voted for us as the Best Festival in the US for validating that optimism, and to the 10Best Editors for nominating us. The Festival, like the wineries who participate in it, sprang from humble beginnings and has flourished as a true labor of love.”

The US’ Best Wine Festival marks its 21st festival, and 8th anniversary, at its home base in Paso Robles, November 9th through the 11th, with three days of events, including a Grand Tasting that showcases over 60 micro production winemakers (20% pouring at the festival for the first time), tasting seminars, a Rare and Reserve tasting, a Keep It Rockin’ After Party, and more. Tickets are on sale now at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-8th-annual-paso-garagiste-wine-festival-tickets-49769338431?aff=web.

For full schedule details, go to http://californiagaragistes.com/2018-paso-fest. For special discounts and updates on Garagiste Festival events and news, sign up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/, or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1rgBC80).

Garagiste Wine Festival Turns ‘21’: Showcases Over 60 Artisan Winemakers

September 27, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival marks its 21st festival, and 8th anniversary, at its home base in Paso Robles, November 9th through the 11th, with three days of events, including a Grand Tasting that showcases over 60 micro production winemakers, 20% of whom are pouring at the festival for the first time. Tickets are on sale now at http://californiagaragistes.com/buy-tickets/.

In addition to its signature range of over 200 wines, over 20 different grape varieties and new and iconoclastic blends, this year’s festival pays tribute to the increasing influence of Spanish grape varieties in California. This includes a Rare and Reserve tasting matched with Paella and a seminar dedicated to Spanish varieties – from Albarino to Graciano – and how today’s artisan winemakers, including Enrique Torres of Diablo Paso, Louisa Sawyer Lindquist of Verdad and Jeremy Leffert of Croma Vera Wines, are crafting trail-blazing wines from them.

“We are turning ‘21!’ This doesn’t necessarily mean crossing into adulthood (we’ll never grow up!); but it does mean we’ve hit on something that both dedicated wine drinkers and the growing micro-winery community find valuable,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “It feels great to have helped so many wineries find their audience, while helping new audiences find exciting new winemakers. We’re like a matchmaking service where everyone ends up getting married!”

Dubbed “tasting nirvana” ‘strange and wondrous’, and “one not to miss” by the LA Times, the Garagiste Festival is renowned for its renegade spirit, passionate winemakers, handcrafted wines and rules-breaking, ‘no snobs allowed’ ethos. Launched in Paso Robles in 2011, the festival features the wines of commercial garagiste* winemakers who make under 1500 cases at festivals across California, including Solvang, Sonoma, Los Angeles and Paso Robles. Over 350 different wineries have poured over 3,000 wines for over 10,000 wine lovers at Garagiste Festivals since inception.

The festival takes place at the Paso Robles Fairgrounds and other area locations and includes Thursday’s Industry Night, featuring the Garagiste’s annual Winemaker Shootdown; Friday night’s ‘Rare and Reserve’ event, and Saturday’s seminars and epic Grand Tasting, followed by the Keep It Rockin’After Party, featuring special 8th Anniversary guest, Stephen Rowe and the Lonely Loners, who played at the very first Garagiste Festival in 2011. On Sunday, Garagiste Paso Passport Day returns, which offers festival attendees discounts and events at garagiste wineries throughout the area.

Saturday morning’s VIP tasting seminar on Spanish varieties, ‘The Rise of Spanish Varieties: Classic Grapes find a home in California,’ is moderated by Garagiste Festival co-founder, KRUSH radio host and Golden Triangle Wines winemaker, Stewart McLennan.

Said McLennan: “The festival is a Paso wine-tasting tradition. Big, bold and badass. So if you’ve never been to our Paso festival, you need to come join the fun.”

“And it is all for a good cause – the festivals have raised over $125,000 for The Garagiste Scholarship at Cal Poly. So, as you broaden your exposure to some of the most innovative winemaking in California, you are also supporting winemaking’s future generations,” concluded Minnick.

