Wine

Fourth Annual Orange County Food and Wine Festival

Lyon Air Museum

33rd Annual Wine Extraordinaire

Anaheim Hilton

Lucille Kring, Anaheim Councilwoman, to 'Pop the Cork' in Wino Fundraiser With Resort Elite

This is no April Fool's gag, but the joke's on Anaheimers: Three-time city councilwoman Lucille Kring successfully campaigned last year as an 'independent' politician. "I have...no special interest support," she told working-class Latinos at an Anna Drive candidate forum last October. "I always say ... More >>

Laguna Beach A La Carte Starts Thursday

Despite the departure of restaurants in Laguna Beach this past year (The Royal Hawaiian, The Cottage, French 75 and now Katsuya), the third annual A La Carte event hasn't skipped a beat. The four-day celebration begins this Thursday with kick-off dinners galore. There are events and specials through ... More >>

Dave's Top 5 Drinks of 2012

This year, we're going to publish our top drinks as well as our top restaurants, and I already know where the bone of contention will lie with my list; not all of these are cocktails. I don't want to put up something that may have rotated out of availability, since the best cocktails in Orange Count ... More >>

Oh, You Fancy, Huh? Boxed Wine Now Comes In A High-Fashion Handbag

Classy gals would never get caught lugging a Costco-sized cardboard box of wine to a party. But what if it was pretty? In an attempt to estrogen up a universal product (booze), a Swedish company has created the Vernissage "bag-in-bag" wine. It's your typical boxed wine with "a woman's touch." M ... More >>

Wine In a Boat: Las Vendimias at Vena Cava

How the Valle de Guadalupe has changed! Fifteen years ago, there were about a dozen wineries; now there are more than sixty, with more seemingly springing up every day. Ten years ago, what was being produced was quite frankly awful, sticky-sweet wine that couldn't have held a candle to Ernst and Jul ... More >>

XXII Fiestas de la Vendimia, Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California: 50 Ways to Leave Your Liver at Baja's Annual Wine Harvest Festival

On Friday night I attended the kickoff party for the 22nd annual Fiestas de la Vendimia at the Riviera Casino in downtown Ensenada which runs from August 3rd through the 19th. Around 3,000 attendees sipped Mexican wines from the Valle de Guadalupe, sampled the finest Baja cuisine from various booths ... More >>

2011 Beaujolais Nouveau, Our Drink of the Week!

Rack up enough time at enough newspapers in enough places and you rack up freebies. Dance clubs and live jazz bars (Manchester, England); tabloid groupies (South Florida); wine tastings, movie tickets, theater (Atlanta, Georgia); title fights (Las Vegas). But one thing you rarely find is free booze ... More >>

On the Line: Frederic Castan of Motif Restaurant, Part One

We've met many multicultural chefs while doing On the Line, but Frederic Castan might be my first Frenchman. Distinguished and worldly, he represents the eclectic European cuisine served at Motif. A fan of West Coast wines and excellent cheese, our interview strings together anecdotes from experienc ... More >>

Laguna Beach To Host Food & Wine Fest on March 10th

​Is the recession over yet? Is it safe to spend major coin on food and wine festivals now? Because if it is, there's the Laguna Beach Uncorked! event happening on Saturday, March 10, from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. on the Festival of Arts grounds, which might be worth the splurge.The general admission is a ... More >>

Chanel Owns a Winery--And Karl Lagerfeld is Designing the Label of a Special-Edition Bottle

​Hey, fashion-savvy friends. Your new must-have label for spring is . . . a wine label. According to Glamour, Chanel owns a winery, the centuries-old Chateau Rauzan-Segla in the Bordeaux region of France. Next month, it will release a special 2009 Gran Cru Classé to celebrate the chateau's 3 ... More >>

Tango Cabaret

MOLAA

When Drinking Pink is Good: Battle Rosé

Pink alcohol has long had a bad rap. From cosmos to white zin to Wasilla-distilled smoked salmon vodka, a glass of pink often points to a drinker with little taste, class or sanity. Or all three. We've done our share of salmon vodka bashing here on Stick a Fork in It as of late, but in the interest ... More >>

Fourth of July Cocktails

Cherry Bomb​Celebrating Independence Day comes down to three simple things: fireworks, barbecues and booze. And since I can only help you with the last one, continue on for two Fourth of July-inspired cocktail recipes.

