Celebrating its 16th year in Paso Robles, with 50+ of California’s most innovative, micro-production wineries, events include a rare and reserve tasting at the stunning AVA hotel, a seminar exploring Italian grapes, California-style, and live music
America’s Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Wine Festival, returns to its birthplace in Paso Robles on November 6th and 7th with new venues, new digs, new winemakers, and a tasting seminar that explores the rise of Italian grape varieties in California.
More than 50 winemakers—including OG’s (Original Garagistes) and the next generation of garagiste producers—will pour 200+ premium wines from across Paso Robles 11 AVAs, and the Central Coast.
New venues this year include the luxurious AVA Hotel in the heart of downtown Paso Robles for the opening Rare & Reserve Tasting & Dinner, and new modern digs for the seminar, grand tasting, and after-party at the Estrella Hall at the Paso Event Center.
Tickets, now on sale at: Garagiste Wine Festival, are selling fast.
“At sixteen years of age, I think we can say that our festival, and the thousands of winemakers and attendees who have helped shape it, are solidly a part of California wine history — and of its future,” said Douglas Minnick, Garagiste Festival Co-founder. “We are proud to continue to help move California wines forward, especially in today’s challenging environment, by encouraging and showcasing OG, and brand-new, micro-production winemakers. We are grateful for the support of the Paso community over the past 16 years, as we look forward to the next 16 – and are especially excited about our new upgraded Paso venues.
Among the wineries pouring at the Paso festival are Garagiste Festival first-timers, including Clare Cellars, Grapestake Cellars, Silver River Vineyards, and William Robert Wines who will be sharing their wines side-by-side with a wide range of some of the best Paso and Central Coast-based small-production winemakers.
“Speaking of California wine history, our seminar this year focuses on Italian grapes, which have deep roots in California, going back 200+ years,” continued Minnick. “We have watched our winemakers increasingly experiment, and succeed, with famous, and not so famous Italian grapes over the years and are excited to bring this trend to the forefront during this year’s tasting seminar.”
“Let’s Taste Italian: An Exploration of Italian Grape Varieties Grown in Paso” explores how Italian grape varieties first arrived in California, how they have thrived and evolved in Paso Robles, and the rising trend among small production winemakers to plant, experiment – and succeed! – with Italian varieties from Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Aglianico to Montepulciano, Negroamoro, and more.
Moderated by Garagiste Co-founder Stewart McLennan, panelists include two of the regions most acclaimed wineries who have been producing Italian wines in Paso Robles for decades – Lukas Finn (Bella Luna Estates) and Janis Pelletier (Pelletier Estate Vineyards).
Dubbed “tasting nirvana,” “strange and wondrous,” and “one not to miss” by the LA Times and the festival that delivers “the WOW factor” by Paso Robles Daily News, the Garagiste Festival showcases under-the-radar, innovative, commercial winemakers who handcraft 1500 cases of wine, or less. It is the only wine festival that exclusively features high-quality wines from commercial California ‘garagiste**’ winemakers, and, 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.
Since its inception in 2011, proceeds from the Garagiste Wine Festivals have supported the Garagiste Festival Scholarship fund of the California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo Wine and Viticulture Department.
Event Line Up
Friday, November 6th The Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles kicks off at 6:30pm at the new luxurious Ava Hotel in downtown Paso Robles with the Rare & Reserve Tasting and Mediterranean-inspired Buffet Dinner featuring a one-of-a-kind opportunity to experience over 40 top of the line wines that rarely see the light of day including library, sneak peeks, club only, barrel samples, and vintage verticals.
Saturday, November 7th Festivities begin at 11:30am for VIP ticketholders with the seminar, “Let’s Taste Italian: An Exploration of Italian Grape Varieties Grown in Paso” moderated by Garagiste Co-founder Stewart McLennan.
The Grand Tasting follows, starting at 2pm (1pm for early access ticket holders) at the Paso Event Center (Estrella Hall) with over 50 winemakers pouring over 200 wines, as well as complimentary cheese and charcuterie from Vivant Cheese and local vendors including Truffles N’ Toffee, Butterly Brittles, Boccabella Farms Olive Oil, CS Creations, Thomadeb Publishing, and the Rogue Candle Company.
The popular “All Wine” Silent auction benefiting The Garagiste Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly SLO includes unique bottles and special offerings.
The day continues with the Keep It Rockin’ After Party from 5:30-8:30pm, featuring free beer, more wine, live music from Five Parts the Devil, and the opportunity to mingle with the winemakers. Food will be available for extra purchase.
Among the winemakers pouring at The Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles are: Absolution Cellars, Bella Luna Estate, Bodega de Edgar, Bon Niche Cellars, Boutz Cellars, Bushong Vintage Company, Cairjn Wine Cellars, Chateau Margene, Ciento Cellars, Clare Cellars*, Cloak & Dagger, Concur Wines, creekcut, CRUSH Vineyard, Cutbow Wines, Cutruzzola Vineyards, Cypher, Decemil Estate, Diablo Paso, Etnyre Wines, Grapestake Cellars*, Grosso Kresser, Hayseed & Housdon, iiwii Wines, Kaleidos Winery, Kiler Canyon Vineyard, kukkula, Landsby Wines, MCV Wines, Pelletiere Estate Vineyard, Red Door Ranch Vineyard, Resting Roots, Rockbound Cellars, Rúakh Wines, Saint K Wines, Silver River Vineyards*, Songs by Bodega de Edgar, Stilson Cellars, Ultima Tulie, V1no Juan and William Robert Wines*.
*First Time Garagiste Participant
Tickets are very limited for the Garagiste Festivals and always sell out. Tickets are available at: Garagiste Wine Festival.
For breaking Garagiste Festival news and special discounts, sign-up for our free newsletter, The Dirt, at https://www.garagistefestival.com/garagiste-blog or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook.
Sponsors include: WithWine, The Ava Hotel, Travel Paso, ETS Laboratories, G3 Enterprises, Glenn Burdette, Fortis Solutions Group, Laffort USA, MWWine School, New Times SLO, Adelaide Inn, Bellasera Hotel, Best Western Black Oak, La Quinta Inn & Suites, Allegretto Resort, Hampton Inn & Suites and The Courtyard Hotel Paso Robles.
For sponsorship info, email info(at)garagistefestival(dot)com.
For more information and full Garagiste Festival Paso Robles schedule details, go to: Paso Robles – November 2026 — Garagiste Wine Festival
