Perlis Picks: The Garagiste Festival in Glendale (Part Two)

July 27, 2019 by Michael Perlis

Last week, I wrote about the seminar that Karen and I attended at the latest Garagiste Festival in Glendale. Part 2 is about the other wines we tasted.

The grand tasting featured over 50 wineries from all over California, 23 of which also poured the previous evening at the Rare & Reserve kick-off party – shout out to Fired Up Chef Services for the great BBQ buffet dinner that accompanied this.

Here are the wineries that stood out to us. I’ve also added a few comments in brackets. We didn’t taste everything, so not being marked as a favorite isn’t a sign of disrespect. And in some cases we only tasted at a winery’s table during the Rare and Reserve tasting and if so that is indicated as well.

13^th & Third Wines – Paso Robles

2018 Rose of Grenache

2017 Lily (blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Viognier, Picpoul)

2015 NMR (blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre)

[Hard to go wrong when the winemaker is Don Burns of Turtle Rock and Saxum.]

Aldina Vineyards – Sonoma

2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Angeleno Wine Co. – Los Angeles

2018 Super Bloom Verdejo, Clay Station

2018 Meadow Rose, Terra Alta

2017 Zanja Madre (Grenache, Tempranillo), Alonso Family Vineyard

2017 Syrah, Alonso Family Vineyard

[As I mentioned in the segment about the seminar and in a previous article, I’m a big fan of what this winery is doing in downtown LA.]

Ascension Cellars – Paso Robles

2015 Ascendance Cab/Merlot [from the R&R tasting]

Bevela Wines – Santa Barbara

2018 White Lotus Grenache Blanc [from the R&R tasting]

Bodega de Edgar – Paso Robles

2015 Gran Reserva Tempranillo [from the R&R tasting]

Byron Blatty Wines – Los Angeles

2016 Evenfall (Tempranillo, Petite Sirah and Merlot)

2015 Ghost Cat (Syrah, Cab Sauv, Cab Franc and Merlot)

[both from the R&R tasting]

Cavaletti Vineyards – Santa Barbara / Los Angeles

2018 Alicante Bouschet – Barrel Sample

2017 Vigneron Reserve Syrah/Cabernet

2018 The 109 Mile Rose (Tempranillo, Grenache)

2017 Sangiovese

2017 Rancho Baila Sol Field Blend

[So impressed with everything from this winery.]

Deno Wines – Paso Robles

2010 Two Bills Zin-Grenache

2009 Paso Robles GSM

2017 Arneis, El Pomar District

2016 Estate Grenache

2016 Estate GSM

2014 Estate GSM

[These tasted like old school Paso Robles to me. I don’t mean big over-the-top wines. They brought back memories – in a good way – of visiting before things got so crowded. They have a tasting room in Templeton now, which also reminds me of old school Paso.]

DeWitt Vineyard – Sierra Foothills

2016 Estate Syrah

2015 Estate Touriga

2016 Estate Tempranillo

[Really nice, fairly prices wines. Just disappointed their Barbera wasn’t ready!]

Dusty Nabor Wines – Central Coast

2014 Bolt To Wines Grenache

2016 Bolt To Wines Grenache Blanc [the richness of this wine was amazing.]

2017 Syrah – Ballard Canyon AVA

2017 Bolt To Wines Syrah

Ferguson Family Winery – Sierra Foothills

2016 The Phoenix Zinfandel

2016 Boomshakalaka Petite Sirah

Golden Star Vineyards – Central Coast

2015 Tempranillo, Paso Robles

2016 Syrah, Chavez Vineyard, Antelope Valley AVA

[I really am past due for a visit to this high-desert winery.]

Golden Triangle – Paso Robles

2015 Syrah, Willow Creek District

2015 Cab / Syrah, Willow Creek District

[Finally got to taste Garagiste Fesitval co-founder Stewart McLennan’s wines. And the good news is that he is opening a tasting room in Templeton.]

Hoi Polloi Wines – Central Coast

2017 Rose of Grenache, Adelaida District, Paso Robles [consistently Karen’s favorite Rose]

2016 “Blue Velvet” Syrah, Larner Vineyard, Ballard Canyon AVA [a consistently great Syrah from an iconic vineyard]

[From Garagiste Festival co-founder Doug Minnick and his partners; we are lucky to have this tasting room in the Santa Clarita Valley.]

MCV Wines – Paso Robles

2018 Pink Rose

2016 Petite Sirah, Rosewynn Vineyard

2016 1105 Blend

[I’ve been a fan of Matt Villard’s wines for a long time. Some big news coming from this winery so stay tuned.]

