Written By Jeannette Montgomery Libations / Okanagan / Wine Festivals Aug 14, 2014 Garagiste North: Small Guys Wine Festival Sept 14 SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter PinterestThe term ‘garagistes’ was born in the 1990s, referring to a renegade group of winemakers flying under the appellation radar. They chose to make vins de garage (garage wine) that didn’t fit within traditional taste expectations of Bordeaux, and they soon gained a cult following. The term has evolved, and is now used to describe unique small wine producers. We have the opportunity to celebrate our own Okanagan garagistes with Garagiste North: the Small Guys Wine Festival on September 14.Organized by garagiste-winery owner Terry Meyer-Stone (of Anarchist Mountain Vineyard) and Jennifer Schell, it’s the first event of its kind in BC. “Terry had the idea of holding a small guys wine festival in the Okanagan,” says Schell. “And we kind of ran with it.” It’s an international movement, with festivals around the world celebrating smaller wine producers – including in Napa and South Africa.Garagiste North differs from larger wine events in that the focus is on small producers. “These winemakers don’t have tasting rooms. Or they’re winemakers at larger wineries but they also have their own, smaller label.” It’s a departure from the common wine festival theme where hundreds gather in a convention-centre-style room and line up for tastings. “”We’ll only have about 20 wineries,” explains Schell. “There’s time to talk to the winemakers.” They hope attendance is strong, but Schell doesn’t anticipate a floodgate of people in the event’s first year – which fits with the smaller scale vibe. “If we get 200 people to attend, that will be awesome.”The event will be held at Meyer Family Vineyards in Okanagan Falls – it’s not a garagiste winery, but the Meyer family hold similar values and echo the spirit of independent winemaking in much of what they produce: Meyer’s winemaker Chris Carson has his own label and will be participating in the festival. Other tasty sips include Bella Wines, Black Cloud Wine, Lariana Cellars, and more micro-wineries yet to be discovered by wine enthusiasts. “We’ll probably attract a slightly more wine-knowledgeable crowd,” says Schell.Tickets for Garagiste North are $40 plus tax, and include wine samples and small bites. Advance purchase is strongly suggested as tickets might not be available at the gate, and you could miss out on some of the best wines you may not have even heard of…yet. SHARE VIA: Facebook Twitter Pinterest Written By: Jeannette Montgomery Jeannette is EAT's Okanagan writer.\r\n\r\nWith her rural Canadian roots and love of grand experiences, Jeannette is equal \r\n\r\nmeasures country and city. Since moving from Vancouver to the Okanagan in 2007, \r\n\r\nshe quit ... Read More You may also like Events / Food News / Places April 28, 2021 CITY EATS May|June 2021 At press time, restaurants, pubs, bars and food courts remain closed for indoor dining. One silver lining is that the weather is warming up and more ... Read More Food Events / Food News September 18, 2019 EAT Buzz Up-Island & Tofino September|October 2019 The Buzz Up-Island It’s high time for festival season! I anticipate this time of the year all year long when fresh produce is in abundance, ... Read More Food Events / Food News July 3, 2019 EAT Buzz Up-island & Tofino July|August 2019 The Buzz Up-island July 2019 “First we EAT, then we do everything else”(M.K.Fisher) – at least I do anyway. Never short of ... Read More Events / Food News / Places June 27, 2019 City EATS July|August 2019 Summertime means eating al fresco, whether on one of our city’s many lovely outdoor patios or packing a picnic and heading to a park or ... Read More Events / Food News / Places May 3, 2019 City EATS May 2019 Summer is on the way! This seems like a good time to remind you about Victoria’s incredible small batch ice cream and frozen treat makers, just in ... Read More Events / Food News / Places May 3, 2019 The Buzz Tofino May 2019 16th Tofino Food & Wine Festival — 20 top chefs, 75 wineries and 21 breweries to indulge on June 7th – 9th. Friday kicks off The Cocktail ... Read More Comments are closed.
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