Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure – April 27th, 2024
I attended the recent Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure tasting in Sonoma, and wrote a report for the Grape-Nutz.comwebsite. An abbreviated version of the report is below – there are lots more photos plus tasting impressions from 20 wineries here: Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure – April 27th, 2024
Report on the Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure event, held on Saturday April 27th, 2024, at the Veterans Memorial Hall in Sonoma. This tasting showcased wines from small and lesser-known wineries in California.
The non-profit Garagiste Events organization was founded in 2011 by Stewart McLennan and Doug Minnick in Paso Robles. Both founders made a little wine themselves, and they were looking for a way that smaller producers could band together to showcase their wines. Since many small wineries receive little public exposure – most of the ones at this event do not have tasting rooms – and individually most have a limited marketing budget, working together has made sense.
Since 2011, there have been regular Garagiste events in Paso Robles in the fall, and tastings have been added in Santa Barbara County (“Southern Exposure”) and in Los Angeles (“Urban Exposure”) as well as the “Northern Exposure” event held in Sonoma. Nearly 650 producers have participated in Garagiste tastings since their inaugural event. Proceeds from the festivals’ silent auctions are donated to the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Program and are used toward granting scholarships as well as creating other opportunities for students in the program there.
Grand Tasting General Impressions
This was the sixth annual Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure tasting held in Sonoma. The main room for the Grand Tasting was large and airy, with plenty of space for the participating wineries and for display of the silent auction items as well, and some of the winery tables were in a second, smaller room, allowing for everything to be nicely spread out. There was a good crowd on hand, but the rooms never felt overly crowded and it was fairly easy to step right up to nearly all the winery tables I visited. The event ran very smoothly – great work by Stewart and Doug of Garagiste, as well as by associates Lisa Dinsmore, Michelle Kraker, Heather Clifford, and Melanie Webber, and by the volunteer helpers.
There were just over 40 producers that participated in this year’s Northern Exposure event, about the same number as at their previous tasting in Sonoma, and the vast majority of the wineries on hand were from California’s broad North Coast region. In addition to the winery tables, artisan food vendors Boccabella Farms Olive Oils and Fleur Sauvage Chocolates as well as Rogue Candle Company were on hand at the tasting. Complimentary bread, cheese, olives, water, and other items were available for attendees, and all tasters received a stemless Stozlze wine glass to use at the event and to take home afterwards. Along with the afternoon tasting, there was a silent auction with proceeds going toward the Garagiste organization’s educational opportunity program.
The Garagiste event is always a great opportunity to check out producers that I haven’t tried before. There were a number of wineries making their first appearance at the Sonoma Garagiste tasting, with four pouring their inaugural vintage there. I made it to 20 winery tables at the tasting this year – of those, eight producers were entirely new to me and a few others were ones I’d only tried once or twice before. Several of the producers that were completely new to me poured some impressive wines and were among my favorites of the day. Because I made an effort to check out unfamiliar producers, there were some others that I’d hoped to visit – including a few past favorites – but I ran out of time.
I didn’t include tank/barrel samples in the list of favorites below, though a couple of the ones I tried were very good. Also, the selected tasting impressions below don’t cover every wine I tasted at the event or every one I enjoyed, but include the wines I felt were most noteworthy.
As was the case last year, the overall quality of wines that I tasted at this year’s Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure event was high. Often when tasting wines from producers that are new to me, I find them to be hit-and-miss, but several of the producers I checked out for the first time at this tasting were very good to outstanding. Overall favorite producers this year included Boonville Road, Calstar, Cary Q, Oxlee Graham, Six Cloves, Spur Road, The Grenachista, and Theopolis, while a number of others, including Carpenter, Intent, Kendric, Lussier, McCarter, and Thomas T Thomas were just a notch below those favorites.
You’ll find few if any tasting events in California that feature so many “under the radar” wineries as the Garagiste Wine Festival. It’s a great opportunity to discover smaller wine producers who are making very good wines. If finding new wineries is something you’d like to do, be sure to check out one of the upcoming Garagiste Wine Festival events and make some of your own wine discoveries!
