The Garagiste Festival, Off the Beaten Path Wines
Wine garagistes are kind of like the quintessential “bad boy” or “bad girl”, maverick winemakers that are edgy, self assured (they do things their way!), and exciting to be around, for their out of the box thinking and surprisingly delicious wine results. But to find these off the grid wines is not so easy, which makes the Garagiste Festival a must for those seeking the next big thing. Billed as “Urban Exposure, Bringing the California wine country to the city” the 2016 Garagiste Festival came to LA this past July, with over 60 winemakers who poured 200 plus wines. Setting up shop at The Wiltern Theater, the garagistes poured their wines and chatted with wine lovers, who had four hours to explore, taste, and get out of their Chardonnay comfort zone.
It was an afternoon crash course that defined “garagiste” here in California. Originally, the term was used in the Bordeaux region of France to belittle small production winemakers who rejected the established rules of the region, and often worked out of their garage. Here in California, these wine pioneers also think outside the box, producing small lots of premium wines, mostly under 1,500 cases and often much less. These rebel winemakers experiment with the unexpected, but always follow their passion. Most of them don’t have a tasting room, so this festival provided the perfect opportunity to taste a rising star and discover your next “house” wine.
Here are highlights from just a handful of garagiste winemakers that I had the opportunity to explore during the tasting.
Wine garagistes are kind of like the quintessential “bad boy” or “bad girl”, maverick winemakers that are edgy, self assured (they do things their way!), and exciting to be around, for their out of the box thinking and surprisingly delicious wine results. But to find these off the grid wines is not so easy, which makes the Garagiste Festival a must for those seeking the next big thing. Billed as “Urban Exposure, Bringing the California wine country to the city” the 2016 Garagiste Festival came to LA this past July, with over 60 winemakers who poured 200 plus wines. Setting up shop at The Wiltern Theater, the garagistes poured their wines and chatted with wine lovers, who had four hours to explore, taste, and get out of their Chardonnay comfort zone.
It was an afternoon crash course that defined “garagiste” here in California. Originally, the term was used in the Bordeaux region of France to belittle small production winemakers who rejected the established rules of the region, and often worked out of their garage. Here in California, these wine pioneers also think outside the box, producing small lots of premium wines, mostly under 1,500 cases and often much less. These rebel winemakers experiment with the unexpected, but always follow their passion. Most of them don’t have a tasting room, so this festival provided the perfect opportunity to taste a rising star and discover your next “house” wine.
Here are highlights from just a handful of garagiste winemakers that I had the opportunity to explore during the tasting.
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Maggie Tillman of Alta Colina Vineyards poured four very nice Rhône style wines, two white and two red, from her family’s Paso Robles estate. Her dad, Bob Tillman, is a lifelong “garagiste”, a home winemaker who turned his dream into reality, he organically grows his own grapes on steep hillsides in the Adelaida District. Alta Colina produces a core of three white wines, and four reds, with occasional bottlings of small lot wines that are outstanding in that year. The 12 O’Clock High Viognier 2014 is one of the best Viogniers I have ever had from California, smooth and plush with tropical fruit, and texture from time on the lees, it’s accented with a bit of toasty oak, but not overdone. The 2012 GSM is bright and fruit forward, balanced with smoky oak and mineral tones, ending with supple tannins.
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Erick Allen of Ascension Cellars specializes in Rhône and Bordeaux-style wines from Paso Robles. Currently, ten wines are available, three whites, five reds, a dessert wine and a port, all made from sustainably farmed Cass Vineyard fruit. The 2015 Silver, a beautiful white wine made with Marsanne, Roussanne, Chardonnay, and Viognier, is aromatic, with pear, white peach, Meyer lemon, and floral notes; juicy and mineral, with a lingering finish that goes on and on. The 2013 Soul Shaker, a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, is the flagship wine, inky and concentrated, with dark fruit and spice, silky and hauntingly beautiful. The 2013 Mayhem Syrah, a blend of Syrah with Petit Verdot and Viognier, is intense and rich, a wonder of violets, bacon, blackberry jam, clove spice, espresso, and dark chocolate notes, holy smokes, this is a delicious wine. As you can tell, for Allen, it’s all in the art of the blend, the sum of the parts more than the whole. Many of his wines have won Gold and Silver Medals in various competitions this year.
Ryan Cochrane of Ryan Cochrane Wines crafts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from Santa Barbara County. Making wines from the best quality fruit he can buy, he poured vertical vintages of his Solomon Hills Vineyard Chardonnay and Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir. According to Cochrane, he’s driven to create wines that make people smile, and according to the crowd surrounding his table, he’s succeeded. Coming to winemaking from another career, he immersed himself in his pet dream, and seems to be getting noticed, receiving high ratings from Wine Enthusiast and The Prince of Pinot. Full malolactic fermentation and lees stirring for the Chardonnay, partial whole cluster fermentation and a variety of clones for the Pinot, both aged in French oak barrels, these are very nice wines.
