Sip, sip, hooray! LAWineFest is returning to Harry Bridges Memorial Park in Long Beach June 3 and June 4 for its 18th year. Located next to the iconic Queen Mary, LAWineFest allows you to bask in the California sunshine while enjoying wine made in Paso Robles, Temecula, Healdsburg and more. With so many wines and so little time, we have five must-try wineries to raise your glass.
Doffo Winery
Nestled in Temecula Valley, Marcelo Doffo started Doffo Wines 26 years ago. In order to produce small batches of bold, complex wines, the Doffo team, now helmed by Marcelo’s son, Damian, hand-plants each vine and pays meticulous attention to each detail throughout the growing process. Numerous Doffo wines have received accolades, awards and ratings; Doffo’s Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve and Zinfandel vintages in particular have racked up a long list, in addition to Marcelo’s first wine, Mistura, and many more. Suffice it to say, you cannot go wrong with a wine from Doffo.
During your next visit to Temecula, stop by Doffo’s MotoDoffo Barrel Room to enjoy a glass of wine and Marcelo’s passion for motorcycles; there are nearly 200 motorcycles and scooters from around the world on display.
Lasorda Family Wines
You don’t have to be a baseball fan to enjoy Lasorda wines. While Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is known largely for his success with the Los Angeles Dodgers, many people don’t know that he was introduced to winemaking at a young age. Tommy’s father was an Italian immigrant who continued making wine when he moved to America, which Tommy would help him craft and distribute to their community. When Tommy’s baseball career came to an end, he transferred his passion back to winemaking. Tommy was able to tie together both baseball and wine in a way that could be shared with his family, friends and baseball fans.
Made in Paso Robles, Lasorda Family Wines offers three red options: Cabernet Sauvignon “with a finish so long it will take you into extra innings”; a Special Edition #2 Super Tuscan Blend that uses Sangiovese as a base and incorporates the intensity of the Cabernet Sauvignon with the bright acidity of Merlot; and The 1958 Collection Syrah, which is dedicated to the year the Dodgers played their inaugural game at the LA Memorial Coliseum.
San Antonio Winery
You might say San Antonio Winery has aged like a fine wine. The oldest and largest producing winery in Los Angeles, San Antonio Winery has been making wine for more than 100 years. It all began on Lamar Street, where San Antonio Winery still has a restaurant, wine tastings and events, and has grown to include vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey and Napa Valley. Today, four generations of the Riboli Family contribute to the success of San Antonio Winery.
San Antonio Winery produces a variety of wines, ports and even sangria: Windstream, San Simeon, Opaque, Maddalena, Highlands Forty One, San Antonio Cardinale and Stella Rosa, Mariella, Chocolate Bar, La Quinta and Bodega Sangria. With the option of sweet whites, deep reds and everything in between, San Antonio Winery is guaranteed to have something for every taste.
Goldschmidt Vineyards
For Nick and Yolyn Goldschmidt, winemaking is a family affair. Throughout the years, their five children could be found helping during the harvest, in the cellar making wine and even represented on the bottles themselves! Nick came up with the idea of including his daughters’ silhouettes on the label, with the colors reflecting their personality and style. Of these special wines, 2021 Katherine Goldschmidt Cabernet Sauvignon and 2021 Chelsea Goldschmidt Merlot, Guidestone Rise both received 91-plus points from Wine Enthusiast, with Chelsea even nabbing “Editor’s Choice.”
Goldschmidt Vineyards features wine from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Nick’s native New Zealand and California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County. As an internationally-based winemaker, Nick encourages wine enthusiasts to try more wines from around the globe.
Ascension Cellars
Like many travelers, Erick Allen became obsessed with wine after a trip to France and Italy. Although Allen began his winemaking career in 1991, it wasn’t until 2009 that he finally teamed up with friends to open Ascension Cellars. With grapes sourced from several vineyards within the hilly countryside of Paso Robles, Ascension Cellars is a boutique winery specializing in organic, sustainable and handcrafted premium Rhône and Bordeaux-style blends produced at Cass Vineyard.
Ascension Cellars’ white wines are aged in stainless steel tanks with limited contact to oxygen after blending to allow the floral and tropical aromas, fruit flavors, bright minerality and acidity of each varietal to stand out. Their red wines are barrel aged for two years in French and American Appalachian Oak barrels, producing a fruit-forward wine with structure and elegance. Prepare to elevate your senses!
LAWineFest takes place Saturday, June 3, from 2 to 6 p.m., and Sunday, June 4, from 1 to 5 p.m. Tickets start at $80 or $25 for designated drivers. Guests will also enjoy live entertainment, and a portion of event proceeds will benefit the Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club.
For more information about LAWineFest, visit www.lawinefest.com.
1126 Queens Hwy.
Long Beach, CA 90802