Oceans Churning Wines – Sonoma

2014 Chardonnay [from the R&R tasting]

Powicana Farm – Mendocino

2013 Petite Sirah [from the R&R tasting]

Record Family Wines – Paso Robles

2017 Estate Viognier

2017 Estate Grenache Rose

2016 Randy’s Red (Syrah, Grenache)

2016 Reserve Syrah

[The wines are made by Jeff Strekas of ONX, so of course they’re going to be delicious.]

Two Papas Wines – Santa Barbara

2017 Grenache Blanc, Saarloos Vineyard

2017 Grenache, Saarloos Vineyard

2017 Grenache, Thompson Vineyard

2017 Syrah, Thompson Vineyard

[I was eager to taste Santa Clarita local Rick Pratt’s wines and I was totally blown away by the quality.]

Two Shepherds – Sonoma

2018 Picpoul Blanc, Yolo County

2018 Rose of Carignan, Mendocino

2018 “Wiley” Carbonic Carignan, Mendocino

2016 Carigan, Mendocinao

[William Allen continues to make his delicious, convention-defying wines.]

Velvet Bee Wines – Santa Barbara

2018 Queen Bee (Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon) [from the R&R tasting]

Wandermust-Must Wines – Sonoma

2018 Verdelho [from the R&R tasting]

Zanoli Wines – Paso Robles

2017 Mourvedre, Glenrose Vineyard

2016 Syrah, Glenrose Vineyard

Congratulations to co-founders Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan as well as Lisa Dinsmore (Event/Web Director) and Melanie Webber (Public Relations and Communications) for another great event. Their passion and hard work have really made the Garagiste Festival concept something special. We can’t wait for the next one.

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 30 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 President of MCP Financial, which provides outsourced controller services. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or mcpfinancial@aol.com.

Perlis Picks: The Garagiste Festival in Glendale (Part One)

July 20, 2019 by Michael Perlis

Think about one of your favorite wines. What goes into your decision to make it your favorite? Is it the varietal? The region it comes from? The terroir? The year? The label? There may be multiple reasons. I that, at least for me, a big one is passion – the passion of the vintner, winemaker, grower, everyone who worked so hard to get that wine into the bottle for you.

And nothing speaks wine passion more than the Garagiste Festivals. We at Eve’s Wine 101 have a special affinity for them, having reported on the Garagistes from the beginning, including my interview with co-founder Doug Minnick before the very first event in 2011 in Paso Robles, which Karen and I also attended. Focusing on ultra-small (and then therefore ultra-rare) production wineries, the festivals have now expanded to four annual events – Paso Robles, Solvang, Sonoma and (conveniently for locals) Los Angeles.

We’ve definitely attended our share of these over the years. They’ve now had about two dozen events in total and the passion of these winemakers is clear. More so than with a large big-budget winery, the owner/winemaker typically has to handle all or most of the tasks of the winemaking process, sometimes in addition to what their day job might be.

By the way, you may have noticed the word “garagiste” being used a lot more lately; I sure have. The Garagiste Festival doesn’t own the term, it goes back to the originally somewhat derogatory French word for small winemakers. And I can’t say for sure that the increased usage of the term overall is connected to the success of the Garagiste Festivals, although I would tend to think so. After all, they were voted the best wine festival in America. So, if you want to be sure you are supporting the real deal, go to their website and sign up for their newsletters.

Karen and I attended the latest LA event, held at the Glendale Civic Auditorium. In keeping with the LA theme, the Saturday event started with a seminar presented by three LA based wineries working to bring back to LA County an industry that used to dominate the landscape in the days before prohibition and real estate development.

Hosted by Steward McLennan, one of the founders of the Garagiste Festival, the seminar presenters were Patrick Kelley of Cavaletti Vineyards, Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig Viste of Angeleno Wine Co. and Mark and Jenny Blatty of Byron Blatty Wines. All three wineries get a significant amount of their grapes from Los Angeles County. The Blatty wines are made in the Santa Clarita Valley and Angeleno is in the process of finalizing its tasting room and winery operations in downtown Los Angeles.

Of course, it was a wine seminar, so there was wine.

Each winery poured two wines, in the following order, lightest to heaviest:

Cavaletti Vineyards –

2018 109 Mile Rose (62% Grenache, 38% Tempranillo)

2017 Grenache, Swayze Vineyard

Angeleno Wine Co. –

2017 Zanja Madre (Grenache and Tempranillo)

2017 Syrah, Alonso Family Vineyard

Byron Blatty Wines –

2017 Undertake (60% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 10% Merlot, 5% Syrah)

2016 Pragmatic (90% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot)

For me, the takeaway from these wines is that Los Angeles County is capable of producing a variety of styles of high quality wines. Truly something for everybody.

