Garagiste Festival Announces 2013 Winemaker Dinner: "Undiscovered Treasures of California’s Central Coast"
Paso Robles, CA (PRWEB) September 25, 2013 -- The Garagiste Festival, the first and only festival dedicated to discovering and promoting artisan ‘garagiste*’ winemakers, today announced that Chef Charles Paladin Wayne will create the winemaker dinner for the third annual Garagiste Festival. The dinner, "Undiscovered Treasures of California’s Central Coast," kicks off the festival on Thursday November 7th, and highlights local producers, as well as garagiste winemakers who are pouring at the festival. The dinner will be held at a hidden gem of the Central Coast, the historic Carlton Hotel in Atascadero. Wineries featured at the dinner are Bodegas M, Caliza, Clos Solene, Cutruzzola, Paix Sur Terre and The Farm Winery.
"The Central Coast is a treasure trove of artisan winemakers, food producers, culinary artists and beautiful venues… but much of this remains undiscovered by those not in the know. The Garagiste Festival is all about bringing awareness to lesser known, small-lot artisan winemakers and our dinner this year reflects that credo on all levels," said Garagiste Festival Co-founder Doug Minnick. "Chef Charlie, who has long been renowned locally for the magic he creates from the area’s remarkable food producers, was instrumental in the success of our dinner last year, which was brilliantly chef’d by Ludo Lefebvre. This year, he is the perfect choice for our completely Central Coast line-up, featuring some of the region’s most exciting garagiste winemakers matched with six stunning courses, all served amidst the elegance of the historic Carlton Hotel."
Chef Charlie has been a chef on the Central Coast since 1983, working at numerous restaurants including Sea Venture, Olde Port Inn, Café Roma, Inn at Morro Bay, and Rhythm Creekside Café. He was one of the first chefs in the area to focus on creating menus from the emerging local artisan food movement, showcasing local organic produce, seafoods, cheeses and sustainably ranched meats; then, when there were only nine wineries in business in the area, expanding his focus to matching local foods with local wines. He created the first wine dinner in 1987 for Eberle and went on to serve as chef at several of the area's early flagship wineries, including Edna Valley, Justin Vineyards and Summerwood Winery, where he developed a following and a reputation as the go-to chef for creative and perfectly balanced food and wine pairings. Today, Chef Charlie is one of the area’s most in-demand event chefs, bringing his unique flair with local wines, foods and service to private events.
"My core belief as a chef is to utilize what is in your community’s backyard -- and we have such treasures in ours here on the Central Coast, many of which are often overlooked," said Chef Charlie. "I am excited to have the opportunity to bring attention to the richness of our region’s talent, produce and garagiste vintners in this locally-sourced dinner which will, in the true spirit of the garagistes, be completely hand-crafted, full of surprises, blessed with the joys of our unique ‘terroir,’ somewhat renegade and, I hope, completely delicious."
Undiscovered Treasures: The Producers
Among the many local foods and producers featured at the dinner will be Nick Ranch organic grass-fed beef; goat cheeses from Beverly Michaels at Alcea Rosea Farm; sheep's milk cheeses from Christine McGuire at Riconada Dairy; crème fraiche from Sadie Kendall; herbs and vegetables from Bill and Barbara Spencer at Windrose Farm, Colleen Childers at Blue Sky Gardens, and Ken Snokes at Santa Margarita Farms; olive oil from Olea Farms, and oysters from Niel Maloney at Morro Bay Oyster Company. Click here for the menu.
Undiscovered Treasures: The Carlton Hotel
A true hidden gem, built in 1928 and situated in downtown Atascadero, The Carlton Hotel was beautifully restored to its original splendor in 2005 and offers luxury accommodations in the heart of the Central Coast. The dinner will be held in the main dining room of The Carlton Hotel, which is a key sponsor of the 2013 Garagiste Festival. The hotel is offering a 10% discount to dinner and Festival guests. Please call 805-461-5100 and tell them you're with the Garagiste Festival.
Undiscovered Treasures: The Wines and Winemakers
Selected by a blind tasting panel for the dinner, the wines offer a diverse selection of some of the best of the Garagiste Festival.
• "2011 Bodegas M Albarino" - Bodegas M has been producing hand-crafted, top-quality Spanish varietals since 2007 and is one of the first producers of Albarino in California. The owner Michael Young and winemaker Alan Kinne spent many years in Spain’s most famous wine regions. Bodegas M is pouring at the Garagiste Festival for the third time this year.
• "2012 Caliza Kissin’ Cousins Rhone White Blend" - Caliza has been producing wines since 2006. Located in the Templeton Gap area of West Paso Robles, the winery originally sourced their grapes, but now produces mostly all-estate wines. Jeb Dunnuck of The Wine Advocate recently had this to say about Caliza: "This up-and-coming Paso Robles estate needs to be on everyone's radar. The wines are distinctly Paso and have fabulous concentration and richness, while staying beautifully drinkable."
