Vintners event that started in Paso Robles in 2011, comes to Solvang for the 11th time
Wine lovers looking for vintages off the beaten path had plenty of small-production wines to sample in Solvang on Feb. 8, as the Veterans Memorial Hall hosted the 11th annual Garagiste Wine Festival: Southern Exposure.
The event had 31 wineries set up inside the building, all of which offer the best of limited-production wines on the Central Coast.
The Garagiste Festival premiered in Paso Robles in 2011 and is the only wine festival that exclusively features high-quality wines from commercial California “garagiste” winemakers. Unlike other festivals, the wines are poured by the winemakers/owners themselves, offering a rare opportunity to interact with the creative forces behind the wines, while making brand new wine discoveries. The festival expanded to the Santa Ynez Valley in 2013 to highlight the wines of Santa Barbara County and surrounding AVAs, as well as small production wineries from across California.
With that all set up at the Veterans Memorial Hall, wine connoisseurs got to get face-to-face with many small winemakers explaining their creations.
Like BeckersChild Wines, which has found popularity with its Black Widow vintage.
“We have experimented with many varietals, but this Black Widow is our most profitable right now,” said co-owner Greg Becker, who talked about his how he came up with his creation. “It came to the point I hit something that made it silky smooth; the material I use to make it almost has the texture of a Fruit Roll-Up”
Also on hand was Kristin Fione, founder of Adarato Wines. Fione along with many of the other vintners in the building, does her wine business as a side gig.
“I work in the entertainment business, so a small-production operation like this is perfect for me,” she said.
Growing up outside Philadelphia, Fione eventually made her way to California, and then developing a passion for winemaking. She appreciates the chance to come to events like these.
“It’s just a chance to try small wines, and compare the different tastes,” she said. “It’s an amazing source, and I get a great reception when I come out here. And I like to show everyone that Central Coast wines are the best.”
Another winemaker at the festival represents Solvang, as she just opened a tasting room in town. Anna Lancucki runs Final Girl Wines along with her husband Peter. Although she said she was inspired by the Meg Ryan rom-com “French Kiss” to become a winemaker, it’s the couples love of horror movies that brings the winery products their theme.
“We just love the horror movies, and in each one there’s always one girl remaining who fights the bad guy and survives, so we named the company ‘Final Girl,'” said Anna, who was wearing a T-shirt of the movie “Scream.” “It’s just our way to keep it fun; I like to take out the pretentiousness and make it less serious.”
That sense played out at the Final Girl table which included a skull candle and all sorts of other horror memorabilia.
Although, it was a wine festival, there were other kinds of vendors also, like Shaana Rahman, who was selling her Boccabella Olive Oil from her San Miguel farm.
“We visited San Miguel and saw the farm, and I decided we had to move there and buy the farm,” said Rahman, who owns the business with her husband Johnny Jantz. “Making the olive oil is a lot like winemaking. You’re taking things off the vine and making a delicious product out of it.”
Also, at the festival was Mira Honeycutt, the wine columnist from the Santa Ynez Valley Star’s sister publications in Paso Robles. Her and her husband Kirk Honeycutt have authored a book, “Sideways Uncorked,” about the making of the memorable movie that spotlighted the Valley’s wine scene.
Wineries participating in this year’s Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure included Absolution Cellars, Adorato Wines, Beckerschild Wines, Bocce Ball Wines, Cote of Paint Wine, Decemil Estate Wines, Detente Wines, Diablo Paso, Dusty Nabor Wines, El Vinero Wines, End of the Day Wines, Etnyre Wines, Exprimere Wines, Final Girl Wines, Fuil Wines, Kaleidos Wines, Mastro Scheidt, MCV Wines, Montagne Russe, Pars Fortuna Wine, RF Fine Wines, Sapien Wines, Slouch Hat Wines, Stiekema Wine Co., Sycamore Ranch, Tabalipa Wine Co., Tomi Cellars, Trois Le Fou, Vigo Cellars, Winespread Panic Cellars, and Zanoli Wines.
The Solvang stop is the first for the Garagiste Festival in 2025. Organizers have scheduled events for April (in Sonoma), June (in Los Angeles), and November (in Paso Robles). For more information on the festival, and its 2025 schedule, go to garagistefestival.com.
