About Us

Our passion is wine – and especially the undiscovered, artisan producers who are making some of the most exciting wine on the planet right now.

This unique venture will raise the profile of all who are involved in this important but under-recognized segment of the wine world. Paso Garagiste will bring together the artisan wine industry - from winemakers to growers, to equipment suppliers, the wine press, and new social media with a high-profile event and website.

Year-round video projects, insider info, winemaker forums, and access to hard-to-find small production wine will all be elements of Paso Garagiste. Sign up to stay in touch.

Stewart McLennan – stewart@pasogaragiste.com

Stewart in essence has been a Garagiste for over a decade. Though until recently never used the term “garagsite” to refer to himself or his (mis) advintnering he now finds garagiste the most apt way of describing both his present self and his future winemaking aspirations. Stewart was instrumental in forming Brothers of the Barrel in 1991. A group of guys from differing backgrounds and professions who came together to learn about winemaking through the process of drinking beer and making wine. The Brothers have now been making wine for over a decade and, yes, it isn’t half bad – scoring various medals over the years at Paso Robles’ California Midstate Fair.

Whilst he is yet to claim the term vintner in a professional sense, Stewart is well acquainted with the trials and tribulations associated with the process of making wine having been hands-on now for over thirteen vintages made from many differing varietals from Rose to Petite Sirah. Well okay, no Pinot, YET.

For the past three years Stewart has been involved in all aspects of wine marketing from the tasting room to national distributorship. He has worked for Four Vines Winery in this capacity and as such has gained valuable experience regarding brand building in  the national wine market.

Stewart was one of the producers and host of The Wine Stewart, an everyman’s video guide to wine. He also brings his twenty five years of onscreen roles as a professional actor to the Garagiste creative table. It is his hope through Paso Garagiste to encourage and support those winemakers who share his love of small production, quality wines and winemaking.

Doug Minnick – doug@pasogaragiste.com

Minnick knew what he wanted to do with his life on February 9th, 1964 when as a 7 year old boy in suburban Chicago, he saw The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show.

After 11 years playing in rock and roll bands and ignoring his schoolwork, he took off on a cold February day in a 1967 Buick Elektra 225 bound for L.A., palm trees, and the music business as an 18 year old with $500 in his pocket. Working his way up from the mailroom (no kidding) at A&M Records and surviving a successful career as a Music Business executive in the 80s, Doug eventually chucked the corporate music world for the uncertainty of an independent, two-man, start-up.

Ten years later, with the independent start-up now a multi-million dollar success story, Minnick again proved unable to control his passions, this time tossing the music business for the world of wine. Particularly Central Coast wine.

Now partnered with TV Journalist and fellow wino, Dan Erland Andersen, in Ethanol Video Marketing, a company that brings together Dan’s video expertise with Doug’s marketing know-how and project management skills, he is again ignoring more lucrative pursuits in favor doing what he loves to do – promote the Central Coast wine business. They also continue to shoot video for a wide variety of clients in Southern California, but their hearts are in Paso.

Doug and Dan are also making their first vintages as Garagistes, (along with fellow Garagistes, Scott Gruber and Ted Behlendorf).  Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah this year – more next year. It’s tasting pretty good right now. Come judge for yourself.

Dan Erland Andersen – dan@pasogaragiste.com

When Dan Erland moved away from his parents at age 17 – and left home without a corkscrew – he quickly discovered how hard it was to bang on the bottom of a Spanish bottle to squeeze out that unresponsive cork. Drinking in Denmark at the age of 17 is not considered a problem. The problem is to afford it.

Instead of descending into hand wringing of cheap bottles, Dan Erland pursued a life of sports in the wonderful indoor court game of International Handball (no, not ball up against bricks.) While chasing opponents (on and off the court) all over Denmark, he finished his degree in journalism and moved to the US at the age of 28.

Since then Dan Erland has covered everything from The Oscars, Grammy’s, celebrity interviews, international tax evaders, pig farmers, Asian bicycling to his newfound love: The wine region around Paso Robles and the Central Coast. On his many visits to Paso from his home in Los Angeles, he has learned to open wine bottles by placing them in the heal of a running shoe, banging on the wall. Talk about life coming full circle.

Lisa Dinsmore – lisa@pasogaragiste.com

The reason Lisa Dinsmore moved to Los Angeles in 1990 was to be in show business. After toiling away for a few years she quit “the biz” and took her event, writing and publicity skills over to a children’s charity which was just as colorful, but in very different ways. Needing a break, she went on a month-long trip to Europe where her love of wine was sparked. Not by the French or Spanish, though she drank a lot of those, but by a supple, fruity Chilean Merlot shared in a tiny house by a total stranger the night before flying home. That bottle changed everything.

That spark became a conflagration as she attempted to learn everything she could about wine, which is done mostly by tasting an awful lot of it and reading some pretty dry books. Lisa spent many evenings at the Wine House, taking classes and literally experiencing the world of wine one glass at a time. Outside the classroom the backroads of California called, giving Lisa the opportunity to explore the winemaking world first hand. It was on those early trips, a decade ago, that she discovered Paso Robles and Los Olivos…and was hooked forever on the experience of wine tasting without the pretentious bullshit.

While she loves all wine (but especially Syrah and Mourvedre), Lisa’s passion is in discovering wineries no one knows about and sharing her new finds with other wine lovers. Meeting the winemakers and experiencing their passion keeps her on the road and willing to swirl every wine she comes across. While amazed by the process, Lisa is not looking to become a garagiste any time soon. Manual labor is not her thing. She also requires 8 hours of sleep, hates cleaning and lacks patience. Plus there’s just so many wines she has yet to try, she just doesn’t have the time. Though she does have a secret desire to make white wines that will convert people from the dark (red) side.

Lisa’s had to drink a lot of wine to find her favorites and Doug and Dan have been the beneficiaries of these countless excursions. Their first attempts at making wine kick ass. She can’t wait to collect a few bottles as her finders fee; however, knowing them, they’ll drink it all first.