• "2010 Cutruzzola Gloria Pinot Noir" - This is the second vintage for Cutruzzola and their second year at the festival winemaker dinner. Last year, Cutruzzola’s 2010 Riesling was featured alongside Chef Ludo’s Lemon Meringue Poppy Seed Crumble. The Cutruzzola vineyard is located in Cambria and planted to only 3.5 acres of Pinot Noir. Less than 150 cases of 2010 Gloria Pinot Noir were produced.
• "2011 Paix Sur Terre" - The Other One " Mourvedre" Paix Sur Terre (Peace on Earth) was launched in 2010 by Ryan and Nicole Pease with the goal of producing a portfolio of truly mineral driven Mourvedres that showcases both the terroir of Paso and the uniqueness of the varietal. Only 77 cases of "The Other One" were produced and it is already sold out.
• "2011 Clos Solene 'Hommage a nos Pairs' Syrah" - Recently featured in ‘The Wine Enthusiast’ as one of Steve Heimoff's top picks for "New Faces to Watch from Paso Robles," Guillaume Fabre founded his winery with his wife Solene in 2007 and also serves as assistant winemaker at the esteemed L'Aventure Winery. With only 100 cases produced, the grapes in the 2011 Hommage a nos Pairs Syrah come from the L'Aventure and Russel Family Vineyards. The wine also includes a bit of Fabre’s favorite white grape, Roussanne.
• "2009 'The Big Game' (Syrah / Cabernet / Cab Franc Blend) The Farm Winery" - Nestled in the Westside hills of Paso Robles, and listed as one of "Four to Watch" by the Wine Spectator this year, The Farm Winery was launched in 2009 by Jim and Azmina Madsen and Santiago and Mercedes Achaval. Winemaker Santiago Achaval is known throughout the world for crafting some of the very finest Malbecs in Argentina today. Fewer than 100 cases of the 2009 Big Game were produced and it is usually only available to mailing list members.
The 2013 Garagiste Festival takes place over four days from November 7th – 10th in Paso Robles and includes The Opening Round Tasting, "Shiners, Samples & Secrets" Winemaker Mixer, Wine Tasting Seminars, the Grand Tasting, an After Party and a symposium for aspiring winemakers. The main event will again be held at Windfall Farms, while specialized events will take place at other Paso Robles venues, including the Pavilion on the Lake in Atascadero. For the full festival line-up, click here.
The Garagiste Festival offers limited numbers of tickets to preserve the quality of the experience, and always sells out. To purchase tickets for Undiscovered Treasures of the Central Coast, click here (or go to http://californiagaragistes.com/buy-tickets/). For The Garagiste Festival updates and news, sign-up for The Dirt at http://garagistefestival.com/sign-up/. Or follow us on Twitter (@GaragisteFest) or Facebook. For more information on The Garagiste Festivals, go to http://garagistefestival.com.
2013 Gargiste Festival sponsors include Baker Wine & Grape Analysis, The Carlton Hotel, Distinctive Glassware, Glenn Burdette, Farm Credit West, G3 Enterprises, KCBX, KCOY, KSBY, KRUSH92.5, La Quinta Hotel, Laffort USA, mWEBB Communications, The Paso Oaks Hotel, PRWCA, Scott Labs, Stolzle Glassware, Travel Paso, Vineyard and Winery Management Magazine, Vinsource, Vintner's Vault, Windfall Farms and Wines & Vines.
*Garagistes (gar-uh-zhē-stuh) is a term originally used in the Bordeaux region of France to denigrate renegade small-lot wine makers, sometimes working in their "garages" (anything considered not a chateau), who refused to follow the "rules," and is now a full-fledged movement responsible for making some of the best wine in the world.
About The Garagiste Festivals
The Garagiste Festivals (http://www.garagistefestival.com) are the first and only wine festivals dedicated to the undiscovered and under-recognized artisan ‘garagiste’ producers who are making some of the best, most exciting, handcrafted small-lot production wines in the world. Founded by fellow garagistes Stewart McLennan and Douglas Minnick, the Garagiste Festivals are committed to discovering the best and most innovative limited-production winemakers and promoting and showcasing them to a broad audience of discerning wine consumers. In addition to its flagship annual festival in Paso Robles, CA, the Garagiste Festival line-up includes Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure, featuring Santa Ynez Valley garagistes; garagiste mini-tastings presented from So Cal to Tahoe; winemaker dinners, a newsletter, garagiste profiles and more. Named one of the "Top Nine Incredible Epicurean Vacations" by ABC News**, Garagiste Festivals are produced by Garagiste Events, a non-profit dedicated to furthering the education of future winemakers and those training for employment within the wine industry. Proceeds from the festivals are donated to the Cal Poly Wine and Viticulture Program.
**ABC News Online, May 31, 2012: http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/amazing-foodie-adventures/story?id=16466702#8
Media Contacts:
mWEBB Communications for The Garagiste Festivals
Melanie Webber, melanie(at)mwebbcom(dot)com, 424-603-4340
Elizabeth Johnson, elizabeth(at)mwebbcom(dot)com, 213-713-4865
Crystal Hartwell, mWEBB Communications, +1 (714) 987-1016, [email protected]
Share this article