Wine

10th Annual Newport Beach Wine Festival This Weekend

It may be pricey, but if you're both an oenophile and are bummed out that there's no Taste of Newport this year, the 10th Annual Newport Beach Wine Festival starts tonight and runs through Sunday at the Balboa Bay Resort.

Two 40 South's Wine-a-Whirl

How fun are the vino-vending machines at the Brea bistro? Very!

The Coltranes

Unit B Studios

Laguna Beach Music Festival

Various Locations

Viñedos Malagón: When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Limoncello

The village of Francisco Zarco, the largest settlement in the Valle de Guadalupe, sits at the junction of Federal Highway 3 and the paved road leading to La Misión. It's a hive of activity at certain times of day; outdoor chicken grills line the main boulevard, and people drive up and down from sho ... More >>

The Lost Bean Wine Bar Now Open In Tustin

Back in July, Edwin reported news of a local coffeehouse expanding. We assumed it would be more seating for the cozy Lost Bean. We even experienced some of the demolition first hand, as dishware crashed from a shelf while they pounded on walls. However, they had something else in mind (not that we'r ... More >>

11th Annual Fall Wine Classic

Nixon Library

On the Line: Matt Strickland of The Bruery, Part One

Who is Matt Strickland, and why are we interviewing him? That's the OTL question of the week. His job title is wood cellerman. No, really. Matt makes sure clients get their beer, and that it tastes exactly the way it should. Comparable to a winemaker, he works very closely with his product. You'll p ... More >>

Charlie Palmer Cellar Sale This Saturday

Bev Mo and Total Wine have nothing on Charlie Palmer this weekend. Serving artisan cheese and offering pours of roughly 40 different bottles on sale in a relaxed (read: at no cost) environment is the perfect way to unwind after an afternoon of South Coast Plaza therapy--and even better if you're act ... More >>

OC Chocolate Festival This Weekend

OC Chocolate Festival Facebook page​While we're still a few weeks away from some turkey and tryptophan, there's a solution if you're looking for some early indulgence. For those with a sweet tooth, mosey down the 405 for a little chocolate lovin'. Over at the Fountain Valley Recreation Center, 50 ... More >>

Dana Rohrabacher, U.S. Congressman, Endorses Regulate Marijuana Like Wine Act

​Proving the truism that even a broken clock is right once (or maybe twice) a day, U.S. Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach) is lending his support to a proposed bill that, as its name suggests, would allow state residents 21 years or older to enjoy California's world-renowned marijua ... More >>

Black Box Wines, Our Drink of the Week!

Kind of looks like the monolith from 2001--you kids do know that film, right?​My memory of boxed wines from when I was a teen and wanted to mix up my diet of Kahlua and Presidente was watery syrup: dreck lighter than wine coolers, lighter than water, with strange tints from weirdly shaped boxes. A ... More >>

Una Goccia Calda: A Drop of Hot Mulled Wine

A Ladin-speaking après-ski booth selling waffles and hot wine in northeastern Italy​Think of Italy, and you think of steaming-hot cups of coffee and glasses of good wine, but do you think of steaming-hot cups of wine?Yet mulled wine, called vin brulè in Italy (literally "burned wine"), is common ... More >>

SanTásti, Our Drink of the Week

​The first time I tried SanTásti was at the San Francisco Vintners Market back in November. It was introduced to me as a palate-cleansing water--the ideal companion for a wine-tasting event. Though I was initially skeptical of the powers of SanTásti, the beverage definitely did its job between p ... More >>

Having a High Time at Hi-Time's Bordeaux Tasting

​Hi-Time Wine Cellars hosted "A Very Special Bordeaux Tasting" Sunday afternoon, and it's unclear which of those words caused it, but the downstairs wine bar was packed. In fact, my four-person party had to wait until other tasters left, opening up seats for us--truly SRO (Staggering Room Only). N ... More >>

