EATING OUT

eating out by tony reverditto Cheers

TO THE CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL

ENJOY DRINKS, FOOD AND MUSIC AT THE BIGGEST WINE FEST UNDER THE SUN

As Southern California continues to open up after a two-year hiatus, the California Wine Festival (CWF) is back, and promises to be better than ever. Voted one of theTop 10 festivals in the U.S., the CWF will return to Dana Point with the oceanfront tasting events taking place on Friday, April 22 and Saturday, April 23.

Guests will indulge in tastings of more than 200 wines from across California, combined with gourmet food selections from some of Orange County’s fine dining restaurants accompanied by lifestyle exhibits, live entertainment and those incomparable coastal views.

On Friday evening, the festivities will begin with a Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting at a new oceanfront location, the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel. This intimate experience is specifically geared towards enthusiastic wine lovers. A sparkling-wine reception will kick off the festivities with samplings of hard-to-find trophy wines as guests arrive. Tasting room exclusives and limitedproduction wines hailing from vineyards based in California’s most illustrious wineproducing regions will take center stage during the tasting extravaganza. Renown chefs from the Dana Point area will serve hot and cold appetizers crafted to pair with the showcased world-class wines. Guests can participate in a silent auction, which includes unusual wines, tasting tours and dining certificates.

Proceeds will benefit the Sandy Feet Initiative, an organization that supports siblings of children with special needs, through instructional and safe beach days. The festival will also benefit The Surfrider Foundation of South Orange County, whose mission is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s ocean and beaches.

“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,” said Emily Kaufmann, executive director of the California Wine Festival.

On Saturday, the Beachside Wine Festival will be at Sea Terrace Park. The afternoon event will include culinary education and exploration with one-on-one conversations and tastings with culinary and wine experts hailing from California’s top wineries and local restaurants. Attendees can choose from hundreds of premium California wines and regional craft brews. Superb wines can be paired with a plethora of small bites such as artisanal cheeses, breads, fresh-cut fruit, shellfish, salads, decadent chocolate and cakes.

Sponsors will include Total Wine & More, the “Official Glass Sponsor,’’ hosting the special pavilion featuring a selection of international wines. Icelandic Glacial will return as “Official Water Sponsor” and Lloyd Cellars as the “Official Stage Sponsor.” Sponsors will include Doubletree Suites by Hilton Doheny Beach, Compass, and Welk Resorts.

Some of the sponsors will host interactive activities during the Beachside Wine Festival. Another option is to stop by the Celebrity Cruises booth to sample Jackson Family Wines and learn about new destinations and itineraries, as well as the opportunity to win an Alaska cruise for two. Alternatively, in gratitude for the winemakers and winery owners working at the event, Gold sponsor Shopify will host a Winemaker Oasis in which pourers can take a breather throughout the day to grab food, water or a soothing massage.

The festival will highlight rare and reserve vintages, as well as popular pours from

California’s best vineyards based in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and beyond. Participating wineries will 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.

South Orange County restaurants will serve tasty appetizers to accompany the wine selections. They include 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.

Friday’s Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting will feature live entertainment from Kalina & Kiana, a songwriting pop duo who have opened for Justin Bieber and The Bangles. Saturday’s Beachside Wine Festival will feature Upstream, SoCal’s premier live reggae, calypso, soca and steel drum band.

californiawinefestival.com

TIME FOR MORE WINE

CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL – CARLSBAD Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21

The quintessential California wine tasting experience — sun, sea, food, wine and music — all comes together at this sun-splashed wine fest overlooking lush rolling hills with the shimmering Pacific beyond at the beautiful Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf Club & Spa in north San Diego County.

CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL - SANTA BARBARA Friday and Saturday, July 15 and 16

This is CWF’s signature wine event. Thousands of wine lovers will pour into Santa Barbara’s sun-splashed beachside location for a day of sun, sea, wine, food and music. Oenophiles will find hundreds of fine wines and regional craft brews as well as a dizzying variety of foods to sample.

CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL - HUNTINGTON BEACH Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12

CWF’s final event of 2022 will take place at Paséa Hotel & Spa overlooking the beaches of Huntington Beach. A live band will keeps the beat for this all-day feast for the senses where wine and food are king and queen.