Depending on which winemaker you ask, 1,500 cases of wine may seem like a lot — or a little. For the major wineries that make upward of 500,000 cases per year, it’s merely a drop in the wine barrel.

For others, like winemaker Bart Hansen, 1,500 cases is more than double what he makes. That’s why his wines are perfect for the upcoming Garagiste Festival on April 30 at the Sonoma Veterans Memorial Hall.

Launched in Paso Robles in 2011, with satellite events in Sonoma County since 2018, the Garagiste Festival invites winemakers who produce 1,500 cases of wine or fewer per year to share their wines with consumers at the one-day event. Hansen, who previously made medium- to large-production wines for Kenwood Vineyards and Benziger Family Winery, now makes just 625 cases under his own label, Dane Cellars.

“When you work at a large winery, you understand the importance of producing a consistent product for consumers every year,” Hansen said. “You’re always looking at previous vintages to see where you need to go. With small-production wines, I can fully embrace the diversity of each vintage and make the wines I truly want to make.”

Coined in Bordeaux, France, in the early 1990s, the term garagiste was given to rebellious winemakers who were fed up with the region’s strict, centuries-old rules for winemaking. Rather than adhere to tradition, these adventurous men and women made small lots of uncharacteristically robust wines in garages, warehouses and anywhere else they wanted. Threatened by this novel way of making wine, the traditionalists called these turncoat winemakers garagistes. While the term was intended to insult, it was eventually a badge of honor to those who took pride in going rogue.

The Garagiste Festival was inspired by the pluck of these independent French winemakers and their determination to forge a new, creative path. While American winemakers don’t face the same stylistic limitations many French winemakers do, they do share the burden of needing a cash flow.

Winemaker Perri Haughwout, who produces about 100 cases of wine for her micro-winery, Perri Jaye Vineyards, funds the small label by selling the pinot noir grapes she grows in her 2.6-acre vineyard. Winemaking is a passion project she took up later in life, and she only reserves a small lot of the fruit for herself.

“I am not driven by aspirations of fame and fortune. I just want to showcase my beautiful vineyard and the special wine it produces,” Haughwout said.

“When you are as tiny as I am and you don’t have access to a tasting room, the Garagiste Festival is a great opportunity to connect with consumers who are looking for small wine gems. I feel like I fit right in.”

At the Garagiste Festival, the wines are poured by the winemakers themselves, which lends an air of intimacy to the wine tastings and encourages dialogue among the winemakers and attendees. Great varietal diversity is nearly always present, so there is plenty of opportunity to expand your palate and try something new.

The red wines average no more than $45 a bottle, and there is nary a limo or bachelorette party in sight. What you will find, however, are limited-production wines you can’t taste anywhere else.

“There is a real sense of community at the Garagiste Festival, “ said Hansen, who also hosts the popular wine-centric podcast, The Winemakers. “I’ve had people who listen to my podcast come up to me and introduce themselves. For me, that builds connection.”

Downtown Forestville spans only three blocks along Front Street and the town’s population is a tiny 3,761. But lately, chefs have been taking note of the quaint burg, setting up exciting new restaurants next to the classic favorites. Here are five to visit. (Click through the above gallery to see some favorite dishes.)

A La Heart Kitchen

Deborah Rodgers opened her catering business in Duncans Mills in 1982 and moved to Santa Rosa’s Railroad Square in 1991. This spring, her daughter, Mariana Krambs Belew, relocated the shop to downtown Forestville and expanded it into a café.

The charming enterprise offers premium picnic groceries and grab-and-go meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. “You come in, check out the fridge and see what looks good today,” Belew says. That might be everything, since the daily changing menu tempts with mouthwatering specialties like bacon and shrimp hush puppies, biscuits and sausage gravy, chile cheese cornbread, chicken and tofu satay with peanut sauce and Tuscan chicken with sour cream mashed potatoes and cauliflower gratin. Save room for cheesecake with pecan praline sauce.

6490 Mirabel Road, Forestville, 707-527-7555, alaheart.com

Sonoma Pizza Co.

So close, we can taste it… The former pizza pop-up has landed a brick-and-mortar setup in the former Jigar’s wine tasting room space and is hiring pizzaiolos, prep cooks and service experts. That means we’ll soon be devouring lots of great, wood-fired stuff, like a Pizza Margherita loaded with creamy fior de latte and mozzarella; a Nirvana pie topped with Ezzo Supreme pepperoni, Grana Padano, basil, ricotta and hot honey; and a Bianca Fun Guy smothered in local mushrooms, housemade roasted garlic crema, charred kale, mozzarella and Grana Padano.

For an edible adventure, try the Bora Bora piled with organic pulled pork, charred pineapple, beer battered onions, Bachan’s Japanese ginger-mirin barbecue sauce, mozzarella and Grana Padano. You can get gluten-free dough and/or vegan cheeses and plant-based meats, too.

6615 Front St., Forestville, sonomapizzaco.com

Gerard’s Paella Catering

Chef Gerard Nebesky famously beat star chef Bobby Flay in a Food Network paella throwdown in 2008. He also turned his successful catering business into a Santa Rosa restaurant, shuttering it after COVID-19 set in. Now he’s back, working on a new bistro in the former Twist location. He called in with this report: “I’m setting up for the first Coachella since the pandemic and I said I feel a little rusty…..then someone yells … ‘we’re all rusty together.’ Ugh, so true.”

After fixing up the Forestville space, Nebesky’s been doing tastings there for weddings and other events. On periodic Fridays, he has been offering take-and-bake paella. “As the season calendar fills in and stabilizes, we will have more announcements on how to get paella to the people,” he promises.

6536 Front St., Forestville, 707-874-2711, gerardspaella.com

Canneti Roadhouse Italiana

Francesso Torre learned to cook in his grandmother’s kitchen, while growing up in the Tuscan coastal town of Massa, Italy. One of his favorite feasts was – and still is – tordelli, large raviolis stuffed with meat and a touch of cinnamon. As a teenager, one of his first jobs was working with chef Giuseppina Moscaat at her Michelin two-star Il Bottaccio in Montignoso.

Since opening Canneti  in 2013, Torre puts his own California accents on his Italian cuisine. It takes a full day of slow simmering to make his Bolognese, he makes his own fennel salame, focaccia and even olive oil, and wows with signature dishes like steamed savoy cabbage rolls stuffed with handmade whole milk ricotta over San Marzano tomato cream and crispy capers.

6675 Front St., Forestville, 707-887-2232, cannetiroadhouse.com

La Rosa Market and Taqueria

Founded by Rosa and Pedro Lepehernandez nearly two decades ago, this cozy gem delights with sturdy, savory staples like chile rellenos stuffed with tons of gooey Jack under a mantle of more cheese; a pork chile verde burrito plump with veggies, beans, rice, cheese, sour cream, guacamole and salsa; and delectable shrimp sautéed in butter, garlic, onion and bell pepper, served with rice, black beans and warm tortillas.

Go for the street tacos, as well – an order of four lets you choose two types of meat (we love the carnitas and the tender lengua). Bonus: you can sip wine and beer with your meal.

6555 Front St., Forestville, 707-887-8741, la-rosa-market.com