The winery owners all shared stories of trials and tribulations. Their individual stories varied, but they all included one common component – the challenge of teaching potential customers, retail stores and restaurants about the quality of wine coming from LA County. One might think they are fighting an uphill battle but they appear to be winning it; that takes passion! I expect the LA winery scene to continue to grow and prosper and I know of at least one cult-status winemaker who is planning to set up shop soon – more on this in a future article, hopefully.

Of course, the Garagiste Festival isn’t just about Los Angeles. The grand tasting after the seminar featured over 50 wineries from all over California, 23 of which also poured the previous evening at the Rare & Reserve kick-off party – shout out to Fired Up Chef Services for the great BBQ buffet dinner that accompanied this. More on the wines in Part 2 which will run on this site next Saturday, 7/27.

Garagiste Glendale: “Garagiste Goes Local: The Rebirth of the LA Wine Industry” Seminar and a Shout Out to…?

July 12, 2019 by evebushman

Already aware of LA County wines as have been drinking some for years, some from this seminar, and others, like Golden Star Vineyards and Byron Blatty, due to tasting them at Santa Clarita Valley events. Our class was led by Garagiste co-founder Stewart McLennan and included Patrick Kelley from Cavaletti Vineyard, Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig Viste from Angeleno Wine Company and Mark and Jenny Blatty from Byron Blatty Wines. (We were also presented with six samples, two from each winery, that we would taste at the close of the discussion.)

Panelists l to r: Patrick Kelley, Cavaletti Vineyards; Amy Luftig Viste and Jasper Dickson, Angeleno Wine Company; Mark and Jenny Blatty, Bryon Blatty Wines.

We started with a bit of a bio from each or the panelists then Stewart asked about challenges, and to share a bit of history of LA winemaking. I’ve grouped together answers to all of theses questions by each panelist:

Patrick Kelley, Cavaletti Vineyard

BIO: Patrick has a BA in biology, attended business school, lived in San Fernando Valley for 10 years, then moved to Ventura where he started making wine “without plans to make wine” his business. Now he’s up to 600 cases and this is his second time at Garagiste.

CHALLENGES: Finding customers that accept LA County Wines is his biggest challenge as its “unknown brands in unknown region.” So events like Garagiste help to get his “wine in front of customers.”

HISTORY: The climate is dry, water is available, but Phylloxera hit the region just like in Napa. The vineyards that did exist, a few thousand in San Pedro, pretty much shut down in the 1960s.

Amy Luftig Viste, Angeleno Wine Company

BIO: Amy has a degree in public health and continues to work in that field. She fell in love with wine, took some courses at UCLA and found herself most interested in winemaking and the Central Coast where she did some interning. Over a few Mimosas with Jasper the two came up with a plan to start their own winery in LA. This was when she “was the happiest she has ever been.”

CHALLENGES: Opening a winery in downtown Los Angeles has been her biggest challenge. But she “goes until someone says they can’t.” Gaining advocates from city government helped.

Jasper Dickson, Angeleno Wine Company

BIO: Jasper boasted no degrees, was a high school dropout and worked at Silverlake Wine for ten years. Over that decade he met many winemakers at the shop and asked many questions. He started making wine in his garage at home. In 2013 he went commercial and in 2015 he had his Mimosa date with Amy.

CHALLENGES: Jasper echoed Amy’s stand on challenges, with the addition of getting lots of bank rejections in the beginning.

HISTORY: There were Spanish missionaries building missions in California as well as planting grapes. In 1859 Californians were drinking two million bottles per year.

Mark Blatty, Byron Blatty Wines

BIO: “There is a common thread,” Mark began, “and it’s that all of us here love to drink wine.” He and Jenny have a background in television production and now they are also “Executive Producers” of their wine. He’s learned that you don’t have to own it all (a winery and the vineyards) to make wine.

CHALLENGES: Consumers have zero experience or a “bad experience” with LA County wines. But when people discover the wines, and enjoy them, he feels a certain sense of pride as an Angeleno. Another challenge: those writing about wine aren’t writing about LA County Wines, so there is no book educating them.

HISTORY: Prohibition changed a lot of things in California, especially removing all of the grape vines to make room to grow citrus instead.

Jenny Blatty, Byron Blatty Wines

BIO: For Jenny it was a “daydream” and she was “obsessed with wine.” That obsession drove her to take classes and start making wines in 2013. Putting out their first vintage in 2014 – most of the grapes they picked themselves and continue to do so. That first vintage produced less than two barrels.

LA County Wine Tasting

2018 Cavaletti 109 Mile Rose, Swayze Vineyard

The Swayze Vineyard is in the Antelope Valley, next to the poppy preserve, and has very little pest presence.

Peach, grapefruit, Meyer lemon, gravel and some acidity.

2017 Cavaletti Grenache, Swayze Vineyard

Barnyard, herbaceous, olives and some tart.

