Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure – April 26th, 2025
I attended the recent Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure tasting in Sonoma, and wrote a report for the Grape-Nutz.com website. An abbreviated version of the report is below – there are lots more photos plus tasting impressions from 19 wineries here: Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure – April 26th, 2025
Report on the Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure event, held on Saturday April 26th, 2025, 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 seventh annual Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure tasting held in Sonoma. The 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. There was a good crowd on hand, but the room 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 McLennan, Heather Clifford, and Melanie Webber, and by the volunteer helpers.
There were over 40 producers that participated in this year’s Northern Exposure event, about the same 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.
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 some pouring their inaugural vintage there. I made it to 19 winery tables at the tasting this year – of those, seven producers were entirely new to me and a few others were ones I’d only had limited experience with before. Several of the producers that were completely new to me poured some impressive wines and were among my favorites of the day. I should note that I didn’t always taste every wine being offered at the tables I visited. 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.
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. For whatever reason, I wasn’t feeling in the mood for Chardonnay the afternoon of the tasting, so I skipped tasting a few and probably didn’t rate a few others as highly as I might have on another day.
Ronny Joe Grooms and Nora Murphy of KSVY-FM & Sonoma TV, with Garagiste founders Doug Minnick and Stewart McLennan
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 – these included Identity, KALM, and Morét-Brealynn. Other favorite producers this year included Fine Disregard, Grand Scheme, McCarter, and Oxlee Graham, while a number of others including Calstar, Elaine, Montagne Russe, Ottavino, Spur Road, and Theopolis 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
Fine Disregard 2023 Bedrock Vineyard Sémillon
Grand Scheme 2023 Estate Chardonnay
KALM 2024 Calistoga Sauvignon Blanc
McCarter 2023 Balleto Vineyard Gewürztraminer
Morét-Brealynn 2024 Santa Lucia Highlands Rosé of Pinot Noir
Ottavino 2023 Alfaro Family Vineyard Grüner Veltliner
Oxlee Graham 2024 “Elinor’s” Alder Springs Vineyard White Blend
Staysail 2022 Ceja Farm Vineyard Grenache Blanc
Red Wines
Calstar 2022 Christina’s Vineyard Pinot Meunier
Elaine 2021 Calypte Vineyard Pinot Noir
Fine Disregard 2021 Lost Row Syrah
G&C Lurton Estates 2022 Estate Cabernet Franc
Grand Scheme 2023 Estate Pinot Noir
Identity 2020 “Magnate” Mendocino County Cabernet Sauvignon
KNA 2005 “Pella” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
McCarter 2022 Forchini Vineyard Pinot Noir
Montagne Russe 2021 Alder Springs Vineyard Pinot Noir
Morét-Brealynn 2023 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
Oxlee Graham 2022 “Enedina’s” Fountaingrove District Petit Verdot
Perlegos 2023 Stampede Vineyard Zinfandel
Spur Road 2022 Nozzari Vineyard Pinot Noir
Theopolis 2020 Estate Petite Sirah
Others of Note
Blaine 2022 Santa Lucia Highlands Riesling
Calstar 2018 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
Elaine 2018 Calypte Vineyard Pinot Noir
Identity 2023 “The Outsider Vol. 4” Amador County Viognier
KALM 2023 Petite Sirah
Kendric 2022 Syrah
Montagne Russe 2021 “Dragon’s Back” Black Knight Vineyard Pinot Noir
Ottavino 2022 Ricci Vineyard St. Laurent
Perlegos 2023 Clements Hills Lodi Sparkling Assyrtiko
Spur Road 2023 Mendocino County Pinot Blanc
Theopolis 2022 Yorkville Highlands Pinot Noir
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 19 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.
Fine Disregard Wine Co.
Fine Disregard was founded in 2015 by Mike Schieffer and Kara Maraden. Mike is the assistant winemaker for Turley, while Kara is the director of viticulture for Foley Family Farms, and both have worked for other noted wineries in Napa Valley and elsewhere. I liked all four of the wines that Mike poured for me, with three favorites. From Sonoma Valley, the 2023 Bedrock Vineyard Sémillon had subtle pear, citrus, and herb notes, with a medium-rich mouthfeel plus good acidity – this should develop nicely with cellaring. The 2023 Lost Row Syrah, from Napa Valley’s Stags Leap District, showed a savory herbal character along with both red and black fruit – still somewhat tight but showing good potential, it really needs more time in bottle. The 2021 Lost Row Syrah had an even more herbal profile, along with red fruit and a touch of pepper, with medium body and good structure.