On the Line: Britta Kvinge Pulliam

Photo by Todd Barnes​Orange County--fleeting, impermanent, forever-discarding Orange County--is severely lacking in longstanding food personalities who aren't afraid to open new places while keeping a signature style. There's the Goodells, Pascal Olhats, Chef Abe and...who else? Definitely on that ... More >>

At the Farmers' Market: Grapes

Flickr user brostad​Every wine-producing region in the world produces table grapes; in California, the hotter and drier the climate, the sweeter the table grapes. Table grapes can be grown in places too hot or dry for good wine grapes; the sweetness overpowers the terroir so prized by wine snobs g ... More >>

Drunk After Work: Wildfish Seafood Grille

Edwin GoeiThe Place: Wildfish Seafood Grille, 1370 Bison Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 720-9925; eddiev.com. The Hours: Tues.-Sat., 4-7 p.m.; Sun.-Mon., 4-11 p.m.The Deal: $5-$8 appetizers. $6 wines by the glass. $6 Svedka Vodka martinis, mojitos, or margaritas.

Hello Kitty Wine Coming to Newps Next Week

Quick, what's feline, Japanese, annoying and coming soon to a wine label near you?Did you guess Hello Kitty?Wine Lab Newport​

Bruery Provisions to Open In Orange, Not Placentia

The Bruery​Three months ago, Edwin broke the news that the Bruery, the popular craft cervesería that operates out of an ugly warehouse in a forgotten corner of Placentia, would be opening a brewpub in Placentia's Placita Santa Fe district.Well, that's all correct, except for the brewpub part and ... More >>

Mariela Rebollo of Barcelona On the Go, Part 3

Photo by Kimberly Valenzuela​We've been teasing you with the promise of a recipe from Chef Mariela Rebollo of Barcelona on the Go, but the day is here: if you head out to Santa Monica Seafood (the chef's recommendation for your octopus needs), you can make pulpo a la Gallega, or Galician-style oct ... More >>

Drunk After Work: Tapas and Wine at Hi-Time

The problem with wine tasting is that the palate-cleansing oyster crackers they give out are short on flavor (which is probably the point). Wine lovers in Costa Mesa, however, have an option, at least Fridays in April.Dave Lieberman​

The Fabulous World of Gay Wine

Dave Lieberman​As I was scarfing down empanadas today at El Gaucho #2 in Anaheim, my eyes were drawn to cases and cases of wine below the all-fútbol-all-the-tiempo big-screen TVs. Cases of wine are not exactly out of place in an Argentine market with a fantastic sandwich counter, but somehow this ... More >>

Restaurant New Year's Eve Specials in O.C.

​Have you subscribed to OC Weekly Dining Newsletter yet? If not, make it your first act of 2010. Enter your e-mail on the red box to the right of your screen where it says Weekly E-mail Blasts (check on the Dining button). If you did already, you would've gotten our compiled list of NYE speci ... More >>

Christmas Has Come Early: Posh Choc and Champers Tasting at Morton's

​And when we say champers, we mean the good stuff, and to go with it, Vosges Haut-Chocolat, no less. Yes, them of the bacon and chocolate combos, although, sadly, I can't find any of those on the following menu:Featured Wine and Champagne:Piper Sonoma BrutPiper-Heidsieck BrutPiper-Heidsieck Rose S ... More >>

New Hotel And Restaurant/Bar Opening Soon in Long Beach

​The AVIA is set to open on Bay Street on either August 6 or 7. The fact that the date isn't yet set in stone hints that preparations are down to the wire, so we wish them well in putting the finishes touches to the property.We're intrigued about this new hotel and, in particular, its restaurant a ... More >>

Cooking for a Cause

Orange County Wine and Food Center

Recipe: The Winery's Zinfandel Braised Bone-In Prime Beef Short Ribs, Carrot Pearl Couscous and Roasted Asparagus

Here's a recipe that's more elaborate than others we've featured recently. It's from the Winery Restaurant & Wine Bar in Tustin (where Yvon Goetz is Executive Chef and Partner), so it should come as no surprise that a whole bottle of the drink of the gods is a key ingredient. And if you can get ... More >>

