Great Wine Festival 2016 Raises $86,000 for LASOC!
Could there not be a more beautiful day for the Great Wine Festival this year? On May 21st, the sun shone brightly for the benefit hosted by Legal Aid Society of Orange County (LASOC) which provides legal services free of charge for underprivileged and disadvantaged communities in Orange County that need legal representation. The event was the sixth for LASOC and took place at the OC Great Park in Irvine this year. As hundreds of wine enthusiasts gathered for live music, food, and free-flowing libations, vendors shared winery knowledge and encouraged the guests to learn more about each pour. We were invited to join in the fun and were glad to see so many supporters out for the event and cause; this year's festival was able to raise $86,000 for LASOC who will be using those funds to continue serving the 114,000+ individuals they help annually.
The event itself featured different tiers of tickets, and our participation in the VIP hour really showed how many strong supporters of the organization there were. Even in the preview hour, there were plenty of attendees milling about and trying out all of the different offerings available. Raffle tickets were sold throughout as well featuring prizes such as Clippers tickets, group wine tastings, a Radisson Newport Beach getaway, Lakers tickets, a Kerrygold gift pack, Brio Tuscan Grille certificates, and anniversary wine from ONEHOPE Wine.
The festival was not only focused on wine but also featured other types of vendors. Craft breweries showcased their brews, distilleries boasted their spirits, and non-alcoholic brands slung hydration the whole time. Featured were:
- 10 Barrel Brewing Company
- Elysian Brewing
- Golden Road Brewing
- Goose Island Beer Company
- Lost Coast Brewery
- Newport Beach Brewing Company
- Ninkasi Brewing Company
- Ascendant Spirits
- Ludlows Cocktail Company
- Sangre Altena Tequila
- Tatratea
- Bai Brands
- DRY Sparkling
- Fiji Water
- Black Tie & Blue Jeans Creative Catering
- Brio Tuscan Grille
- James Republic
- Katella Deli Restaurant & Bakery
- Kerrygold
- Monterey Chocolate Company
- Radisson Newport Beach
- Sadie Rose Baking Company
- Seven Barrels
- Shuck Oyster Bar
- So Rich! Chocolates
- Trader Joe's
It was a treat to see many local businesses supporting LASOC in these ways.
Wineries and distributors represented included:
- Aliso Viejo Country Club
- California Fruit Wine Company
- Chalone Vineyard
- Cholame Vineyard
- Cline Zinfandel
- Deloach Pinot Noir
- Gagnon Cellars
- H&H Wine Company
- Hi-Time Wine Cellars
- Il Bruciato
- Justin Winery
- King Frosch Wines
- La Crema Winery
- Lucky Dogg Winery
- Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards
- Mia Dolcea Moscato D'Asti
- Muirwood Chardonnay
- Navarro Vineyards & Winery
- Oakleys 82
- ONEHOPE Wine
- Orange County Winery
- PRP Wine International
- Quigly Fine Wines
- Risata Moscato D'Asti
- Roederer Estate Brut Champagne
- Rombauer Vineyards
- Round Pond the Henry Wine Group
- Tesoro Della Regino Pinot Grigio
- Tobin James
- Turiya Wines
- Venture Wine Group
- Wines for Humanity
Each definitely came with their own sets of energetic, enthusiastic pourers as well!
We're so glad to see the strong support that the OC community had for this year's Great Wine Festival in terms of numbers and funds raised. Cheers to another successful event for next year - we'll definitely toast to that!
Photography by Duc Duong. More photos available on Facebook here.
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