NAPA VALLEY: THE ORIGINAL
Napa has earned its reputation. Highway 29 is lined with legendary estates, manicured vineyards, serious architecture, and a whole lot of Cabernet.

There’s history everywhere you look, and people come from all over the world to experience it. Tastings tend to be a little more buttoned-up, reservations are the norm, and you can easily spend an entire weekend eating and drinking extremely well.

But Napa isn’t all white tablecloths and hushed tasting rooms. Head north to Calistoga and things loosen up a bit. That’s one of the reasons we planted Tank there in the first place.

The mood: Iconic vineyards, old-school Napa, killer restaurants, mountain roads and the occasional weird little gas station winery.

The crowd: Wine nerds, first-timers, collectors, weekend escapees and people celebrating something.

PASO ROBLES: A LITTLE MORE WILD
Drive south on the 101 and things start to spread out.

Paso is rolling golden hills, oak trees, ranches, dusty roads, and a wine scene that still feels like it has something to prove. There’s less ceremony and a lot of experimentation.

You’ll find serious Cabernet next door to Rhône blends, funky small-production wines, breweries, cideries, and somebody making something you’ve probably never heard of.

Nobody seems too worried about whether it fits neatly into a box.

We like that.

The mood: Hot days, cold nights, pickup trucks, loud music and fewer dress codes.

The crowd: Road-trippers, winemakers, industry folks, wine geeks, and people who’d rather talk about what tastes good than what they’re supposed to taste.

NAPA VALLEY

Let’s not overcomplicate this: Napa makes some seriously good Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cab is the headliner, but you’ll also find Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and plenty of other varieties scattered throughout the valley.

The combination of warm days, cooler nights, and a patchwork of soils and microclimates gives winemakers a lot to work with. Napa wines are often built around structure, depth, and the ability to age.

What to expect: Cabernet, polished reds, serious cellar potential and wines with a sense of place.

If Napa were a car, it’d be something vintage that somebody spent way too much money restoring.

And you’d still want to drive it.

PASO ROBLES

Paso has a much bigger sandbox.

Cabernet is huge here too, but so are Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre and Zinfandel. Rhône varieties have especially found a home in Paso, and the region’s dramatic swings between hot days and cool nights can produce wines with plenty of ripeness without completely losing their freshness.

The fun part is what happens after the grapes get into the cellar.

Paso has a strong culture of blending, experimenting, and generally not giving a shit whether something fits into a traditional category.

What to expect: Big reds, Rhône varieties, unconventional blends, and plenty of surprises.

NAPA VALLEY

Start heading north.

Calistoga sits at the top of Napa Valley and has always moved at its own pace. Hot springs, old motels, mountain views, dive bars, and a little less polish than you’ll find farther down-valley.

And, conveniently, our original garage is there.
Tank Garage Winery Calistoga lives inside a restored 1930s gas station. Pull up for a tasting, and we’ll take you through the latest Tank releases, one-off blends and small-production wines while the stereo does its thing.

Afterward, find some tacos, grab a burger, wander downtown, or keep cruising.

PASO ROBLES
Our second garage landed in Paso for a reason.
The region has the same experimental streak that got Tank started in the first place. At Tank Garage Winery Paso Robles, you’ll find the same weird wines, loud labels, and no-BS approach we brought to Calistoga, just a few hundred miles farther south.

While you’re in town, hit Tin City, where wineries, breweries, cideries and food spots have taken over a former industrial area.

Then head downtown. The square is surrounded by restaurants, bars, and tasting rooms, making it dangerously easy to turn “one more stop” into four.

Go to Napa if you want legendary vineyards, Cabernet, killer food, and a wine region with decades of history behind it.

Go to Paso if you want to explore, get a little weird, drink Rhône varieties and blends, and spend the day bouncing between places without much of a plan.

Or do what we did.
Pick both.

Two garages. Two wine countries. Plenty of trouble to get into.

Pull up to Tank Garage Winery in Calistoga or Paso Robles and taste for yourself.