The Garagiste Festival was the first event to define, and shine a spotlight on, the American “garagiste*” wine movement and has introduced outstanding California artisan winemakers to thousands of passionate wine consumers, members of the trade and media, helping to ignite the awareness, business and reputations of hundreds of artisan winemakers.

For full schedule details, go to http://californiagaragistes.com/2018-paso-fest/

Among the over 60 winemakers already scheduled to pour are:
Adron Wines*, Alta Colina, Armitage Wines*, Artisan Uprising, Ascension Cellars, Bevela Wines, Bolshoi Family Wines*, Caldera Cuvee, Caliza Winery, Circle B Vineyards, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Copia Vineyards, Corner Cellars*, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Decroux Wines*, DENO Wines, DeWitt Vineyard*, Diablo Paso, Dusty Nabor Wines, Gary Kramer Guitar Cellars*, Golden Triangle, Hoi Polloi Winery, Hoyt Family Vineyards, Jardesca*, Kitson Wines*, Last Light Wine Co, Leverage Wines, Lost Blues, MagnaVita Cellars*, Marin’s Vineyard, Mastro Scheidt*, MCV Wines, Merisi Wines*, Montage Russe, On Your Left Wine Co., Powell Mountain Cellars, Saint K Wines, Seven Angels Cellars, Seven Oxen Estate Wines, Sea Shell Cellars, T. Berkley Wines*, Tlo Wines, TOP Winery, Torch Cellars, Transmission Wine Co.*, TW Fermentations, Ultima Tulie, Vandella Vineyards*, Vigo Cellars*, Vinemark Cellars, Vino Vargas, Volatus Wines, and Willow Creek Wine Group*.

*First time pouring at the Paso Festival.

Tickets: To preserve an intimate experience with one-on-one interaction with winemakers, tickets are very limited for the Garagiste Festivals and always sell out. Tickets are available at http://californiagaragistes.com/buy-tickets/. For special discounts and updates on Garagiste Festival events and news, sign up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/, or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook (http://on.fb.me/1rgBC80).

Sponsors include: Travel Paso Robles Association, ETS Laboratories, Farm Credit, G3, Glenn Burdette, Hanover Insurance, mWEBB Communications, Digital Dogma, Laffort USA, WiVi Central Coast, The Oaks Hotel, La Quinta Inn and Suites. House Copper

For sponsorship info, email info(at)garagistefestival(dot)com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festivals
The Garagiste Wine Festivals (http://www.garagistefestival.com) are the first and only wine festivals dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ producers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in Sonoma; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

The festivals were named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News, * “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

PERLIS PICKS: THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL [Part Two]

August 11, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Last week I gave you an introduction to the latest Garagiste Festival held in Santa Monica. Here now are some comments about the wines Karen and I enjoyed.

Ascension Cellars – winemaker Erick Allen continues to make consistently high quality wines from Paso Robles grapes. Primarily Rhone varietals, my favorites were the 2017 Siren Rose, the 2016 Enchantress Rhone White blend and the 2014 Trinity GSM blend.

Byron Blatty Wines – committed to making wines sourced from Los Angeles County vineyards, owners Mark & Jenny Blatty along with winemakers Steve Lemley & Nate Hasper (more on them below) are making some remarkable wines. The two wines listed in the program were poured recently at the Wine On The Roof event in Santa Clarita, so I didn’t taste those this time. But the other two that Mark Blatty poured were excellent as well –the 2016 Agenda (primarily Syrah with a little Tannat) and the 2016 Pragmatic (Malbec with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot).

Caliza Winery – Carl Bowker has been making his small production Rhones in Paso Robles for about ten years now and he has certainly got it down. I tasted his wines recently at Hospice du Rhone but I did try his two 2017 bottlings this time, the Pink GSM and the Kissin’ Cousins White Rhone Blend. Both were delicious, as was my revisit of the 2013 Estate Grenache.