Champagne With Wild Hibiscus Flowers

​BevMo! carries just about every type of alcohol you could possibly need and if they don't have it in stock, they will special-order it. Their most under-appreciated aisle happens to house all of the non-alcoholic items. There is just about every flavor of rim salt and sugar possibl ... More >>

Fiddlehead Cellars Sauvignon Blancs

Chris A. Michaels/ / CC BY 2.0Santa Barbara Vines​If there was a moment for California wine--one in which it went from being something that only came from Napa and Sonoma or was just two buck chuck--and became something relevant in pop culture, it was the release of Sideways.

Calimocho: Red Wine & Coca-Cola

Jorge Negreros​Calimocho comes from combining two drinks most Americans would never think to mix: seriously cheap red wine and Coca-Cola. This concoction originated in Spain and is enjoyed mostly by younger drinkers because it's inexpensive and easy to make.

Drunk at Dinner: Paso Robles White Wines

Willy BlackmoreStephanie Anglim at Anglim Winery ​White wine is certainly worth drinking year round, but with the heat making its way back to Orange County, a cold, crisp bottle has become evermore tempting in the past weeks. We've tasted some wines from nearby Temecula in previous editions of Due ... More >>

Dueling Dishes: Temecula Sunrise Edition

Living in California and drinking locally, alcohol-wise, is by no means difficult. From the world-famous wine regions in Northern California to the craft beer Mecca of San Diego County and a few other noteworthy sources of wine, beer and booze (SF's Anchor Distilling makes thoroughly interesting and ... More >>

Drink of the Week: Wine Tasting at Total Wine

Jessica Ford Will Templin pouring a red blend at Total Wine in Tustin.​To honor the new year, things are changing for this edition of Drink of the Week. Instead of "order this drink at such-and-such bar," we recommend you take advantage of Total Wine's inexpensive wine tasting. At onl ... More >>

Things to Do With Bad or Leftover Champagne

thewendyhouse @ flickr.com CC BY-NC-ND 2.0Gee, thanks. Did it make the trip from the 7-Eleven on the corner OK?​What they say: "We brought you a bottle of Champagne*!"What you secretly wish you could say: "How did you know? We're having a New Year's Eve party for 50 people and we didn't think abou ... More >>

Recipe: Mulled Wine

marcoveringa @ flickr.com CC BY-NC-ND 2.0​Because the farmers' markets are mostly closed this week, here is an extra recipe for you all. Drink enough of this and you won't care that you can't get your Chinese long beans or grass-fed bison.

Dueling Dishes: Walking the Plonk

Dave Lieberman​Remember two weeks ago, when I posted mockingly about 7-Eleven's move into the ultra-budget wine world? I made a snarky comment about not doing one's research about specialty retailers that might also have a decent chunk of the market share for really, really cheap wine, and I threw ... More >>

Meet Winemakers of Bodegas M.

Wine Lab Newport

Free Wine Tastings at Resort at Pelican Hill From Tonight!

​It's not often that you'll see "free" and "Pelican Hill" in the same sentence, so grab the chance while you can. From this evening, OC residents can enjoy Vertical Ladder Wine Tastings plus hors d'oeuvres in the resort's Great Room. What on earth is a Vertical Ladder Wine Tasting, you ask? Weeell ... More >>

Tasting Party At Laguna Canyon Winery Tonight

​The winery, whose tipples were awarded four medals at this year's OC Fair wine competition, holds the event every month. (In September, also look out for the fab-sounding Annual Barrel Tasting Prime Rib Dinner Event).Tonight you'll get to sample the winners (a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and two s ... More >>

Two Upcoming Wine Events (One Tomorrow)

 First up, Saturday July 25, is the monthly 50 for 50 event at the Next Vintage Wine Shop next to Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. From 3 to 5.30 p.m., around 30 top wines and champagnes will be sold off for half their original price. Expect some stunners among the bargains. ... More >>