Tablas Creek Vineyard Holding Winemaker Dinner At Sage On The Coast This Thursday

The event (from 6:30pm) will be hosted by Jason Haas, whose father Robert founded the Paso Robles-based organic winery, which originally started as a joint project with the Perrin family of Château de Beaucastel in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The dinner, featuring five wines paired with five courses, cos ... More >>

Fresh & Easy Has A Difficult Road Ahead

Tesco, the UK supermarket behemoth, has just announced record pre-tax annual profits of £3.13bn ($4.5bn), which is surprising, given that the UK is in the middle of a raging recession.What's not surprising--to me, anyway--is that Fresh & Easy, Tesco's US operation, has, at the same time, made a ... More >>

Booze News: WineStyles Celebrates A Year at Orchard Hills

Head to the Orchard Hills Village Center in Irvine this Friday, April 3 (5:00pm-10:00pm) and Saturday, April 4 (2:00pm-10:00pm) for WineStyles' first birthday bash.Expect free wine tastings, raffles, gift certificates, complimentary wine-tasting coupons, bottles of wine and accessories--plus live mu ... More >>

Former Capo Unified Superintendent Didn't Report Swanky Spa Getaway

What President Obama Had For Lunch

You know what annoys me most at awards shows? The constant yacking about who's wearing what, who was the best dressed, and who was worst. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. Obviously, I'm no fashionista; I'm a foodie. And if you're reading this, you are too. So while I did not care who des ... More >>

Red Orchid Restaurant Grand Opening

Red Orchid Restaurant Grand Opening

Grape Expectations

Ambrosia Wine Fest

To Do Tonight - 02/11

TRAVELING LIGHTS, 5 p.m. Luminous art by Enrique Chiu. C1D GALLERY, 441 E. 1st St., Long Beach SIERRA CLUB VALENTINES SOCIAL, 6:30 p.m. Music, pizza, sparkling cranberry juice, environmentally-friendly folk. Costa Mesa Community Center, 1845 Park Ave. Costa Mesa S.I.N. MONDAYS, 10 p.m. Service In ... More >>

To Do Tonight - 11/28

SCIENCE AND THE UNIVERSITY: AN EVOLUTIONARY TALE PART III, 5pm Lecture on science, security and control Crystal Cove Auditorium located at UC Irvine BREAD WORKSHOP, 6:30pm Cooking class. Sur la Table, 832 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach, (949) 640-2330 A VINEYARD IN TUSCANY: A WINE LOVER’S DREAM, 6: ... More >>

Chow Time

Taste of Newport

Q: What Happened When the Grape Got Stepped On?

A: It let out a little wine. Non-alcoholics who saw Sideways and wondered what all the fuss was about now have their own shot at tasting fancy grapeage -- First Blush appears to be grape juice made from them thar fancy-like fruits whut the French use for alkyhol. Cabernet and Chardonnay, minus the ... More >>

Lunch in One Act

Mascarpones, unscripted

Business Class On A Budget

The Los Diablos Times just chimed in (read: posted an AP release) on the luxurious conditions of John Mark Karr's flight to California. Karr, in case you're allergic to the 24-hour news cycle, is the guy who says he killed six-year old beauty queen (a truly shudder-worthy compound adjective) JonBene ... More >>

Shopping Bagged

Deck the malls with rounds of Stoli

Rare Vintage

Sideways is good to the last gulp

Venison Benison

Eating Bambis mom at Costa Mesas Turner New Zealand

Kiss My Cassoulet!

Flabby Francophile defends Gauls, dines at Bistro le Crillon

Expensive Tastes

Flemings provides the steak, you bring the dough

Fellini-esque

Vertical Wine Bar features high-end in miniature

Pacific Rim Job

Dukes goes back to the islands

Champagne Curiosity

If youre rich, you already know about the Golden Truffle, so keep moving. The rest of you may stay