Domane Kreger – this winery is based in Lancaster, CA and sources grapes from Santa Barbara County and Paso Robles. I really liked their 2014 Syrah and 2013 Tempranillo.

Dusty Nabor Wines – Dusty not only gets my vote for coolest winemaker name but is making excellent wines in Westlake Village from Central Coast grapes. He was pouring several wines but my favorite was his 2016 Grenache from Paso Robles.

Hoi Polloi Wines – Doug Minnick is not only one of the founders of the Garagiste Festivals but is one of the owners/winemakers of this winery with a tasting room in downtown Newhall. They have the distinction of making Karen’s all-time favorite Rose and the rest of the wines are pretty great too. The 2016 “Blue Velvet” Syrah from the iconic Larner Vineyard was a standout for me.

Leverage Wines – Paso Robles gets a lot of love at Garagiste and here is another one, focusing on Rhones [which always works for me]. Excellent 2017 Grenache Rose and 2015 Trajectory GSM.

Marin’s Vineyard – This Monterey County winery specializes in Syrah and Viognier. They do a pretty nice Malbec too. We’re talking Southern Monterey County, so think Paso as opposed to cool weather styles.

Mastro Scheidt – sourcing grapes from Sonoma and Mendocino counties, owner/winemaker David Scheidt makes delicious Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc as well as a Super Tuscan blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon. And his Cabernet Sauvignons are pretty tasty too.

Monochrome Wines – I’m just going to say it: It takes balls to make only white wine in red wine country. Since I was focusing primarily on reds I almost skipped it. Fortunately, Karen insisted I try the wines. As usual…um, always…she was right. Especially loved the 2016 blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Marsanne as well as the 2016 blend of Marsanne and Chardonnay. They are pouring in Paso’s Tin City now and I highly recommend you check them out. We intend to.

Pulchella Winery – the men, the myths, the legends. Winemakers Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper put the Santa Clarita Valley wine scene on the map. Not ones to rest on their laurels, they just keep getting better, especially for me the 2015 Tannat.

Record Family Wines – with wines now being made by Jeff Strekas [of Onx] this Paso Robles winery is poised to break out big. The 2017 Grenache Rose was my favorite, but the others showed the capabilities of the family’s vineyard as well.

Stolo Family Vineyards – based in Cambria, this coastal winery produces wines more similar to Sonoma Coast’s style as opposed to nearby Paso Robles. The 2016 Estate Syrah and the 2015 Estate Hillside Reserve Syrah were both great examples of cool climate wines.

Sweetzer Cellars – An excellent example of consumers turned winemakers and named after the street they lived on in West Hollywood, I really enjoyed the 2017 Rose of Grenache as well as the 2016 Grenache from the Central Coast.

TLO Wines – good news for Bakersfield residents and those not far from there: TLO is opening a tasting room just for you. I especially liked the 2016 blend of Tempranillo, Syrah and Mourvedre as well as the 2014 Reserve Syrah.

TW Fermentation Co. – I’m admittedly more of a Rhone and Zin guy, but this Paso Robles winery is selling me on Paso Cab with the 2012-2014 vertical of Straight Cab as well as their 2014 Bordeaux blend.

Wildwood Oak Winery – it was nice to see some Lodi representation. Anita and Tony Matlock source their grapes from there; the winery is in Redlands. I enjoyed the 2016 “Dancing Queen” Syrah from the Abba Vineyard [get it?].

As I mentioned above, there were almost 50 wineries pouring so I if I didn’t mention a winery I probably didn’t get to it this time.

To bring this article full circle [see Part One], I haven’t read anywhere as to whether Jonathan Gold had an opinion about The Garagiste Festival. I like to think he would have approved. Not sure what he’d think of this article though. He was once quoted [tongue in cheek?] as saying: “Wine writing is what food writers do when their knees start to go.”

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

PERLIS PICKS THE GARAGISTE FESTIVAL: URBAN EXPOSURE [Part One]

August 4, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

Saturday, July 21^st was a great day that ended on a very sad note.