Top Chef Masters Sneak Preview Party at NapaStyle, Tuesday July 14

South Coast Plaza's "handcrafted home goods and artisanal foods" store, part of a chain owned by chef Michael Chiarello, will host the event to celebrate his appearance on Bravo's Top Chef Masters the following evening.As well as winning several Emmys for his Food Network shows, Chiarello has writte ... More >>

Stars Of Santa Barbara--And Other Upcoming South Coast Plaza Wine Events

Charlie Palmer's monthly 50 for 50 sell-off, with bargains aplenty, has come around again. It's this Saturday, June 13, from 3:00pm to 5:00pm, in the Next Vintage Wine Shop.Antonello Ristorante has started a "wine mixer" once a month, featuring eight wines for $30 per person, followed by a sale of w ... More >>

Reminder: 50 for 50 Event at Charlie Palmer on Saturday

If you're celebrating Memorial Day at home but need some top-class booze to liven up your dinner, head down to South Coast Plaza between 3:00pm and 5:30pm this Saturday, May 23, for the second of four scheduled sales at the Next Vintage Wine Shop, inside the Charlie Palmer restaurant in Bloomingdal ... More >>

Angels & Demons, Food & Wine

For those Dan Brown fans who can't wait till Friday to see Angels & Demons, which surely has to be an improvement on The DaVinci Code, fear not: an advance screening is being held on Thursday night in conjunction with Fleming's Steakhouse in Newport Beach.  Oka ... More >>

Tippling Treats This Weekend (And Beyond)

Now that Lent is but a distant memory, we can take to the bottle again without fear of recrimination.Tomorrow, Saturday April 25, sees two wine events taking place locally: The first is at WineStyles in Irvine (Portola Parkway) from 4:00pm to 6:00pm, where you can taste up to six wines for just $5. ... More >>

Booze News: Next Vintage Wine Shop's 50 For 50 Events

I'm not advocating that we all reach for the bottle during these stressful times (if a recent study is to be believed, even one small glass of wine a day can increase a woman's cancer risk), but for those of us who like an occasional top-quality tipple but who balk at the high prices, there's good n ... More >>

Classy Stuff--This Time At Charlie Palmer, Bloomie's

OK, so Marché Moderne's cooking classes are all booked up - as I noted last week. But if you're quick off the mark you can sign up for one of the "kitchen technique" classes at Charlie Palmer at Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza. According to our sources, they're likely to sell out very quickly.Run ... More >>

The C Word

No, not that one. I'm talking about Champagne. Or, rather, the lack of it. Picture it: Cedar Creek Inn, Brea, Valentine's Day dinner. I was already mentally black-marking the restaurant for informing me just the day before, when confirming the reservation, that there was a "strict two-hour table tim ... More >>

California-Wine-History Saga 'Bottle Shock' Isn't Quite Ripe

Last Night: First Annual Ambrosia Wine Fest

Shout Wipes!

Summer Food and Wine Festival

To Do Tonight 4/23

Wine & Ice Cream Tasting

When I first heard about the unusual pairing of wine and ice cream, honestly it sounded like a stomach ache waiting to happen. Then again, I'm one of those people who likes to try weird and possibly gross food, so I decided to check it out. The four-course tasting was held at the Wine Gallery in ... More >>

Thursday's Headlines & Surprises: OC Judge Slaps Guv

Will a murder inmate defeat the Guv? Orange County Superior Court Judge Kazuharo Makino — a quiet, often-expressionless fellow who is married to a court reporter — ruled yesterday that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was wrong to deny parole to Delbert “Dale” Chrittenden. The inmate was foun ... More >>

This Hole-in-the-Wall Life

That's a-yummy: Barolo Cafe

Silly Ladies

Enjoying the pairings at the HB Hyatt Regency

Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand

Flora Springs Wine Dinner

'Definitely Not Vintage'

Blind tasting five choice selections

In Vino Veritastic

Don Katz serves the goods at Symposium Wine Bar

Evenings of Wine and Coke

Sipping gourmet vintages with a classy dame at La Maison Gourmet

Less Whining By More Wining

Appreciating the ways of the oenophile at Tannins

Whine

An open letter of apology to the Orange County Wine Society