Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure returns to Solvang with 30 winemakers
Event returns Feb. 7-8
– The Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure will return to Solvang on Feb. 7 and 8, featuring over 30 micro-production winemakers from the Santa Barbara and Central Coast regions. Highlights include a Grand Tasting of more than 150 ultra-premium wines, a “Rare and Reserve” tasting, and a Q&A session with the authors of “Sideways Uncorked.”
The festival, in its 11th year, will be held at the Veterans’ Memorial Hall on Mission Street in Solvang. New wineries participating this year include Beckerschild Wines, Exprimere Wine, Pars Fortuna, Sapien Wines, Tabalipa Wine Co., and Winespread Panic Wines.
The event kicks off on Friday, Feb. 7, with a “Rare & Reserve” tasting. This showcase will feature limited Club-Only, Library, and Pre-Release bottles, paired with a Cajun-inspired buffet by Clean Slate Wine Bar and desserts from Solvang Bakery.
On Saturday, Feb. 8, the Grand Tasting will feature 30 winemakers pouring their latest releases, along with cheese and charcuterie from Cailloux Cheese Shop, a silent wine auction, and the classic Garagiste Festival wine glass.
Weekend pass holders can attend a pre-event Q&A session with Mira and Kurt Honeycutt, authors of “Sideways Uncorked,” which will include a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic wine film “Sideways” and a tasting of a Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir. Pass holders will also receive early access to the Grand Tasting, a wine country lunch from Panino, and desserts from My Mama’s Macarons.
The full 2025 Garagiste Festival lineup also includes:
- The Garagiste Festival: Northern Exposure in Sonoma on April 26.
- The Garagiste Festival: Urban Exposure in Los Angeles on June 21.
- The original Garagiste Festival in Paso Robles on Nov. 7 and 8.
“Santa Barbara County was the first wine region the Garagiste Festival expanded to in 2012 and is one of the most vibrant winemaking areas in the world,” said Douglas Minnick, co-founder of the Garagiste Festival. “Over the years, we have showcased hundreds of micro-production wineries that are at the heart and soul of the California wine world. Most of these wineries do not have tasting rooms, and for many, the festival is their first time pouring for the public.”
Minnick added that this year’s Southern Exposure event pays tribute to the 20th anniversary of “Sideways,” the film that brought global attention to Santa Ynez wine country.
The Garagiste Festival exclusively features winemakers producing fewer than 1,500 cases per year. Wineries scheduled to pour at the Southern Exposure festival include Absolution Cellars, Bocce Ball Wine, Cote of Paint, Dana V. Wines, and others. A complete list is available at garagistefestival.com.
The festival supports the Garagiste Festival Scholarship Fund at Cal Poly’s Wine and Viticulture Department.
A new Garagiste Tasting Pass is also available, offering two-for-one tastings at nearly 80 artisan wineries across California and discounts to the festival’s annual events.
Tickets for the Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure are limited and expected to sell out. For tickets and more information, visit https://www.my805tix.com/e/garagiste-solvang-2025. Updates and special discounts are available through the free newsletter, “The Dirt,” at garagistefestival.com or via Twitter (@GaragisteFest) and Facebook.