Karen and I had a wonderful time at the latest incarnation of The Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure in Santa Monica and followed that with an early dinner at one of our new favorite restaurants, Lunetta, also in Santa Monica.

By the time we got home though, social media was blowing up with the sad news of the passing of Pulitzer Prize winning food critic Jonathan Gold.

Now, this article is not intended to be a tribute to Mr. Gold. Far better writers than I am, many who knew him personally, have penned heartfelt remembrances that you should seek out; his influence on the Los Angeles restaurant scene is incalculable and he will be sorely missed.

But it got me thinking that some of the traits that Jonathan praised in the restaurants he wrote about are also ones Karen and I look for in wineries: authenticity, creativity, risk-taking, passion. And nobody exemplifies these attributes better than the Garagistes.

The Garagiste Festival started in 2011 with its first event in Paso Robles, focusing entirely on the little guys – “the ultra- premium, hard to find, micro-wineries”. Since then, it has expanded to annual events in Solvang, Los Angeles and most recently, just prior to the latest L.A. event, an inaugural event in Sonoma County.

These wineries make less than 1500 cases per year, many much less. This means that in most cases, you won’t find them pouring in a tasting room. But where you can find them is at the Garagiste Festivals, where you will find the winemakers and winery owners pouring their own wines and telling their own stories. You’ll be able to sign up for their mailing lists and even order their wines at the events. Keep in mind that the productions are small and usually not available retail.

Each winery and winemaker has its own journey; some started as consumers, some as grape-growers, some are second generation in the wine business now doing their own thing. What they all share is that passion to make wine the best way they know how.

You should definitely sign up on The Garagiste Festival website for updates as well as follow our reporting.

Which brings us back to the most recent event held in L.A., specifically at the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, with almost 50 California wineries pouring:

Alma Sol

Ann Albert

Ascension Cellars

Bellante Family Winery

Betwixt Wines

Brophy Clark

Byron Blatty

Caliza Vineyards

Cavelletti Vineyards

Cloak & Dagger

Cutruzzola Vineyards

Domaine Kreger

El Lugar Wines

Frisco Cellars

Golden Triangle

Gordenker Wines

Hoi Polloi

In Vino Musicas

Kaleidos Wines

Kitson Wines

LA Wine Project

Lavender Oak Ranch

Magna Vita Cellars

Malibu Ridge

Marin’s Vineyard

Mastro Scheidt

Metrick Wines

Monochrome Wines

Murder Ridge

On Your Left

Pulchella Winery

Record Family Wines

Siela Wines

Stolo Family Winery

Sweezter Cellars

Sycamore Ranch

The Blending Lab

Tlo Winery

Torch Wines

TW Fermentations

Vinemark Cellars

Volatus Wine

Wildwood Oak Winery

Next week’s article will report on the wines we enjoyed most this time around.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.

PERLIS PICKS: Angeleno Wine Company dinner at Crossings

July 14, 2018 by Michael Perlis Leave a Comment

In 2016, reporting on the Los Angeles edition of the Garagiste Festival, I singled out Rhythm Wines as a “winery to watch”, especially enjoying the 2015 Tannat from the local Alonso Family Vineyard.

Then, I lost track of them.

Then, in early 2017 by my recollection, the manager of the short-lived and greatly missed Maré Restaurant in Silver Lake tasted us on a Rosé made by a local winemaker who was focusing on Los Angeles County grapes. But I didn’t make the connection, until…

Eve received an invitation to attend a winemaker dinner at Crossings restaurant in South Pasadena featuring the wines of Angeleno Wine Company. Eve was busy partying – um, I mean researching – in New Orleans, so her loss was our gain.

Karen and I were delighted to take her place but I was unfamiliar with the winery. A quick internet search followed and I was soon looking at the faces of Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig Viste from that 2016 Garagiste Festival. With the focus now primarily on the Alonso Vineyard, they are working on opening their winery and tasting room in Downtown Los Angeles.

