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Event Listing - Wine

Thu Jul 16 - Sat Jul 18

6th Annual California Wine Festival

Website

Location	Date and Time
Various Locations: Casa De La Guerra, Chase Palm Park Pavilion, Santa Barbara Beaches E. Cabrillo Blvd. Ventura & Santa Barbara, CA 93101 district: Ventura & Santa Barbara	Thu Jul 16 (5:30pm) Fri Jul 17 (6:30pm) Sat Jul 18 (11:30am)

Description

The California Wine Festival is a relaxing, good-natured celebration of California’s rich wine culture, taking place on and around the beaches of Santa Barbara. The festival offers multiple wine tastings, both red and white, live blues music, and specialty gourmet food to sample. Unwind under the sun in gorgeous Santa Barbara where you will be served fresh fruit, grilled meat, artisan breads, cheeses and more to compliment the many varieties of wine available for tasting. This summer’s California Wine Festival will take place from Thursday, July 16-Saturday, the 18th. The festival will also host a number of restaurants, purveyors and vendors, including the California Pizza Kitchen, the Bacara Resort & Spa, The Art of Peace, Audrey Acosta Designs, Bwarie Gift Baskets, and many more.

What to Expect

Each day brings a new surprise at the California Wine Festival. Thursday night from 5:30-8pm features an event titled “Old Spanish Nights,” at the Casa De La Guerra Adobe Courtyard (E De La Guerra SE De La Guerra St) where traditional tapas are served and international wines are sampled. In the spirit of Espana, the festival will also be hosting classic Spanish dancers and Flamenco guitarists, adding authentic European flavor to tonight’s festivities.

On Friday, July 17, the California Wine Festival will host an evening titled “Sunset Rare & Reserve.” The night begins with a champagne reception at Santa Barbara’s old-world carousel at Chase Palm Park Plaza (323 E. Cabrillo Blvd). Blues artists Donna Greene and the Roadhouse Daddies will be the featured performers, as guests sample limited reserve level wines while being served gourmet appetizers by Santa Barbara’s top chefs.

On Saturday, July 18, the Wine Festival continues, but this time in the afternoon and under the sun. From 1-4pm the festival moves to Santa Barbara’s beachfront (236 East Cabrillo Blvd), and will feature over 200 of California’s finest wines to sample. The California Wine Festival’s final event couldn’t be set in a more picturesque location, with over 2,000 fellow wine tasters to attend. The wine tastings will be accompanied by well-known cover troupe Randy Emmett & The Sideshow Band.

Wineries and Breweries

The California Wine Festival hosts over 50 award-winning local and statewide wineries and breweries, including Peachy Canyon, Lucas & Lewellen, CLEB Wines, Carmel Road, Calcareous Winery, and Bridlewood, and more. The 2009 breweries include Brewhouse, Downtown Brewery, Firestone Walker Brewery, Island Brewing Co., Island Brewing Co., RND Vodka by RND Spirits, Santa Barbara Brewing Co., Telegraph, and Trumer Pils.

Lodging

The California Wine Festival’s website (http://californiawinefestival.com) offers a comprehensive list of nearby hotels, with a wide range of fees. See the festival’s website for more details.

The Cost

You can purchase tickets to the California Wine Festival on their website (http://californiawinefestival.com) or purchase them on the day of the event. Tickets for “Old Spanish Nights” go for $39 in advance, “Sunset Rare and Reserve Wine Tasting” go for $89 in advance, and the 6th Annual Beachside Wine Fest goes for $49 in advance. For those who wish to experience the festival in its entirety, a VIP Gold Pass will get you in for three days of unlimited wine tasting. VIP Gold Passes go for $139 in advance. The festival also offers the VIP Connoisseur Pass, which is a two-day combination ticket, going for $119 in advance.