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GARAGISTES – (gar-uh-zhē-stuh) n, Fr. – A term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their garage, who refused to follow the “rules.” Now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world. Who’s laughing now, Francois?Syn: Rule-breakers, pioneers, renegades, mavericks, driven by passion.

Welcome to Garagiste, a place for the underground, the different, and the cutting edge of small production winemaking with no rules.

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A Taste of Garagiste – Saturday, July 13th – 2-5pm

In anticipation of the 3rd Annual Garagiste Festival, we are venturing a bit further south to bring 5 wineries from the Paso Robles region to the amazing Wine Lamp @ The Camp in Costa Mesa to showcase just how great small-lot, hand-crafted wines can be. Three of the wineries may be familiar to you as they have been “garagistes” from the beginning. We are thrilled to bring you the wines of Baker & Brain and The Missing Leg, two up-and-coming producers you will not want to miss.

The wineries participating will be: Alta Colina, Baker & Brain, The Missing Leg, Rendarrio Vineyards and STANGER Vineyards. The line-up will feature a variety of wine styles and grape varietals and allow you to chat first-hand with the winemakers while tasting their latest releases. 15+ wines will be poured for only $25.

Ticket information coming soon.

We are thrilled to be able to present a Sneak Peek at this remarkable film (debuting next month at the Sonoma Film Festival) that showcases the passion and hard work behind being a small, “garagiste” winemaker. We’re big fans of Ernst’s wines and this only made us even more pleased to be able to work with him.

S torm from Dan Addelson on Vimeo.

Storm is a look into the life of winemaker, Ernst Storm. It is an intimate portrait not only of the winemaking process and the beautiful landscapes of wine country, but more importantly it is an exploration of personal passion and what it means to pursue a fulfilling existence. Speaking poetically and candidly, Ernst shares his fears, his successes, and his musings on the balance of nature and artistic expression. www.danaddelson.com / www.stormwines.com

The Concept: The intention was never to make a commercial for Storm Wines. I told this to Ernst from the start and he agreed. Our objective was to focus on something bigger, something universal – an artistic pursuit, an all consuming passion and the feelings that go with it. I kept on him for months, and finally everything came together, and we carved out some time to get started. I saw a seed of the story in Ernst’s passion for wine, and I was intrigued by the way he talked about the process. I could tell something was different. A few barrel tastings later, and we decided to make it happen.

The Shoot: I have always been inspired by cinema verite filmmakers like the Mayles Brothers and DA Pennebaker, and I always strive to make documentaries that let the characters and visuals tell the story. So, as we shot, I gave Ernst very little direction, and basically followed him from sunrise to sunset for two days during the harvest. We had been developing a rapport over the previous weeks and months, and realized that we had a lot in common when it came to our artistic styles. The film never felt like work for either of us. I was honored to spend time with Ernst during harvest, the most important season for a winemaker. We chose the fall because it is the time of year that everything comes together. Not only are the important decisions being made and style defined, but there’s an incredible amount of work that takes place in a very short period of time. I knew that in two solid days, I could show most of the process from grape to glass.

Garagiste Festival Co-founders to Speak at Wine Industry Symposium

Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan to discuss the inception, success and future of Garagiste Festivals at 2013 Central Coast Insights Program: “Recognition in the Global Marketplace: The Character of the Central Coast” on March 14th

Paso Robles, CA –March 7, 2013 – On the heels of the highly successful and sold out Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, The Garagiste Festivals Co-founders Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan will be speaking at the 2013 Central Coast Insights program presented by the Wine Industry Symposium on March 14^th in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Appearing on the “Success Stories of Creative Entrepreneurs on the Central Coast” panel, Minnick and McLennan will discuss the inception of the festival and future plans, as well as how the team developed the brand and, in so doing, uncovered and spurred the American Garagiste* movement, shining a new spotlight on California’s Central Coast.

“We are excited to be able to share our success story – one that could only have happened on the Central Coast – in a forum dedicated to how this remarkable winemaking region is growing in global influence and recognition,” said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. “With approximately 250 garagistes on the Central Coast alone, we believe we have just scratched the surface of the benefits these remarkable winemakers are bringing to the region.”

The Garagiste Festivals, produced by Garagiste Events, are the first and only festivals dedicated to discovering and promoting artisan ‘garagiste’ winemakers and showcase high-quality, cutting-edge, small production wineries that produce fewer than 1,200 cases a year. Launched in 2011, The Garagiste Festivals have emerged as among the most unique and influential wine events in California, literally giving name, face and voice to The American Garagiste.