My plan is to devote a full article to Angeleno in the near future. In the meantime, back to the dinner…

Established in 2013, Crossings occupies the historic [built in 1908] Edwards and Faw building in South Pasadena. With dining rooms on two floors and the wine loft in between them as well as a patio, Crossing is visually stunning. The only question was: would the food match?

We were about to find out.

Hosted by Crossings’ Proprietor Patrick Kirchen, Chef Kevin Malone and Wine Ambassador Chris Sweeney along with Angeleno’s Winemaker Jasper Dickson, the challenge to create perfect pairings was not only met but exceeded. With Angeleno’s focus on LA County’s wine history, Chef Kevin developed a Latin-inspired menu that not only paid homage to the heritage of Los Angeles but also to Juan Alonso’s and his vineyard’s Spanish roots.

The first course, a ceviche with compressed melon and roe, also had habanero powder sprinkled on it. The heat from the habanero was cut by the balanced acidity of the Angeleno 2017 White Field Blend of mostly Spanish varietals from Alonso Family Vineyard.

Next came the monk fish with passion fruit and dwarf banana. This was paired with the 2017 “The Meadow” Rosé. This was the only wine not from LA County grapes, instead it was a blend of Graciano and Garnacha from a vineyard farmed by Markus Bokisch in Lodi. This dish and wine pairing had everybody asking for more. As Winemaker Jasper said: “Rosé all day – in LA!”

Next up, quail with mole, yolk and herb salad. This dish was not only delicious but ingenious as well, with the quail and quail egg in the same dish [raising the chicken and egg question in its own way]. The richness of the mole went perfectly with the 2016 Grenache from the Alonso Family Vineyard.

The final course [before dessert] was pork belly [yum!] with tamarind, jicama and hibiscus. Pork belly, of course, is very rich. The jicama cut through that perfectly. This was naturally paired with the heaviest wine of the evening, an excellent Tempranillo and Garnacha blend called “Bike Path”, also a 2016 from the Alonso Vineyard.

Dessert was a churro with queso Oaxaca, guanabana and honey. Pairing the cheese with the sweet dessert provided great contrast and the dish was all brought together with the 2016 “Superbloom” blend of Albarino, Riesling and Chenin Blanc, for the perfect ending to a fabulous meal.

Crossings does special events frequently. But you don’t have to wait for an event to check out Chef Kevin’s food or the killer wine list that Chris has put together. Check out the Crossings website for details.

And stay tuned for more information on Angeleno Wine Company.

Crossings 1010 Mission St, South Pasadena, CA 91030

Angeleno Wine Company Los Angeles, CA

Garagiste Wine Festival Comes to the Heart of Sonoma Wine Country in May

April 16, 2018 by evebushman Leave a Comment

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – Garagiste Events today announced that its internationally renowned Garagiste Wine Festival comes to the heart of Sonoma, California on May 12th for the very first time. The festival will showcase the rich variety of small-production wines currently being crafted by some of the most innovative winemakers in Sonoma, Mendocino, Livermore, Lodi, and Napa, as well as other California regions. The non-profit event will be held at the Sonoma Veterans Building near Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza. Tickets are on sale today at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1st-annual-garagiste-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-43108506704

Like many small production wineries, over ninety percent of participating wineries are without a tasting room where they can meet the public, making the premier Sonoma Garagiste Festival a one-of-a-kind opportunity for consumers to discover, and meet, 40 winemakers while tasting 150+ wines made from over 15 varieties. This is why The Garagiste Festival, which always sells out, has been dubbed ‘wine tasting Nirvana;” ‘a wildly exuberant and fun wine event,’ and “not-to-be missed’ by the LA Times.

“Sonoma-area winemakers and wine lovers have been asking us for quite some time to bring the Garagiste Festival further north,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Douglas Minnick. “On May 12th, at last, we are able to offer this fertile and creative winemaking community the opportunity to share their delicious wines in the intimate and unique Garagiste Festival setting. Bringing these winemakers onto the radar of passionate wine fans on the lookout for new wine discoveries is one of the great pleasures of the festival.”