Favorites
White and Rosé Wines
Boonville Road 2018 Cole Ranch Riesling
Calstar 2023 Sauvignon Blanc
Carpenter 2022 Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard Skin-Fermented Trousseau Gris
Kendric 2022 Viognier
Oxlee Graham 2023 “Elinor’s” Alder Springs Vineyard White Blend
Six Cloves 2021 Alder Springs Vineyard Chardonnay
Spur Road 2023 Nozzari Vineyard White Pinot Noir
The Grenachista 2022 Estate Grenache Blanc
Red Wines
Calstar 2017 Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir
Cary Q 2019 “Hollis” Shake Ridge Ranch Mourvèdre
Intent 2018 Odyssey Vineyard Syrah
Lúnasa 2020 Poston Crest Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon
Lussier 2021 Signal Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir
McCarter 2022 Forchini Vineyard Pinot Noir
Montagne Russe 2019 Alder Springs Vineyard Syrah
Oxlee Graham 2022 “Dayle’s” Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
Six Cloves 2022 Buf-Wehr Vineyard Pinot Noir
Spur Road 2022 Nozzari Vineyard Pinot Noir
The Grenachista 2021 Mounts Vineyard Grenache Noir
Theopolis 2021 Estate Petite Sirah
Thomas T Thomas 2019 Estate Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley
Others of Note
Boonville Road 2021 Alder Springs Cabernet Franc
Burning Bench 2012 Moon Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
Carpenter 2021 Old Road #3 Vineyard Pinot Noir
Cary Q 2023 “Crazy/Perfect” Fenaughty Vineyard Cinsault
Fest 2019 Pigasus Vineyard Pinot Noir
Intent 2020 Filigreen Farm Pinot Gris
Kendric 2020 Syrah
Lussier 2020 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon
McCarter 2023 Balleto Vineyard Gewürztraminer
T. Berkley 2021 Thalia Vineyard Cabernet Franc
The Grenachista 2023 Grenache Noir Pét-Nat
Theopolis 2022 Yorkville Highlands Pinot Noir
Thomas T Thomas 2020 “T” Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
Vidi Vitis 2021 Old Federal Vineyard Cabernet Franc (Forgotten Union)
Selected Tasting Impressions
I’m posting selected tasting impressions here from just some of the producers whose wines I tasted at the Wines of the Garagiste Wine Festival:Northern Exposure event – notes on 20 producers are in the full Grape-Nutz.com report. The producers below are some of those whose lineup of wines poured at the event impressed me the most.
Boonville Road Wines
Owner/winemaker Ed Donovan established his winery in 2016, after working with other wineries for a number of years. He sources fruit from all over Mendocino County, including Anderson Valley, Redwood Valley, Cole Ranch, and the far north of the county at Alder Springs Vineyard. The 2018 Cole Ranch Riesling was a highlight, with citrus, petrol, and floral aromas, with great texture and fine acidity. The 2022 Eaglepoint Ranch Grenache featured bright red fruit and spice with an earthy note in support, a lively mouthfeel with medium body, and moderate tannins. Ed finished up with the 2021 Alder Springs Cabernet Franc – this had subtle dried herb, plum, and spice notes, with nicely-balanced richness and acidity, and firm, youthful tannins on the finish.
Calstar Cellars
Vintner Rick Davis has made wine for a number of well-known producers including Flowers, Londer, and Halleck – Calstar is his own label, launched in 2001. Based in Santa Rosa, Calstar makes wines from several grape varieties, sourcing much of the fruit from cooler-climate sites. Three wines in particular stood out for me at this winery table. The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc from Russian River Valley displayed citrus and stone fruit aromas with herbal undertones, and medium-light body. Also from Russian River Valley was the 2023 Rosé of Pinot Meunier, which had floral and bright red fruit aromas with a lively texture. I liked both Pinot Noirs that Rick poured, and my favorite of the two was the 2017 Oppenlander Vineyard Pinot Noir from Mendocino County – this featured black cherry, mushroom, earth, and herbs on the nose, good structure, and moderate tannins.
Cary Q Wines
Cary Quintana is the owner/winemaker of her Cary Q label – she launched her winery in Berkeley in 2014 and currently makes her wines in Santa Rosa. Her focus is on Rhône grape varieties and much of her fruit is sourced from the Sierra Foothills. I’d tasted Cary’s current release wines recently – those were all good and I particularly enjoyed the 2023 “Crazy/Perfect” Fenaughty Vineyard Cinsault from El Dorado County, which featured loads of juicy upfront red and darker berry fruit with a vibrant texture and finish. I tasted a couple of Cary’s older wines on this occasion and liked them both. With 20% whole-cluster fermentation and neutral oak aging, the 2018 “Based on a True Story” Shake Ridge Ranch Red Blend of 60% Grenache, 35% Mourvèdre, and 5% Syrah had an herbal red fruit character, with notes of darker fruit and spice, and still-firm tannic structure. The 2019 “Hollis” Shake Ridge Ranch Mourvèdre from Amador County was fermented with 50% whole clusters and aged in concrete – poured from a magnum, this had aromas of plum and darker fruit, dried herbs, iron, and earth, with a lively mouthfeel and plenty of structure for continued cellaring.