2017 Angeleno Zanja Madre Grenache/Tempranillo, Alonso Family Vineyards

The name Zanja Madre translates to “Mother Ditch.”

Black fruit, spicy, green notes.

2017 Angeleno Syrah, Alonso Family Vineyards 100% Syrah

Plum, grape jam, cherry candy, balanced.

2017 Byron Blatty Undertake, Zinfandel/Petite Sirah, Merlot, Syrah.

The 5% of Syrah is from Paso fruit. This is a common winemaking theme for them: a four varietal blend of four different vineyards. And this wine – Undertake – was a big undertaking…not a nod to an undertaker.

Big, bold, spicy, red to dark fruit.

2016 Byron Blatty Pragmatic, Malbec/Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

90% Malbec, 22 months in barrel and from seven different vineyards.

A bit softer and brighter fruit than Undertake, with perfumy notes and hints of black pepper.

Shout Out to Upcoming Byron Blatty Wine Dinner at The Old Town Junction on July 25: 5 courses, 5 wines, tax and tip included for $85

“A Taste of Summer” is what they’re officially calling this remarkable collaboration. Here are the details from Eventbrite:

About this Event

Join us for an unforgettable summer evening at the Old Town Junction, on Main Street in downtown Newhall, as we present: “A Taste of Summer” wine dinner, featuring the Los Angeles wines of Byron Blatty! A Taste of Summer will be an unparalleled food and wine experience, combining the highest quality, locally sourced ingredients, cooked to perfection, and expertly paired with world-class wines grown right here in L.A. County.

Our evening will begin with canapés prepared by Chef Daniel Otto, served with a glass of Byron Blatty’s delightful Rosé from the Antelope Valley, followed by a seated, five course dinner, each paired with one of Blatty’s locally grown wines.

Chef Daniel will take you through each amazing dish, with Mark and Jenny Blatty on hand to walk you through their vision for putting Los Angeles back on the map, as one of California’s premiere wine growing regions. Blatty’s winemakers, Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper (of Newhall’s Pulchella) will also present several of these unique wines, and explain what makes them so special.

Tickets are $85 per person inclusive of tax and gratuity, $70 per person for Byron Blatty Wines Club Members. (Members will be sent a promo code for discounted tickets.)

To inquire about Membership options please email: mark@byronblatty.com, or see their website: https://byronblatty.com/membership

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.

Garagiste Glendale: Kick Off Party and Grand Tasting

July 12, 2019 by evebushman

Don’t travel through Glendale often, and never been to the Glendale Civic Auditorium, but I’ve covered numerous Garagiste events in LA held at The Wiltern, Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club and Union Station. Traveled to Paso for the event more than once, beginning with their first fest in 2011. And very happy to see that this event, voted the “Best Wine Festival by USA Today readers, has now reached as far as Sonoma and Doug Minnick (one of the founders) said it was their 24th. There’s a reason for their growth and success. We look forward to Garagiste to catch up with small wineries that have been there from the start, and discovering new ones. Here is what we found in Glendale:

Longtime Garagiste founders and organizers l to r: Doug Minnick, Dave and Lisa Dinsmore.

Starting with the “Kick off Party” night of rare, reserves, pre-releases, barrel samples and club member only wines that included a yummy buffet from Fired Up Chef Services (photos), the next day I had a seminar on the growing group of vintners that make their wines from LA Country grapes and then came the grand tasting (more photos). I grouped the kick off party and grand tasting wines together in the Wineries section below and, due to length, will share the seminar and tasting in a separate article on this website today.

Wineries

I have noted the particular wines from either tasting that I found remarkable. If a winery is not noted it doesn’t mean anything in particular, but most likely I just missed them. Asterisks denote wineries at the LA event for the first time:

