The California Wine Festival has two summer stops just ahead, and one in the fall

SUMMERTIME, with all of its dappled delights, is in full flower. We can see that in the powerful sunlight and the lovely later nights, for starters, as well as the variety of produce on the market shelves. Another sign of the dazzle-iest season may be found in the sorts of festivals that are on the sunny-spirited slate. One of those happenings, the California Wine Festival, isn't a one-time-only kind of thing; the gathering, which spotlights a host of sublime vintages from around our state's fantastic wine countries, has a tradition of passing through some of California's most picturesque coastal communities over the course of several months. Spring has its festival, and fall, too, but summertime, it will not surprise you, gets two vino-taculars. And they're nearly back-to-back, with Carlsbad up over the last weekend of June 2024 and Santa Barbara three weeks later on July 18 and 19.

THE BEACHSIDE WINE FESTIVAL... is a major draw — that's the Saturday event — while a Sunset Reserve & Rare Tasting is the sippable centerpiece on Friday evening. You'll want to peruse either Carlsbad or Santa Barbara to find out which wineries and eateries will be stopping by, but the lists, for both locations, are lengthy. The California Wine Festival in Carlsbad will include Polemonium Wines, Hawk and Horse Vineyards, Mendocino Farms, and Inferno Woodfired Kitchen, as well as several other great choices; complimentary nibbles, like cheeses and such, are part of your ticket as well. If you'd like to attend both the Carlsbad and Santa Barbara dates, note that they are separately ticketed. And if you can't make either? Look to November, when the California Wine Festival visits Huntington Beach. More information about the long-running, festival, including the festival beneficiaries, is located on the site.