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Jim Madsen of The Farm Winery poured big red blends, from the Westside of Paso Robles, that, despite their concentration, had a lightness of being, a nuanced elegance that expresses the wildness of the Adelaida District. Madsen runs in good company, his winemaker, Santiago Achaval, a renowned Argentinean winemaker, is a lifelong friend who teamed with Madsen to make his dream come true. The 2012 “The Big Game” is a Bordeaux-Rhône style red, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot, layered and complex, round and polished, it’s powerful yet balanced, really fabulous! The 2012 Cardinal, made of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, in fact the oldest vines in all of Paso, is pure and intense, dense and exotic, it’s refined yet full of Cabernet character, this wine can give Napa Valley Cab a run for its money! And the 2012 LPF (standing for Liquidity Preference Function!), a Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend, is dense and spicy, yet elegant in its balance of fruit and structure, but still a youngster, needing a bit more time in the bottle to relax into its own. The Farm currently has six wines, with the 2012 the most recent release.
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William Allen of Two Shepherds had the most intriguing lineup of wines, pouring six out-of-the-ordinary bottlings of varietals you might not be familiar with. Not only were these unusual wines, they were flat-out fantastic! Trousseau Gris, Carignan, and Cinsault from Northern California joined Viognier, Grenache Blanc, and a Burgundy-Rhône red blend in a magical tapestry of cool climate aromas and flavors against neutral oak barrel aging, giving the wines texture and mouthfeel. Allen’s Two Shepherds label refers not to two people, but two focal points for his wines, “Shepherd of the Palate” refers to a desire to return to Old World style wines, and “Shepherd of the Grape”, Allen’s philosophy of minimal intervention and manipulation in the winemaking process. The 2014 Trousseau Gris, made from an obscure grey-skinned grape varietal, of which only 10 acres are farmed in California, is a fascinating wine. Orange-pink in color, it combines the aromatics of a white wine with the texture of a light red. The 2014 Carignan Rosé is more savory than fruity, vibrant and textured, this is a distinctive, complex wine with great aromatics. The 2012 Pastoral Rouge Red Blend, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah channels bright red fruit and spice, with light tannin and salinity on the lingering finish. The 2014 Ancient Vine Cinsault comes from Bechthold Vineyard, its 135-year-old vines make up the oldest known surviving Cinsault vineyard in the world. Rarely bottled as a straight varietal, and mostly used in blending, this Cinsault almost defies description, complex yet light, bright fruit, rose, and mineral notes with a gravitas all its own, a treat to taste! These are unique and exciting wines which attracted a crowd to the table, new potential converts to Allen’s “The Flock”, his user-friendly wine club that offers customized shipping of his very small lot wines.
The Garagiste Festival has been gaining steam the past few years. Originally launched in Paso Robles in 2011, LA was added to the mix the past couple of years, giving more exposure to these hard to find wines. Founded by Stewart McLennon and Doug Minnick, who are passionate about connecting these cutting edge winemakers with wine lovers who seek out the novelty of the unknown, these non-profit festivals serve an additional purpose besides promotion. The proceeds are donated to the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program, based in San Luis Obispo, which supports the education of budding winemakers and others training for wine industry jobs. Minnick feels their non-profit acts as a de facto trade organization, and “helps people who make amazing wines get their word out”.
If you’re intrigued by wine’s fringe element before it becomes chic, check out the upcoming 6th annual Garagiste Festival. Billed as 2016 Paso Fest, the festival returns to Paso Robles, November 11-13, 2016, a two day event with grand tastings, winemaker panels, tasting seminars, and an after party, where you can mingle with these rebel winemakers. Tickets are available online, at garagistefestival.com.
Embrace “garagiste” and discover a whole new dimension, free spirited winemakers with boundless passion and limited funds, who strive to put their own spin on California wine, breaking the rules, all in one place.
If you’re intrigued by wine’s fringe element before it becomes chic, check out the upcoming 6th annual Garagiste Festival. Billed as 2016 Paso Fest, the festival returns to Paso Robles, November 11-13, 2016, a two day event with grand tastings, winemaker panels, tasting seminars, and an after party, where you can mingle with these rebel winemakers. Tickets are available online, at garagistefestival.com.
Embrace “garagiste” and discover a whole new dimension, free spirited winemakers with boundless passion and limited funds, who strive to put their own spin on California wine, breaking the rules, all in one place.