13th & Third Wines* (2016 Rhone Red), Adron Wines*, Aldina Vineyards* (2014 Cabernet Sauvignon), Alma Sol Wines, Angeleno Wine Co., Ann Albert Wines, Armitage Wines, Ascension Cellars (2015 Soul Searcher Cabernet/Syrah), Bella Luna Winery, Bevela Wines (2015 Unforeseen Alchemy Red Blend), Bodega de Edgar (2016 Nexo Syrah, 2015 Gran Riserva Tempranillo and 2016 Mis Pasos Cab/Tempranillo/Syrah blend), Brooks Note Wines* (2018 Pinot Blanc, 2017 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and 2014 GSM), Byron Blatty Wines (entire lineup with a special shout out to 2016 “Eventful” blend of Tempranillo/Petite Sirah/Merlot), Cavaletti Vineyards (2017 Alicante Bouschet barrel sample and 2017 Vigneron Reserve Syrah/Cabernet), Changing Patterns, Cholame Vineyard (2014 Estate “130” Syrah and 2016 “The Beautiful One” Petite Sirah), Cloak and Dagger Wines, Copia Vineyards (2017 “The Cure” GSM), DB Cellars* (2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Paso and 2011 Sete Barbara, Sierra Foothills), DENO Wines (2017 Arneis, 2016 and 2014 GSM, 2010 Two Bills Zin/Grenache, 2009 Paso Ridge GSM), DeWitt Vineyard* (2015 Estate Syrah and 2015 Estate Touriga), Dusty Nabor Wines (love all the wines, special shout out to their 2017 Syrah, Ballard Canyon. Also his wife Karin’s label, Bolt to Wines 2016 Roussanne and 2017 Syrah)), Enriquez Estate Wines* (2015 Muscat, 2013 “Brisa” white blend, 2013 Reserve Pinot Noir and 2013 Reserva Tempranillo), Etnyre, Ferguson Family Winery* (2016 Boomshakalaka Petite Sirah), Frostwatch Vineyard* (2015 Estate Chardonnay and 2016 Ophira Reserve Chardonnay), Gary Kramer Guitar Cellars*, Golden Star Vineyards (Everything as always, big fans of Lee and Helen Williams), Golden Triangle (2015 Cab/Syrah, Willow Creek), Gravel Pit, Greyscale Wines* (2015 Merlot, Oak Knoll Napa), Hoi Polloi Winery (everything, fan of winemakers Behlendorf and Minnick), Kendric Vineyards, Kings Carey Wines*, Kitson Wines (2015 Rafael el Fils Estate Cabernet Sauvignon), Lions Peak Wines* (2012 Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc), LXV Wines (2016 Reserve Cabernet Franc, 2017 “Crimson Jewel” Super Tuscan blend and 2016 “Secret Craving” Bordeaux blend)), Marin’s Vineyard (nice discovery: 2017 Malbec and 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon, MCV Wines (2016 Petite Sirah and 2016 “1105” blend), Metrick Wines, Montagne Russe (2015 Dragon’s Back Chardonnay, 2016 Dragon’s Back Pinot Noir, 2016 Alder Springs Syrah), Ocean’s Churning* (another cool discovery: 2014 Chardonnay Los Carneros, 2016 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast and 2014 Heritage Clone 4 Los Carneros), Playground Cellars*, Powicana Farms (2013 Petite Sirah and 2015 Port), Record Family Wines, Republic of Pink, RF Fine Wines* (2015 Arbre Petite Sirah), Rhonedonnee Wines, Say When Wine* (2017 Petit Verdot, 2018 “Stipa” Rose of Mourvedre, 2017 “When” Pinot Noir and 2017 “Rasi” Pinot Noir), Torch Cellars (2018 Tannat/Syrah Rose and 2013 Illumination Red blend), Turiya Wines (Divine Force Cab/Sangio/Petite Sirah), Two Papas Wine* (everything, I’m a fan, 2018 Grenache Blanc was new), Two Shepherds (sorry to have missed this one today), Velvet Bee Wines*, Vino Vargas, Wander-Must Wines* and Zanoli Wines (2016 Syrah).

http://garagistefestival.com/

Vintage Eve Circa 7/2016: Garagiste 2016 Urban Exposure Event Exposed!

June 18, 2019 by evebushman

The mission (of the Garagiste wine festivals) is to support the small guys and girls who don’t have big marketing budgets or the time to get out there and sell their wine. These small-lot wines can be very hard to find. Over 60% of these winemakers don’t have a tasting room…

Jenny Kalina and me at event.

However, on July 9 dozens of these small wineries took center stage and commandeered the full auditorium of the LA Wiltern Theatre for an audience of appreciative wine learners and tasters. (Check them out here in this YouTube slideshow.)

Learning On The Stage:

Understanding Oak Varieties, Tasting the Winemaker’s Spice Rack

What does oak really taste like? French oak, American oak, neutral oak, heavy toast… these are some of the words we hear all the time in the wine world, but what do they really mean? How do you tell the flavor of oak from the flavor of the wine itself?

Ryan Render, representative for French tonnellerie (another word for a cooperage, which is also another word for a barrel maker) Cadus and winemaker at Rendarrio Vineyards, Larner Vineyards winemaker Michael Larner and Garagiste co-founder Stewart McLennan led our class.

Our first flight was the same grape, same year, same winery in three different oak expressions: a Larner 2014 Syrah. The aromas on each were remarkably different to me. With neutral oak (which means the oak barrel had been used four to five times and would no longer impart an oak flavor) the wine had the brightest, reddest fruit. The second wine, aged in French oak and is used the most by Larner, had an incredible amount of spice, which I happen to love in a Syrah, and bluer fruit. The third oak was American and gave off a creamy scent with a lot of blue to black fruit.

