Vino, Sun, Appetizers, Fun: California Wine Festival to Sparkle in Dana Point

THE MIDDLE OF APRIL... can sometimes seem like an honorary slice of summertime. No ribbons need to be handed out, nor certificates or trophies, but anyone who has lingered on a beach-close bluff on a warmish April afternoon knows they're getting a preview of June or even July. (Rare is the April day that summons August-type sensations, and, honestly, we're okay with that.) So finding out a sip-centered celebration will take place at such an ocean-adjacent spot, right in the middle of the festival-loving fourth month, all to give California's great winemakers a well-deserved spotlight, feels as sweet as a mild spring breeze. And those purveyors will be pouring on April 14 and 15 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, all to treat oenophiles to a look, and more importantly to a taste, at/of some of their most vibrant elixirs. Nope, you don't really need to say "elixir" while quaffing a quality wine, but why wouldn't you, given the setting, season, and scene?

THAT SUBLIME SCENE... is at the heart of the California Wine Festival, which is beginning its 20th year in delightful Dana Point. If you know this on-the-road happening, you know it pops up, now and then, at some of the most picturesque places along the coast, and the mid-April affair will offer up such a stunner. Once at Laguna Cliffs, guests will sample a bevy of wines, including "tasting room exclusives and limited-edition wines originating from vineyards based in California's most distinguished wine-producing regions." (Update: The Saturday event is now scheduled to take place at the larger Sea Terrace Park.) Local chefs will create the wine-complementing appetizers, and the entire event will give support to the Sandy Feet Initiative, which offers support to "siblings of children with special needs, through instruction and safe beach days." The presale is happening now, with tickets starting at $75.