Huntington Beach is about to get a lot more festive for wine lovers. The California Wine Festival returns to the Paséa Hotel & Spa on Friday, Oct. 16, and Saturday, Oct. 17, bringing hundreds of California wines, craft beer, food samples and live music to the sand, according to California Wine Festival.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the weekend kicks off Friday with the Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting, a more intimate affair starting at 6:30 p.m. inside the Sapphire Ballroom at the hotel. As reported by the Orange County Register, that opening night runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and is built around rare, reserve and limited-production wines, with a sparkling wine reception, appetizers and live music rounding out the evening.
Saturday shifts the party outdoors for the Beachside Wine Festival, held in the Paséa Hotel's indoor/outdoor dining area from 1 to 4 p.m., per the Times. VIP ticket holders can arrive an hour early, at noon, for early entry and access to the VIP Pavilion, which offers reserve-level wines, gourmet bites and oceanfront seating, the Times reports.
Hundreds of Wines, Local Bites and Live Music
The festival's official site describes the Saturday event as pouring hundreds of premium California wines alongside regional craft brews and, in its words, “a dizzying variety of foods to sample,” according to California Wine Festival. Expect artisanal cheeses, breads, olive oil, shellfish, salads, chocolates and cakes, per the same source.
The Times reports that Beachside will feature pours from Barlow Vineyards, Dry Creek Vineyards, Lloyd Cellars and Priest Ranch, while local food purveyors and restaurants — including Cucina Alessa, Duke's Huntington Beach, Graze Craze Charcuterie Boards & Boxes, Jeni's Ice Cream and Miss Mini Donuts — will offer sample-sized artisan cheeses, seafood and desserts. The Register adds that wineries expected to pour include Adobe Road, Burtech Family Vineyard, Caymus Vineyards, Double Bound, Kubani Wines, Navarro, Trefethen Family Vineyards and Wilson Creek, among others.
Wine Country Names, Beach Town Setting
The festival showcases regional wines from Napa Valley, Sonoma and Paso Robles, the Times notes, bringing wine-country names to the Orange County coastline. Founded in Santa Barbara in 2004, per the Times' reporting, the California Wine Festival has expanded into a touring series that has also stopped at the Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa in Dana Point this spring.
Emily Kaufmann, executive director of the California Wine Festival, told the Times the Huntington Beach stop will welcome guests for “a vibrant weekend celebrating California wine culture by the ocean.” A news release quoted Kaufmann as saying the event brings together “exceptional wines, delicious food and an unforgettable coastal setting.”
Proceeds Benefit Special-Needs Sibling Programs
This fall's festival will benefit the Sandy Feet Initiative, an Orange County nonprofit that supports siblings of children with special needs, the Times reports. The organization provides beach-based programs including yoga and surfing, and the festival has partnered with Sandy Feet in the past. Over the years, the festival has also raised money for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, Surfrider Foundation and Golden Rule Charity, according to the Times.
Ticket pricing has varied in coverage of the event. The Register reports that tickets, available via Eventbrite, range from $85 to $300, while an earlier Times report on the festival's Dana Point stop this spring said Beachside Wine Festival tickets started at $85 with a two-day pass priced at $239. The festival's own site notes that ticket fees cover venue access and entertainment value, with food and beverage tastings taxed at a value of $25 included in that fee.
More details and tickets are available at californiawinefestival.com, according to the Times.