(Chatting with a friend after the class who doesn’t reside in California but is a huge fan of the event and flies down for it, she said that she preferred the American oak the best. I asked if she drank much French wine. She said none at all, mostly Paso Robles. So I thought that her preference might have been due to what her palate was used to in her home state and from Paso. Though like Larner there are California wineries using French oak too.)

Our next trio to taste was of another wine, a Cabernet Sauvignon, in unoaked (stainless steel only), a medium grain oak barrel and then a tight grain oak barrel. Again I got some interesting notes. In the unoaked wine it was all red fruit (like it had been in the neutral oak we had tasted earlier), the medium grain gave off distinct aromas of a sweet Port wine and blueberry, while the tight grain was all cigar smoke and had what one winemaker called a “tighter” feel on the palate.

Auditorium: Favorites from the “RARE and RESERVE” Tasting Hour

Archium Cellars 2012 “Haven” Grenache, Stolpman Vineyard.

Artisan Uprising 2014 Tempranillo.

Brian Benson Cellars 2013 Mr. Pickled Cabernet Syrah blend.

Caldera Cuvee 2009.

Cholame Vineyard vertical tasting of Bull Pen Tempranillo 2010/2011/2012 with the 2012 being my favorite of the three.

Cloak & Dagger Wines 2013 “The Assassin” Cabernet Sauvignon Syrah blend.

Deno Wines 2010 Two Bill’s Zinfandel Grenache blend.

JP3 Wines (the “JP” formerly of Stanger) 2013 Pinot Noir, Willow Creek.

MCV Wines 2013 Black Petite Sirah blend

Pagter Bros. Winery 2013 Lucky Club Syrah Reserve

Paso Port 2006 Violeta blend of Touriga, Tinta Cao and Souzao.

The Farm Winery 2010 “the Big Game” Syrah Cabernet Sauvignon blend.

Vines on the Marycrest 2006 Field Blend, Victor Abascal’s first planting.

Favorites Wineries of the Day are highlighted:

Alma Fria Winery, Alma Sol Winery, Alta Colina, Archium Cellars, Artisan Uprising, Ascension Cellars, Bellissimo Cellars, Bodega De Edgar, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at Brian Benson Cellars, Brophy Clark Cellars, Caldera Cuvee, Caliza Winery, The Central Coast Group Project, Chene Wines, Cholame Vineyards, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Cordon Wines, Coruce Vineyards, Deno Wines, Dreamcote Wines, El Lugar Wines, Golden Triangle, Graef Wines, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at Hoi Polloi Winery, Hoyt Family Vineyards, JP3 Wines, Kaena Wine Co., Kaleidos Winery, Kimmel Vineyards, Larner Vineyard and Winery, Leverage Wines, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, On Your Left Wines, Pagter Bros. Winery, Per Cazo Cellars/Paso Port, Powell Mountain Cellars, Press Gang Cellars, Prizm Winery, Pulchella Winery, Ranchita Canyon, Rendarrio Vineyards, Rhythm Wines, Ryan Cochrane Wines, Tao Vineyards, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at The Farm Winery, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at Theopolis Vineyards, Tierra y Vino, Tlo Wines, Trail Marker Wine Co., Turiya Wines, EVERYTHING THEY POURED at TW Fermentation Co., Two Shepherds, Vinemark Cellars, Vines on the Marycrest, Weatherborne and West of Temperance.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. 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

Garagiste Goes Glendale: US’ Best Wine Festival* Brings Over 50 Micro-Wineries and Over 200 Wines to Civic Auditorium, June 21st and 22nd

June 2, 2019 by evebushman

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival, which was named America’s Best Wine Festival by USA Today, returns to LA County on June 21st and 22nd with an expanded line-up of events, including a new-to-LA Rare and Reserve kick-off party and a seminar on the rebirth of the LA wine industry, featuring Angeleno artisan wineries. This marks The Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure’s sixth anniversary in LA county, and its first time in Glendale, at the historic Glendale Civic Auditorium. The festival features over 200 wines from 50 winemakers, including Angeleno Wine Company, Byron Blatty Wines and Cavaletti Vineyards making wine from Los Angeles county. Tickets are available at http://garagistefestival.com.

Dubbed ‘tasting nirvana’, ‘strange and wondrous’, and ‘one not to miss’ by the LA Times, the Garagiste Festival is renowned for its diversity of wines, renegade spirit, passionate winemakers, handcrafted wines and rules-breaking, ‘no snobs allowed’ ethos. It is Los Angeles’ only wine festival that exclusively features high quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste**’ winemakers, offering Angelenos a unique opportunity to discover hard-to-find wineries (most of whom do not have tasting rooms), taste hundreds of their wines, and personally meet the winemakers (only winemakers/owners pour at Garagiste Festivals) — for less than the cost of gas for a trip to wine country.

