LAWineFest Celebrates 20 Years of Bringing Wine Exploration to Los Angeles County
LAWineFest rings in two decades of celebrating all things wine in Los Angeles County, with two days of waterfront wine education, exploration and fun, May 31 and June 1, at Harry Bridges Memorial Park in Long Beach. As the County’s largest, most wine-focused event, LAWineFest brings wine producers from around the globe to LA, gathering people together to sip what they like, and like what they sip. To celebrate 20 years, there will also be celebrity chefs, incredibly exclusive wine tasting opportunities, a chance to win high-end prizes, and more!
This 20th anniversary outdoor event, held adjacent to the Queen Mary, provides a picture-perfect backdrop, where wine exploration and education is balanced with live music, delicious food trucks, boutique shopping, games and more. Adding to the festivities, Wild Fork Foods will have celebrity chef Wing Lam grilling up delicacies all weekend – all being paired with hand-selected wines from San Antonio Winery and Jackson Family Wines. LAWineFest has also once again partnered to raise awareness and funds for the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club.
This year’s VIP Garden, hosted by newly renovated Hotel Maya and Jackson Family Wines, will provide opportunities to experience high-end and boutique wineries (wineries producing less than 2,500 cases per year), in addition to exploring the whole Fest. The Garden will feature elevated tasting experiences from La Crema Winery, Wine Enthusiast’s Winery of the Year, including with renowned sommelier Michael Jordan on Saturday, and Sunday a special tasting of La Crema’s Nine Barrel wines – wines not available to the public. An array of small bites will be curated by Hotel Maya’s new Executive Chef, Luis Torres, who oversees culinary direction of the hotel’s award-winning restaurant, Fuego. Long Beach’s own Fior di Latte will also serve a selection of cheese and charcuterie. VIP tickets are limited to just 400 per day, and they do sell out.
Anyone who purchases tickets through LAWineFest.com will earn a chance to win great prizes, including a beautiful Wings of Hope Oris watch, valued at $4,100, among other items both days. Winners do not need to be present to win.
“Celebrating 20 years in LA is an incredible feeling,” said LAWineFest CEO, Scherr Lillico. “We can’t wait to clink glasses with our community of LAWineFest guests, exhibitors and wineries and we look forward to bringing some incredible experiences to ring in two decades. We’re so lucky to be supported by our sponsors, including Hotel Maya, Los Angeles Magazine, Wild Fork Foods, Land Rover – Puente Hills, Oris Watches, the Queen Mary, and Acqua Panna and S. Pellegrino among others.”
Guests can make a weekend out of it with an overnight stay at the waterfront Hotel Maya or on the iconic Queen Mary – both easy walking distance from the Fest.
LAWineFest hours are 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Parking will be at the Pike Outlets and Aquarium with free Long Beach Transit shuttles running throughout the day. Designated Drivers, carpooling, ride sharing services, and public transportation are highly recommended.
More information about LAWineFest at www.lawinefest.com and by following @lawinefest. Advance tickets available at special rates, and will be sold at the door, subject to capacity.
- General Admission (at the gate): $100
- Includes entry to the Fest, a souvenir stemless glass to keep, unlimited* wine and craft brew tastings, water, coffee, and the overall Fest experience.
- VIP Garden (at the gate): $150
- Provides all that GA does + entry to VIP Garden with boutique wineries, which are defined as producing less than 2,500 cases of wine each year, premium wineries, tasty bites, some seating and more. Only 400 VIP All Access tickets are available per day.
- On Saturday only, you also have the ability to enter the Fest one hour early (at 1 p.m.). No early entry Sunday.
- Designated drivers are encouraged to join their friends and enjoy all the amenities (excluding alcohol) of the day for only $25.
The legal bits:
- Must be 21 years of age to be on the premises. (Sorry, no infants – ABC rules)
- Absolutely No Pets – Certified service animals trained to help people with disabilities only.
- *Wineries/Breweries reserve the right to limit consumption.
