Enjoy the festive spirit with fun activities at these Southern California wineries.
‘Tis the season to be jolly – or merry – or whatever adjective suits you best to get you into joyful spirits this time of year.
And while typically the holiday season is reserved for children and the excitement of what gifts they will receive, adults can have fun too, right?
Wineries are no exception. All across California, commercial winemakers know how to make it a December to remember by hosting festive events or offering special treats not just for their club members but for the public as well.
So if you are feeling jolly and up for making a trip to a winery in Orange County or farther afield in Solvang, here are some ideas to warm your cockles.
Over at Peltzer Family Cellars in Temecula, they celebrate over a six-week period with “Christmas on the Farm.” There is a 120×65-foot ice rink for the kids – or kids at heart – local food trucks peppered throughout the property and local live music. And if you are looking for a “holidate,” there’s a wine and cupcake pairing at the winery on Dec. 28. For $30, guests get three mini cupcakes and receive three 2-ounce tastings.
A little farther south at San Pasqual Winery in La Mesa, they offer a seasonal hot spiced wine kit, just right for those chilly evenings. The $48 kit is a blend of passionfruit wine, red wine and mulling spices. The winery also has a tasting room in Seaport Village and is a prime viewing spot for the annual San Diego Bay Parade of Lights that features more than 80 boats. The parade will be on December 10 and 17.
Back in Orange County, Frisby Cellars has its 10th Annual Christmas in the Cellar at its Rancho Mission Viejo location on December 10 from 12-4 p.m. Attendees can sip and shop as local vendors set up tables in the cellar and hawk their wares. There also will be a DJ pumping up the jam and of course a slew of treats to go with the array of wine.
Bellante Family Winery in Mission Viejo has two events that might strike your interest. The winery hosts a succulent Christmas tree workshop that aims to make your desk at work or your dinner table the envy of others. The workshop is $110 plus tax and includes all the materials needed to make your tree, a glass of wine and cheese and charcuterie. The event will be held on December 5 from 6-8:30 p.m. The winery also has its 4th Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange on December 22, beginning at 5 p.m. Amateur bakers are asked to bring about a dozen cookies to share and make sure to don your ugly Christmas sweater since the winner will be rewarded with a prize.
And, if there’s one place that is a perfect Winter Wonderland setting in California it is Solvang. The Danish hamlet known for its renowned wineries and its fabled Aebleskivers takes it up a notch during the holidays with its Julefest celebration.
Head on up the first weekend of December for the tree lighting and parade as more than 400 participants cruise down the town’s main avenues. If you can’t make it, then try one of the candlelight tours on Dec. 8-9, 15-16 and 18-23, beginning at 5 p.m. as participants sing carols and learn Danish traditions as they comb the streets (and maybe stop in at one of the more than dozen tasting rooms). You can also be on the hunt for the elusive Nisser – aka Danish gnomes – that are hidden throughout the town. Find them all and you get a special gift.
So many decisions for us wine lovers and so little time. Happy Holidays to all and enjoy the good times.