“And, if you think you know the garagiste line-up, think again…” added Festival Co-founder Stewart McLennan. “Over half of these wineries are brand new to the festival, as are many of the Northern California regions represented. In the wake of the Northern California fires, we are glad to spread the word that this part of California not only remains open for business, but is thriving.”

Known for high quality wines, first-time and ‘soon-to-break-out’ discoveries, diverse grape varieties, a ‘no snobs allowed’ policy and a renegade and fun-loving spirit, the non-profit Garagiste Festivals are the only festivals in the US dedicated to micro-production winemakers. Garagiste Festivals have introduced hundreds of outstanding artisan winemakers (who produce under 1500 cases of wine) to thousands of passionate wine consumers, members of the trade and media, raising the profiles of many of the winemakers nationally for the first time, and raising thousands of dollars for the education of future winemakers.

Cris Carter owner and winemaker of Weatherborne Wine Corp, and who owns a vineyard in the Anderson Valley, has showcased his wines at multiple Garagiste Festivals. “The Garagiste Fest is the perfect place for small-production, family-run wine brands to meet their audience. Winery owners meet face-to-face with interested and engaged consumers who often wind up being their most loyal customers and brand advocates,” says Carter. “Attendees get to pick the brains of the people actually making the wine and running the business, learning the wine’s story in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. For the wine trade, it’s a great place to unearth the next wave of exciting California producers; a true opportunity to find hidden gems for your wine list or portfolio.”

The Sonoma Garagiste Festival will kick off at 11:30 am on Saturday, May 12th, with a signature tasting seminar: “The Garagiste Variety Show: Exploring the Diversity of Small-Production Winemaking.” The seminar will focus on the range of wines being produced by Garagiste winemakers, and investigate why garagiste winemakers have stepped away from Cabernet and Chardonnay to work with grapes considered under-the-radar in Northern California. Moderated by McLennan, panelists include: Paul Gordon of Halcon Vineyards and Randy Hester of Lightning Wines. In the afternoon is the main event: the Grand Tasting, which runs from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. Like all Garagiste Festivals (and unlike many larger wine festivals), the Sonoma festival will limit ticket sales to give attendees a comfortable and relaxed tasting experience with personal winemaker interaction.

For the full schedule, more information, go to: http://garagistefestival.com or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook. For breaking festival news and special discounts sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/.

Winemakers already scheduled to pour include:
Betwixt Wines, Calstar Cellars, Camlow Cellars, Chenoweth Wines, Crux Winery, Enoteca Five, Fallon Place Wine, Fields Family Wines, Gordenker Wines, Gregory James Wines, Halcon Vineyards, Kendrick Vineyards, La Pitchoune Winery, Lightning Wines, Magna Vita Cellars, Mastro Scheidt, Merisi Wines, Montagne Russe, Montemaggiore, Murder Ridge, Nowell-Smith Wines, Parmeson Wines, Piezo Winery, T. Berkley Wines, Trojak-Knier Winery, Von Holt Cellars and Weatherborne Wine Co.

Sponsors include: ETS, Laffort, Glenn Burdette, Digital Dogma, mWEBB Communications, Farm Credit, and G3

For sponsorship info, email info@garagistefestival.com.

About The Garagiste Wine Festivals
The Garagiste Wine Festivals (http://www.garagistefestival.com) are the first and only wine festivals dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized American artisan ‘garagiste’ producers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagiste winemakers Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; the Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure, in Los Angeles; the Garagiste Festival, Northern Exposure, in the Bay Area; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more.

The festivals were named one of the ‘Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations’ in the world by ABC News,* “one of the premier wine events of the year,” by the LA Times and “Best Festival” by Sunset Magazine’s ‘Best of the West.’ The festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Garagiste Festivals Inc. is a 5013c non-profit organization and proceeds from the festivals support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.

**Garagistes (garage-east) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their “garages” (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the “rules,” and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world.