Oxlee Graham Wines
Oxlee Graham’s Jennie Murphy made her first commercial wines from the 2022 vintage. She works mainly with Pinot Noir, as well as with Chenin Blanc, Picpoul, and Petit Verdot, from sites ranging from northern Mendocino to the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wines were very good across the board. The 2023 “Elinor’s” Alder Springs Vineyard White Blend consists of 67% Chenin Blanc and 33% Picpoul Blanc, aged in stainless steel – this displayed bright stone fruit and tropical fruit aromas with a great texture and pleasant finish. Made from 115 and Swan clones, the 2022 “Dayle’s” Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was quite floral along with red fruit and fresh herbs, with a lively mouthfeel and finish. The 2022 “Enedina’s” Fountaingrove District Petit Verdot from Sonoma had a bolder dark berry fruit and tobacco aromatic profile, with great structure and fine tannins – nice already but worth cellaring for further development.
Six Cloves Wines
Originally from Nagano, Japan, owner/winemaker Sonoe Hirabayashi completed the UC Davis winemaking program before working for wineries in Napa, Sonoma, New Zealand, and Chile. Her first vintage was in 2017 and she makes her wines in Sonoma County. A couple of Sonoe’s friends helped her pour at the tasting. I liked all of her wines and thought that three were particular standouts. The 2021 Alder Springs Vineyard Chardonnay, from a site in far north Mendocino County, featured citrus and apple fruit with floral notes and subtle saline undertones, with a great balance of medium-rich texture and fine acidity. Sourced from Russian River Valley and fermented with 50% whole clusters with neutral oak aging, the 2022 Buf-Wehr Vineyard Pinot Noir was very aromatic, with flowers and bright fresh red fruit, along with medium body and a lively mouthfeel and finish. A barrel sample of the 2023 Castanon Vineyard Zinfandel from Redwood Valley in Mendocino County showed lots of spice aromas plus red berries and an herbal touch with moderate tannins – though this needs more time to fully develop, it has very good potential.
Spur Road Wines
Sam Buckingham and Amanda Kern are the proprietors of Spur Road. They’ve both worked for wineries all over the globe, and they make their own wines in Sonoma County. They focus almost exclusively on Pinot Noir, and farm their small estate Nozzari Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills. I enjoyed all four wines that they poured, with two favorites. Made by gently pressing Pinot fruit immediately, the 2023 Nozzari Vineyard White Pinot Noir had citrus and pear aromas with undertones of flowers and a pleasant saline note, with very good acidity and a vibrant finish. The 2022 Nozzari Vineyard Pinot Noir was very aromatic, displaying floral and red fruit character, with a light, lively texture and finish.
The Grenachista Wine Company
Casey Graybehl launched his Grenachista label in 2013. His focus is exclusively on Grenache – both Blanc and Noir – and he produces a number of bottlings and styles from several vineyards. He has a small estate vineyard in Sonoma Valley and makes his wines in Sonoma. Three wines that Casey poured were particular favorites, beginning with the 2023 Grenache Noir Pét-Nat – this had bright fresh strawberry and floral aromas, fine bubbles, and a vibrant mouthfeel and finish. The 2022 Estate Grenache Blanc was whole-cluster pressed and aged in a concrete egg, and displayed stone fruit and floral aromas with subtle petrol and saline notes, medium body, and a lively finish. Sourced from Dry Creek Valley and fermented entirely with whole clusters, the 2021 Mounts Vineyard Grenache Noir showed lots of red fruit and spice on the nose plus notes of flowers and fresh herbs, with medium weight on the palate and moderate tannins.
Theopolis Vineyards
Theodora Lee is an attorney with an estate vineyard in the Yorkville Highlands region of Mendocino County. The five-acre Petite Sirah vineyard was planted in 2003 and the first Theopolis vintage was from 2012. Theopolis also makes Symphony, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and blends. Longtime Theopolis team member Ashanti Brown poured the wine at the tasting. The 2022 Yorkville Highlands Pinot Noir had bright black cherry fruit along with earth and spice notes, with medium body and a lively finish. A blend of mostly Petite Sirah plus Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Grenache, the 2021 “Theo-Patra’s Cuvée Cerise” showed a darker fruit profile plus spice and subtle touches of flowers and dried herbs, with a bigger texture and moderate tannins. The 2021 Estate Petite Sirah featured bolder aromas of dark berry fruit, flowers, and earth, with notes of pepper and spice, plenty of structure and firm but not aggressive tannins on the finish.
