We’ve live today from the Ava Hotel Paso Robles, Curio Collection by Hilton, the host hotel for the 16th Garagiste Wine Festival. We’re highlighting the Festival and meeting many of the participants.
“America’s Best Wine Festival, the Garagiste Wine Festival, returns to its birthplace in Paso Robles this Friday, November 6th and Saturday, November 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.”
“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 1,500 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.”
All of this and heaping helpings of extra deliciousness on this week’s not-to-miss show!
Sensorio in Paso Robles is California’s Largest Immersive Art Exhibition. General Manager Ryan Hopple is out guest to illuminate all that is Sensorio.
“Sensorio is a permanent outdoor art venue in Paso Robles that blends immersive light exhibits with local music, food, and wine. Founded in 2019, Sensorio was inspired by Ken and Bobbi Hunter’s visits to Butchart Gardens in Canada and Uluru in Australia.”
“The Hunters partnered with artist Bruce Munro after experiencing his Field of Light at Uluru, which they reimagined on their 386-acre hillside property. What began as a temporary exhibit is now a permanent destination, where guests stroll through illuminated landscapes, sip local wine, dine onsite, and relax to live music at the event stage. An evening at Sensorio is designed not just to be seen, but to be savored.”
“Sensorio continues to grow, with plans for a boutique hotel, conference center, cultivated gardens, and wellness retreat—expanding on its mission to connect art, nature and community.”
Casey McMinn is the Executive Chef of The Ava Hotel. We’ll meet him. Chef Casey McMinn leads the kitchen with passion, purpose, and deep local roots. A Central Coast native known for his soulful wood-fired cooking, McMinn has honed his craft at acclaimed restaurants like State Bird Provisions in San Francisco and The Hatch in downtown Paso.
“At EMRE, the signature dining experience at The Ava Hotel, he brings the vision to life through a Mediterranean-inspired menu anchored by whole grilled seafood, flame-kissed vegetables, and bold, made-from-scratch dishes meant to be shared and savored.” Chef Casey also oversees Esperanza on the Roof and Pine Street Bistro.
His leadership cultivates a collaborative, respectful kitchen culture, ensuring that each dish reflects both intention and heart.
“A simple smile can make someone’s day, an act of kindness is never forgotten, and the smallest of gestures can really lift someone’s spirits. These are the premises for founding Butterfly Brittles’ gifted treats. The simply indulgent gourmet brittles are timeless favorites re-engineered as delightfully coveted gifts to warm hearts, tantalize tastebuds, and brighten spirits.”
“Made with loving, artisan hands, all-natural and the finest of ingredients, Butterfly Brittles are prepared to perfection with just the right buttery and crunchy consistency. They source the finest and freshest ingredients from local suppliers to produce small batches of the highest quality, gluten and preservative-free artisan brittle varietals accented with flavorful flair and southern charm.”
Founder Ardie Hood puts down her candy thermometer to join us.
“Absolution Cellars specializes in limited-production, handcrafted, single-vineyard wines from select vineyards all throughout the beautiful Central Coast. With over 20 different varieties and wines made each year, you’ll find something to please every palate. Each wine that they craft is the best version of itself – a unique portrait of place and time, an honest expression of where and when the grapes were grown. Made for you to savor, enjoy, and share with your family and friends, as well as strangers, who may become one or both.”
“Dirk’s winemaking philosophy is to let the grapes, vineyards, and vintage speak. Wine can be unlike any other beverage in that regard, and that’s part of what makes it beautiful and unique. He partners with experienced owners and growers all over the Central Coast, allowing him access to a wide variety of grapes ideally situated to the vineyards where they are planted. His winemaking style leans more towards the Old World, while benefiting from the opportunities and creativity that the New World offers. The grapes are hand-sorted by cluster (with some whole-cluster inclusion on almost every red wine), destemmed, and sorted again by hand. Reds are fermented in 1-ton, open-top fermenters, and then aged for 16-40 months in neutral barrels. White and Rosés are gently pressed the same day as harvest and then fermented and aged 5 to 11 months in neutral barrels. All wines are cross-flow filtered prior to bottling.”
“The bottles are adorned with licensed artwork from Aja Trier of Sagittarius Gallery, with each piece connected to the wine by Dirk’s interpretation of the art. Bottles are finished simply with high-quality corks, eliminating the unnecessary waste of capsules or wax.”
Ava’s Sommelier, Vince McGranahan is WSET III. He supervises the wine list at the property’s three dining outlets as well as for functions.
He’s a 2021 Graduate from UCSB with a degree in Chemistry. Vince is also an aspiring wine and cider maker with six years of wine service and production. Certified cider maker through the Cider Institute of North America. Vince is quick witted and known for being able to think on his feet in unforeseen circumstances.
Vince joins us to pull the cork on the ambitious wine program at Ava.
“Boccabella’s 100% Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a locals favorite on the Central Coast. Owned by a chef and a former City girl (Johnny Jantz and Shaana,) Boccabella makes killer olive oil from olives grown with love. Olives are harvested at the peak of perfection, and those little guys are pressed into an unctuous, delicious extra virgin olive oil. Choosing an olive oil is like choosing your favorite wine. You have to taste it, savor it and appreciate it. Then, you pick what you like.”
“Boccabella offers two unique oils–a 100% Arbequina extra virgin olive oil, which is peppery, spicy and grassy, and a Field Blend extra virgin olive oil, a combination of Spanish and Italian varietals that is rich, buttery and fruity. Local farm. Local peeps. Delish olive oil. No pesticides or other funkiness.”
Owners Johnny Jantz and Shaana Rahman join us to talk Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
“The reality is our mutual love of preparing food with the freshest ingredients led us down this path.”
Owners – Johnny Jantz and Shaana Rahman