by tony reverditto
I have been to many wine and food festivals over the years and the California Wine Festival is definitely my favorite, with access to hundreds of premium California wines and regional craft brews. California’s 20 year old premier wine festival returns to Huntington Beach for two days of oceanfront tasting events on Friday, November 10 and Saturday, November 11. Per usual, guests will sample pours from world-class winemaking regions from across the Golden State, paired with delicious small bites from many of Orange County’s top restaurants. The event also highlights lifestyle exhibitors, live entertainment and coastal views of Surf City USA’s award-winning beaches.
The posh Paséa Hotel & Spa Friday evening festivities kick off with a Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting. This is an intimate experience for dedicated wine connoisseurs and those aspiring to become one. A sparkling wine reception begins the evening of sampling hard-to-find award-winning wines and offers tasting room exclusives and limited-production wines from vineyards California’s most renowned wine producing regions. Popular chefs from Huntington Beach and beyond will serve delicious appetizers to pair with the world-class wines, including offerings from local favorites Duke’s Huntington Beach, Nardo Italian, Cucina Alessa, Bluegold and LSXO on both Friday and Saturday.
On that Friday evening, guests will also have the option to participate in a silent auction, bidding on dozens of sought-after items such as exotic wines, tasting tours and dining certificates. Proceeds from this auction will benefit Golden Rule Charity, an organization dedicated to helping people in the hospitality industry during unexpected hardships.
“We are thrilled to be welcomed back once again by the Huntington Beach community, where we pay homage to Surf City USA with Matt Hurray’s swinging 60’s surf instrumentals among bites from the city’s diverse culinary scene coupled with pours from our fabulous wine partners”, says Emily Kaufmann, Executive Director, California Wine Festival.
The ultimate wine tasting experience continues the next day with a Beachside Wine Festival taking place at the hotel’s indoor and outdoor spaces on Saturday November 11. The seaside Saturday afternoon event will enrich culinary education and exploration through intimate conversations and tastings with winemakers and representatives hailing from California’s top wineries and local restaurants.
As they did last year, Paséa Hotel & Spa is sponsoring the VIP Pavilion. VIP ticket holders will be able to dine on gourmet appetizers, reserve-level wines, and craft brews along with special designated seating and stunning Pacific Ocean views in the hotel’s picturesque Blue Room.
An After Party will be held at Pacific City, a shopping, dining and entertainment destination located next door to Paséa Hotel & Spa. They again will hosting the official “California Wine Festival After Party” after the Beachside Wine Festival from 4-7 p.m. at the Old Crow Smokehouse. Festival guests will enjoy live music and drink specials.
The festival highlights rare and reserve vintages, as well as popular pours from California’s top vineyards based in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and more. Wine corks will be popping from bottles with notable wineries such as Adobe Road Winery, Amista Vineyards, Barlow Vineyards, Bellante Family Winery, Bernardus Winery, Carol Shelton Wines, Cuvaison Winery, Doffo Winery, Double Bond Wine, Gary Farrell Winery, Goldschmidt Vineyards, Head High Wines, Lions Peak Vineyards, Lloyd Cellars, Michael Mondavi Family Wines, Miner Family Wines, Mizel Estate Wines, Navarro Vineyards, New Zealand Wine Navigator, Oneonthehill Imports, Provenance Vineyards/Hook or Crook Cellars, Quench + Temper, Russian River Vineyards, Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance, The Landing, Williams Selyem Winery and Wine Guy & Wine Gal.
Popular restaurants from Huntington Beach and beyond will serve divine appetizers to compliment the festival’s top-notch wine selections and include: Aquamar, Bluegold, Butterfly Brittles, Caketails, Cheese Mifroma, Cucina Alessa, Duke’s Huntington Beach, Gino Angelini Authentic Italian Sauces, Goufrais Southern California – Cocoa Confection, Gus’ World Famous Fried Chicken, Icelandic Glacial, Indarra Modern Indian Cuisine, LSXO, Kerrygold, Nardò Italian Restaurant, North Italia, Rhino’s Glazed Almonds, Savory Bites, Seven Barrels Olive Oils and Aged Italian Balsamics, SiSi Cakes and Tanner’s Restaurant.
Live entertainment will provide the ultimate ambiance to a relaxing weekend enjoying coastal California vibes. Friday’s Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting will feature live entertainment from Hannah Claire, a singer-songwriter frequently compared to Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Norah Jones. Saturday’s Beachside Wine Festival will feature eclectic surf sounds from Matt Hurray and soulful melodies of Chris Copeland and American Idol finalist, Adam Lasher on the main stage. In the VIP area, acoustic musician, John Dean will be providing the perfect melodies while sipping wine.
California Wine Festival returns to Huntington Beach hosted at Paséa Hotel & Spa on November 10 & 11, 2023.
Tickets for this 21+ event are available for pre-sale at CaliforniaWineFestival.com