The Garagiste Festival Proves That the Micro-Winery Scene Is Still Going Strong
Story by Gail Cayetano Classick
Photo above: Garagiste Festival Co-Founders Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick. (Photo by Kelly Visel)
There are several standout wine events across the Central Coast to invest time and money in. So what makes the Garagiste Festival one of these to keep on the list? Praised as a “tasting nirvana” by the LA Times, the Garagiste Festival is the only event focusing on under-the-radar micro-wineries producing no more than 1500 cases a year, and featuring a variety of innovative and handcrafted wines, a renegade spirit, passionate winemakers, and its familiar ‘no snobs allowed’ ethos. The unpretentious vibe is a big reason tickets routinely sell out.
Behind the Glass
The 501c3 nonprofit organization was founded in 2011 to support the Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and has continued to promote the burgeoning ‘garagiste’ micro-winery scene of central California for the last 15 years.
The festival showcases a wide range of wines available to taste via two events: a Rare & Reserve Party and BBQ Dinner on Friday evening, November 7, and the Grand Tasting, Seminar and After Party on Saturday, November 8. This year all events will be held at the Paso Robles Midstate Fairgrounds.
One of the most anticipated sessions of this year’s festival is the educational tasting seminar ‘Understanding Oak: Tasting the Winemaker’s Spice Rack’, hosted by Co-Founder Stewart McLennan and winemaker Ryan Render; a guide to how a barrel is made, from forest origin and grain influence, to toast levels and aging options. Guests will taste how French Oak, American Oak, heavy toast and aging times affect the wine in the glass.
Welcoming the Crowd
Attendees will be joining from all regions of the US, with a percentage of guests from overseas, though ticket sales remain capped to keep crowds intimate and to avoid the sprawling, elbow-to-elbow affairs elsewhere. This intimacy offers attendees time to linger at tables and talk one-on-one with the winemakers.
Over the years the festival has played a significant role in bringing attention to small wineries, many that do not have tasting rooms and can’t be found on traditional wine country maps. Success stories have emerged; wineries who poured in the early years have since opened their own tasting rooms and increased production, while staying true to the artisan garagiste spirit. This includes a number of wineries from Tin City, an industrial hub to dozens of small-production wineries and emerging winemakers, located on the outskirts of Paso Robles.
“We want to shine a light on these fantastic artisan winemakers and connect them with others like us who love discovering new wines and wineries. We’re proud to have played a part in helping these wineries – and this movement – to grow significantly over the last 15 years,” says Co-Founder and Winemaker Doug Minnick.
Treasures Found
“Winemakers of our size don’t make enough wine to interest large distributors, so they don’t need to be concerned with what will sell in supermarkets. They are making the wine they themselves want to drink and are passionate about. This freedom makes for some of the best, most interesting and adventurous wines in the world,” says Co-Founder Stewart McLennan.
Here guests can find low-intervention examples of popular varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot, Chardonnay and Syrah, but that’s a small part of the story. How about Assyrtiko? Alicante Bouchet? Clairette Blanche? Mencia? Picpoul Blanc? Xinomavro? These are a few of the rare varieties that have been featured at previous events. More surprises are on the docket for the 2025 festival.
“We’ve produced nearly 45 of these events and we are still finding new varieties that we’ve never tasted, and sometimes never even heard of yet! And they’re poured by the winemakers who are eager to share the uniqueness of their goods,” recounts Doug. “Whether you know a lot about wine, or are just beginning, you will walk away from the Garagiste Festival knowing more.”
Enjoying the Wines
Among the over 50 wineries pouring at the Paso Robles festival are Garagiste Festival first-timers including Grosso Kresser Estate, Kiler Canyon Vineyard, La De Vi, Landsby Wines, Resting Roots, Ruahk Wines and Uncommon Earth. More than 200 wines including unusual blends, single varietal and sparkling wines from 25 different grape varieties will be available for attendees to taste throughout the weekend.
For full event details and to purchase tickets, visit Garagiste Festival.
