The two-day festival of wines, craft beer and food is April 22-23. The corks first come off with a Friday evening sparkling wine reception at the Ritz Carlton Laguna Niguel and continues with the main tasting at Sea Terrace Community Park in Dana Point.
“We are thrilled to be back in Dana Point where guests can enjoy the sunshine and stunning coastal views while sipping delicious wine as live music is playing. That is what California is all about,” says Emily Kaufmann, Executive Director of the California Wine Festival.
The main event is known as the Beachside Wine Festival and features more than 100 wines from wineries in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and more. . Notable wineries attending include: Adobe Road Winery, Austin Hope Winery, Barlow Vineyards, Bernardus Winery, Carol Shelton Wines, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Ehret Winery, Frisby Cellars Winery, Goldschmidt Vineyards, Lloyd Cellars, Navarro Vineyards, Prager Winery & Port Works, Russian River Vineyards and Sojourn Cellars.
Beer lovers are certainly not left out as several Southern California breweries will be pouring craft beer samples.
There are also gourmet appetizers from South Orange County restaurants, including Beachfire Bar & Grill, Brio Tuscany Grille, Gino Angelini Authentic Italian Sauces, Goufrais Southern CA, Kerrygold USA, Gemmell’s Restaurant, Mahogany Smoked Meat, Mozambique, Skyloft Laguna Beach, Waterman’s Harbor, Trevor’s at the Track, Schwack Beach Bar & Grill and Shuck Brothers.
Additionally, artisanal cheeses, breads, olive oil, fresh-cut fruit, shellfish, salads, decadent chocolate, cakes and more, are at the festival.
There is also live entertainment at both events. Friday’s Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting is from Kalina & Kiana, a songwriting pop duo that has opened for Justin Bieber and The Bangles. On Saturday, music is provided by the band Upstream, which plays reggae, calypso, soca and the steel drums.
Friday’s stylish event, called the Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting, makes its home at a new location and is an intimate experience for dedicated wine lovers. A sparkling wine reception begins the evening of sampling hard-to-find trophy wines and offers tasting room exclusives and limited-production wines hailing from vineyards based in California’s most illustrious wine producing regions. Top chefs from the Dana Point area will serve hot and cold appetizers to pair with the world-class wines served at the tasting.
There is also a silent auction involving exotic wines, tasting tours and dining certificates. Proceeds from this auction will benefit Sandy Feet Initiative, an organization dedicated to recognizing and supporting siblings of children with special needs, through instructional and safe beach days. The festival itself will also benefit The Surfrider Foundation of South Orange County.
The California Wine Festival is a 21+ event. Tickets are $105 in advance and $145 on site for Friday’s Reserve Tasting and $119 and $140 for Saturday’s Beachside Festival. Note: the latter is expected to sell out well in advance of the event.
They can be purchased here on Eventbrite.
The event’s website, which has information on other festivals in the state, is California WineFestival.com.
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