IF "BY THE SEA"... is found on any location or event, count on said location or event possessing oodles of sparkly charm. Look to Carmel by-the-Sea, the cottage-iest town in the West, and Shakespeare by the Sea, a San Pedro-based presentation of the Bard's stirring words. There is also, of course, a libation-themed take on this particular titling convention, and it involves a substance as sparkling as "by the sea" itself: bubbly, as in the wee air-filled orbs that burble up in a glass of something lovely and sippable. BubblyFest by the Sea is what we're thinking of, you might have guessed, if you know the annual Pismo Beach party and all of the sparkling wine makers, and fans, who show to taste the good stuff, just steps from the surf. It's time again for the sword to be brandished -- to cut open a ceremonial bottle, of course -- and for the grand sniffing and swirling and tasting to commence.
THURSDAY, OCT 1 THROUGH SATURDAY, OCT. 3... are the delicious dates, and the calendar is crowded with Champagne-scented stuff. You'll learn about The History of Champagne at an info-packed seminar and you'll get to know some 50 or so makers of the bright-toned beverage and you'll attend, if you choose, a Champagne cocktail party. (Aside: Is the Champagne cocktail the last unsung superstar of the sparkling wine universe? Well, perhaps not, given that more and more favorites like the French 75 keep popping up on bar menus across the land.)
A WINERY TOUR... is also part of the flute-filled festivities, too. BubblyFest by the Sea is billed as "the only dedicated Sparkling Wine Festival in the United States." That's enough to turn the heads of bubbly buffs, for sure, but that the shebang centers around Pismo Beach and the cliff-close SeaCrest Resort will turn any heads still unturned. Yep, you can go a la carte, ticket-wise, with your event choices. And, yep, we predict you'll stand above the Pacific pondering if there are more bubbles in a bottle of fine Champagne or in the surf below. Spoiler: The surf probably has more, but a bottle of delicious golden liquid has plenty.