“We are excited to be back in Los Angeles County, this time in Glendale, to share a tremendous range of California’s micro-production winemakers – these are not supermarket wines, and the difference is astounding,” said Doug Minnick, Co-founder of The Garagiste Festival. “Winemakers of this size are artisans in the true sense of the word. Their wines are created from personal passion, not a marketing strategy. Without the constraints of the marketplace, these winemakers are free to explore rare varieties and cutting edge styles that you won’t find anywhere else. The Garagiste Festival is a unique opportunity to discover these rare wines and get in on the ground floor.”

Minnick noted that the Glendale Civic Auditorium means greater access to the festival for wine lovers in the San Fernando, San Gabriel, and Santa Clarita Valleys and the Eastside, as well enabling additional Garagiste events, such as a Rare and Reserve tasting and barbecue on Friday night.

A focus of this year’s festival is the rebirth of the LA wine industry, and the festival has dedicated a tasting seminar to some of the exciting winemaking that is taking place right here in LA County. The panel of winemakers, including Jasper Dickson, Angeleno Wine Co.; Mark Blatty, Byron Blatty Wines; and Patrick Kelley, Cavaletti Vineyards, are on a mission to place the Los Angeles County AVA back on the map as a must-visit wine region. Garagiste Festival Co-founder, Stewart McLennan, who hosts the popular The Garagiste Show on KRUSH 92.5FM, will moderate the panel.

“Most people are probably unaware that there is an LA County AVA, much less that the California wine industry was born in Los Angeles in 1782. In fact, vineyards were planted in Glendale as early as 1784 and LA is where Bordeaux vine cuttings were first planted in California,” said McLennan. “The region was once home to a hundred vineyards and a flourishing local community that was the heart of the California wine business. While urbanization has overtaken the original vineyards, the drive to regain world-renown for this AVA is on and our panel will take a deep dive into that while offering tastings of some of the remarkable wines produced in LA County.”

Time and Place:

Friday, June 21st
6:30 – 9:00pm The Garagiste Wine Festival: Urban Exposure launches with “No Repeats Rare & Reserve Kick-off Party, showcasing extremely limited Club Only, Library and Pre-Release bottles and featuring a summer BBQ buffet.

Saturday, June 22nd
11:30 – 12:30: “The Rebirth of the LA Wine Industry” seminar (VIP ticket holders only: VIP tickets include lunch and early access to the Grand Tasting.)
2pm – 5:00pm The Grand Tasting showcases over 50 winemakers pouring 200+ wines and 20+ varieties.

All events take place at Glendale Civic Auditorium, 1401 North Verdugo Road, Glendale, CA. There is plenty of onsite parking and easy access from the 134 and 210 freeways.

Wineries Include: 13th & Third Wines*, Adron Wines*, Aldina Vineyards*, Alma Sol Wines, Angeleno Wine Co., Ann Albert Wines, Armitage Wines, Ascension Cellars, Bella Luna Winery, Bevela Wines, Brooks Note Wines*, Byron Blatty Wines, Cavaletti Vineyards, Cholame Vineyard, Cloak & Dagger Wines, Copia Vineyards, DB Cellars*, DENO Wines, DeWitt Vineyard*, Dusty Nabor Wines, Enriquez EstateWines*, Ferguson Family Winery*, Frostwatch Vineyard*, Gary Kramer Guitar Cellars*, Greyscale Wines*, Hoi Polloi Winery, Kings Carey Wines*, Kitson Wines, Lions Peak Wines*, LXV Wines, Marin’s Vineyard, MCV Wines, Metrick Wines, Montagne Russe, Ocean’s Churning*, Playground Cellars*, Powicana Farms, Record Family Wines, RF Fine Wines*, Say When Wine*, Torch Cellars, Turiya Wines, Two Papas Wine*, Two Shepherds, Velvet Bee Wines*, Vino Vargas, and Wander-Must Wines*

*First Time LA Participants

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://garagistefestival.com. For special discounts and updates on Urban Exposure, Taste of Garagiste mini-tastings and other 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).

Festival Sponsors include: Bank of Marin, ETS, AEB, Laffort, Digital Dogma, Hanover Insurance, Farm Credit, mWEBB Communications, Glenn Burdette, G3, WIVI, House Copper. 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.

*The Garagiste Wine Festival was named America’s Best Wine Festival by USA Today in 2018.