Grand Scheme Wines
With an inaugural vintage of 2022, Grand Scheme was one of the newest labels at the event. Winemaker Tom Witczak and his wife Krissy own the one-acre estate Barnhouse Vineyard in Sonoma County’s cool-climate Carneros region – all of their wines are sourced from there. Tom poured me three wines at the tasting, and I liked all of them. Aged entirely in stainless steel, the 2023 Estate Chardonnay featured green apple and citrus aromas with herbal undertones, medium-light body, and fine acidity – tasty now but could use a bit more time to round out. The 2024 Rosé of Pinot Noir had strawberry and watermelon notes with hints of flowers and herbs, and a lively mouthfeel. From Pommard 4 and 115 clones, the 2023 Estate Pinot Noir had aromas of cherry, tea leaf, earth, and spice, with good acidity and fine tannins.
KALM Cellars
Kenny and Linda Strauss launched their KALM label with the 2023 vintage. Kenny’s parents’ small vineyard in the Calistoga area is the source of their fruit. Kenny is the winemaker, and has worked at noted wineries including Clos Pegase and Red Car. He poured two wines at the tasting and they were both standouts. The 2024 Calistoga Sauvignon Blanc featured bright grapefruit, fresh herb, and floral aromas, with medium-light weight on the palate and vibrant acidity – my favorite Sauvignon Blanc that I tasted at the event. Fermented with about 30% whole clusters, the 2023 Calistoga Petite Sirah had upfront dark berry fruit plus undertones of flowers and spice, with a fairly rich texture and plenty of structure but surprisingly refined tannins.
McCarter Cellars
Owner/winemaker Dennis McCarter grew up in Sonoma County and worked as a chef for a time before eventually starting his own winery. His first commercial vintage was in 2022 – he’s sourcing fruit from Sonoma County and he makes his wines in Santa Rosa. I enjoyed all of the wines I tried at this table, and had three favorites. The 2023 Balleto Vineyard Gewürztraminer from Russian River Valley had 24 hours of skin contact prior to pressing – this had classic Gewürz lychee, citrus, and floral aromas, with medium-light body and good acidity. I tasted two vintages of rosé – I liked the new 2024 vintage and it might be the better food wine of the two, but my pick was the 2023 “Pink•ish” Rosé of Pinot Noir for its upfront red fruit, watermelon, and floral notes with a pleasant mouthfeel. The 2022 Forchini Vineyard Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley had bright red fruit with a big savory herbal component, fine texture and juicy acidity, with a long flavorful finish.
Morét-Brealynn Wines
Owner/winemaker Morét Brealynn Chavez has worked in the California wine business since 2012, and she founded her label with the 2021 vintage. Her husband Adam Lee (Siduri, Clarice) consults with Morét on the winemaking, and the label has focused mainly on Pinot Noir. Both Morét and Adam were on hand to pour the wines. I thought one of the day’s best rosés was the 2024 Santa Lucia Highlands Rosé of Pinot Noir, which had some skin contact prior to pressing – it had bright red fruit, watermelon, and herb notes with just enough mild tannic texture to give it extra interest. The 2023 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, sourced from two vineyards, showed upfront black cherry fruit with floral undertones, medium body, and a tasty finish. The winery’s first Cab, the 2023 Sonoma Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, featured classic herbal aromas with black currant and darker fruit, spice, and a touch of mocha, medium-rich mouthfeel, and a structured finish – should develop nicely with 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. I enjoyed all of the wines that Jennie poured, with a few particular favorites. The 2024 “Elinor’s” Alder Springs Vineyard White Blend – 50% each Chenin Blanc and Picpoul Blanc – had citrus aromas with floral undertones and a vibrant texture. The winery’s first Pinot from the Santa Cruz Mountains, the 2023 “Ana’s” Gali Vineyard Pinot Noir featured savory herbal notes along with black cherry and tea leaf, with the structure for cellaring. The darker berry and herb character of the 2022 “Enedina’s” Fountaingrove District Petit Verdot displayed dark berry fruit and savory herbs plus hints of flowers and spice, with plenty of tannic grip for continued development.
