Do you always drink the same brands? Or are you like Marco Polo when it comes to wine tasting?
If you love seeking out new discoveries, don’t miss the California Wine Festival’s in Dana Point on April 22-23.
The festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with big taste-around events. Bottles are gathered from wine-making regions across California and paired with gourmet bites from local restaurants and vendors. There will be live entertainment and both locations will have ocean views.
“We aim to showcase what California is known for: the most picturesque strips of coastline globally, and world-class wines,” said Emily Kaufmann, executive director of the festival in an announcement. “At each festival, guests will get the same unrivaled experience.”
The festival consists of two parts. First there’s a Friday evening “Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting” that starts with a sparkling wine reception. Then festival-goers will be treated to hard-to-find trophy wines and tasting room exclusives of limited-production wines from Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and more. Local chefs will serve hot and cold appetizers. Each “Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting” overlooks the Pacific Ocean.
On Saturday the “Beachside Wine Festival” will present one-on-one conversations and tastings with experts from California’s top wineries and local restaurants. Hundreds of premium California wines and regional craft brews will be poured and paired with samples of artisanal cheeses, fresh-cut fruit, shellfish, salads, olive oils, chocolates and more goodies.
In Dana Point: Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting takes place on April 22 at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel; the Beachside Wine Festival will be held April 23 at Sea Terrace Community Park in Dana Point.
Tickets: Admission starts at $40. To purchase tickets, visit CaliforniaWineFestival.com.