Los Angeles’ signature wine event invites first-time visitors and loyal fans to sip, explore and enjoy hundreds of wines and beers al fresco at the historic Raleigh Studios in Hollywood on Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31.
LAWineFest is one of the city’s wine festival pioneers, founded 10 years ago in 2005 by wine expert and educator Dr. Joel Fisher as a way to bring all things wine to the City of Angels in a fun, relaxed environment.
Each year the event partners with a charitable beneficiary – this year it is The Sunshine Kids, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to children with cancer.
Dr. Fisher said The Sunshine Kids provides a variety of programs and events, free of charge, for kids who are receiving cancer treatments in hospitals across North America.
“Instead of taking one kid and having them granted a wish to Disneyland for example, The Sunshine Kids takes a whole group of kids from hospitals from across the county to some place fun that they are with their parents and other children so that they know they are not alone,” Dr. Fisher said. “I think it’s a great charity with a good cause.”
Over the years, LAWineFest has established itself as the largest consumer-oriented wine event in Southern California.
Dr. Fisher said this is its eighth year at Raleigh Studios – it was originally held at another venue in Hollywood and the Queen Mary in its first and second years respectively.
“People who are coming for the first time will walk through one of two gates when they arrive – the Van Ness gate or the Bronson gate,” he said. “When they get inside either of the gates, they will see sponsorship cars from Acura as they collect their wine glass and a program with map of where everything is and then they start walking. There are lifestyle exhibitors and a lot of wineries and breweries. If they are one of the 800 people that bought extra add-on tickets then they’ll be able to enter the Boutique Winery Tent where there are 13 wineries who produce less than 1,500 cases of their wine. These are wineries that we think are wines to reckoned with in Southern California.”
For the full list of exhibitors, visit http://www.lawinefest.com/2015-exhibitors.
Main Stage Shows
The LAWineFest Main Stage will feature entertaining and educational shows presented by local experts on a wide range of engaging topics, including wine and mixology.
See LAWineFest.com for details and show updates, which will be added on an ongoing basis.
Food, Artisan Boutiques & Music
Folks hungry for more than liquid refreshment will find affordable bites from some of L.A.’s top food trucks, parked throughout the festival.
LAWineFest is proud to host a diverse group of culinary offerings, including Kogi BBQ, Grilled Cheese Truck, Surfer Taco and many others selected from 2014 LAist and Gayot “Top 10” lists.
Attendees will also enjoy live music while browsing the event’s artisan boutiques, which sell a range of gourmet foods, wine related accessories, and local lifestyle goodies.
Boutique Winery Garden
For a special add-on ticket, wine enthusiasts can explore exclusive small batch pours from a dozen notable boutique wineries.
These wines are very hard to find, and the Boutique Winery Tent is a great addition for adventurous event attendees.
Highlighted wine regions include Santa Barbara, Sonoma, Paso Robles and more. Admission to the Boutique Winery Tent will be capped so tickets are limited.
Tickets may be purchased at the door or in advance online; various promotions will be offered in the months leading up to the event, so see website for current pricing. Boutique Winery Tent is a special add-on ticket.
Admission price includes a complimentary logo glass, unlimited beverage tasting; plus bottled water and coffee.
LAWineFest At A Glance
WHEN: Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May 31, 1-5 pm
WHERE: The historic Raleigh Studios, 5300 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, CA 90038.
TICKETS: One-day: $85/single; $160/couple; $15 designated driver. Howeve, use code BLOG15 at check-out to receive $48 tickets at LAWineFest.com to purchase tickets through Eventbrite.
PARKING: Street parking (metered on Saturday) and paid parking available at Paramount Studios lots on Bronson and Van Ness.
