After a Two-Year Hiatus, The Festival Will Showcase Nearly 250 Wines from Over 70 Wineries Across the Golden State
Santa Barbara, CA (April 11, 2022) — California Wine Festival, Southern California’s premier wine festival event producer, announces its return to the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort for two days of seaside tasting events on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21. Guests will be able to sample pours from winemaking regions across California, paired with gourmet appetizers from many of North San Diego County’s top restaurants while experiencing lifestyle exhibitors, live entertainment and expansive ocean vistas.
Overlooking the glittering Pacific Ocean at the newly-renovated Park Hyatt Aviara Resort’s The Gardens, Friday evening kicks off with a Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting, an intimate experience for wine connoisseurs. A sparkling wine reception begins the evening of sampling hard-to-find reserve wines and offers tasting room exclusives and limited-production wines hailing from vineyards based in California’s most distinguished wine producing regions. Park Hyatt Aviara Resort’s Ponto Lago restaurant will serve delicious hot and cold appetizers to pair with the world-class wines.
Throughout Friday evening, guests will have the ability to participate in a silent auction, bidding on coveted 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.
“It’s exciting to be back at Park Hyatt Aviara after their stunning makeover! The resort provides the perfect setting for enjoying world-renowned wines and small bites underneath the California sunshine,” says Emily Kaufmann, Executive Director, California Wine Festival.
The quintessential wine tasting experience continues with a Beachside Wine Festival taking place at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort’s Heron Lawn on Saturday, May 21st. The sun-drenched afternoon event will advance culinary education and exploration through intimate conversations and tastings with culinary and wine talent hailing from California’s world-famous wineries and local restaurants. Attendees will have access to hundreds of premium California wines and regional craft brews. Delectable wines can be paired with artisanal cheeses, breads, olive oil, fresh-cut fruit, shellfish, salads, decadent chocolate, cakes and more. The Pavilion will feature a selection of reserve-level wines as well as craft brews along with special seating just a stone’s throw away from the resort’s award-winning golf course overlooking the Batiquitos Lagoon nature preserve.
The sumptuous festival shines a light on rare and reserve vintages, as well as popular samples from California’s best vineyards based in Napa Valley, Sonoma County, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Temecula and beyond. Notable wineries attending include: Adobe Road Winery, Alexander Valley Vineyards, Austin Hope Winery, Bernardus Winery, Carol Shelton Wines, Coursey Graves, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Doffo Winery, Dry Creek Vineyard, Family Wineries District, Goldschmidt Vineyards, HALL Napa Valley, Just Enough Wines, Lloyd Cellars, Navarro Vineyards, New Zealand Wine Navigator, Pasmosa, Rescue Dog Wines, Russian River Vineyards, Safu Sake Company, Sojourn Cellars and Wilson Creek Winery.
Elite restaurants from North San Diego County and beyond will serve exquisite appetizers to accompany the festival’s world-class wine selections and include: Butterfly Brittles, Goufrais Southern California, Mahogany Smoked Meats, SB Craft Jerky, Seven Barrels Olive Oils and Aged Italian Balsamic, Ponto Lago, Señor Grubby’s, and The Miller’s Table.
Icelandic Glacial returns as “Official Water Sponsor” and Lloyd Cellars is the “Official Stage Sponsor.” Further sponsors will include Andy Gump, Bright Cellars, Ketel One Botanicals, Leaf Filter and Ruff n Tuff Turf.
Select sponsors will be hosting interactive activations which guests will be able to partake in during the Beachside Wine Festival. Guests will be able to become acquainted with the new 2022 Toyota Mirai while creating their very own fully-customizable insulated wine tumbler. They can also stop by the Celebrity Cruises booth to sample Jackson Family Wines and discover new destinations and itineraries that they can explore, as well as enter to win an Alaska cruise for two. Alternatively, in gratitude for the winemakers and winery owners working at the event, “Gold” sponsor, Shopify will be hosting a “Winemaker Oasis” where they can find respite throughout the day to grab food and water.
Live entertainment will provide the perfect ambiance to a relaxing weekend enjoying coastal California views. Friday’s Sunset Rare & Reserve Tasting will feature live entertainment from Kalina & Kiana, a songwriting pop duo that has 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.
California Wine Festival is a 21+ event. Tickets are available for pre-sale here. For more information, please visit CalifoniaWineFestival.com.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA WINE FESTIVAL
California Wine Festival celebrates the fine wines and culinary offerings of California. A nationally recognized event series, California Wine Festival aims to bring attention to the beautiful wines, foods, and landscapes of California. Founded in 2004 in Santa Barbara, California Wine Festival is proud to be one of the largest outdoor wine festivals in the state and strives to be a green event producer. In 2021, 90% of the waste from the festivals was diverted from the landfill. A for-profit organization whose mission includes giving back, California Wine Festival has helped raise awareness and funds for local California charities including the Foodbank of Santa Barbara, The Surfrider Foundation, and more.