**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.

America’s Best Wine Festival* Returns to Sonoma with 40 Garagiste Winemakers, April 13th

March 9, 2019 by evebushman

PASO ROBLES, Calif. (PRWEB) – The Garagiste Wine Festival, which was named America’s Best Wine Festival by USA Today in 2018, returns to Sonoma with 40 micro-production winemakers from Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Sierra Foothills, and more, on April 13th. The internationally renowned festival showcases innovative winemakers who handcraft under 1,500 cases of wine and who, in most cases, don’t have tasting rooms, offering a one-of-a-kind opportunity to taste a range of cutting-edge wine discoveries, with limited attendees, all under one roof.

The non-profit event will be held at the Sonoma Veterans Building near Sonoma’s historic downtown plaza and includes a tasting seminar on the new West Sonoma Coast AVA, featuring Sonoma winemakers Andy Peay from Peay Vineyards and Carroll Kemp from Alma Fria Wines. Tickets are on sale at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-garagiste-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-52724183452

“We know that wine lovers can tire of over-crowded, over-priced festivals that offer supermarket wines masquerading as ‘boutique’ offerings. This is why The Garagiste Festival is dedicated to bringing these fantastic, hard-to-find winemakers (and it is only the winemakers themselves who pour at Garagiste) to our audience in a setting where they can share their stories with attendees across the table. There’s really no other event like it,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “More than 90% of the wineries do not have tasting rooms, and can’t be found on “wine country” maps, so this is a unique opportunity to discover hidden treasures. Quality, not quantity, is our mantra and we love the uncrowded interaction that our Sonoma event offers – an opportunity for both fun and appreciation far from the usual madding festival crowd!”

Dubbed “tasting nirvana”, ‘strange and wondrous’, and “one not to miss” by the LA Times, the Garagiste Festivals are 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 and have introduced hundreds of outstanding artisan winemakers 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.

“We are so pleased to be back in the heart of Sonoma wine country for the second year. While we love every one of our venues, there is something completely different and special about Sonoma, and we were overwhelmed by the positive reception we received last year,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Stewart McLennan. “We have an extraordinary line-up of winemakers you may have never heard of — but who you will fall in love with. These winemakers take their craft and their terroir very seriously, and we look forward to exploring this with a deep dive into the treasures of the West Sonoma Coast AVA in our tasting seminar, which kicks off the festival.”

McLennan, who hosts the popular The Garagiste Show on KRUSH 92.5FM, moderates this year’s tasting seminar: “What Defines an AVA? An Exploration of the New ‘West Sonoma Coast’ Appellation and Why the Distinction Matters,” which kicks off the festival. Attendees will learn (and taste) what makes the ‘West Sonoma Coast’ AVA special (and distinct from the wider Sonoma Coast), and why it was necessary for them to pursue this separation. With Andy Peay from Peay Vineyards and Carroll Kemp from Alma Fria Wines. The seminar is available as part of the VIP ALL-DAY TICKET, which also includes a Wine Country Box Lunch – prepared by local favorite The Girl and The Fig – and early access to the Grand Tasting.

Saturday continues with the main event, The Grand Tasting from 2-5pm showcasing 40 winemakers
pouring 150+ wines and 15+ unique varietals. All tickets include unlimited tastes, cheese (courtesy of Cabot Cheese) & charcuterie, gourmet food samples and a souvenir Stolzle crystal wine glass.

For full Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure 2019 schedule details, go to http://californiagaragistes.com/

Tickets are very limited for the Sonoma festival and Garagiste Festivals always sell out. To buy tickets, go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-garagiste-festival-northern-exposure-tickets-52724183452. 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 40 winemakers already scheduled to pour are:

Adron Wines, Alma Fria, Benevolent Neglect Wines, Betwixt Wines, Bluxome Winery, Boonville Road Wines, Calstar Cellars, Camlow Cellars, Chenoweth Vineyards, Cobden Wini Wines, Crux Winery, Cutruzzola Vineyards, DB Cellars, DeWitt Vineyard, Fallon Place Wines, Fields Family Wines, Gondak Cellars, Gordenker Wines, Greyscale Wines, Kendric Vineyards, Kitson Wines, March Wines, Mastro Scheidt, Merisi Wines, Montagne Russe, Mountain Tides Wine Co., Nowell-Smith Wines, Old County Cellars, Olivera Wines, People’s Wine Revolution, Perri Jaye Vineyards, Powicana Farm, Sosie Wines, St. Romedius, Tom Mackey Cellars, Urban Legend Cellars, Wander Must Wine, Weatherborne Wine Co. and Witching Stick Wines.

Sponsors include: Bank of Marin, ETS, AEB, Laffort, Digital Dogma, Hanover Insurance, Farm Credit, mWEBB Communications, Glenn Burdette, G3, WIVI, House Copper

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

*The Garagiste Wine Festival was named America’s Best Wine Festival by USA Today in 2018.

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

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.

*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

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

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