Irvine, California, is fast becoming an attractive destination for visitors who are looking for an exciting variety of leisure-time activities. Conveniently located in the heart of Orange County, Irvine has long been known as an easily accessible location for business meetings, but it also offers visitors many other opportunities for fun with friends and family, including top-notch hotels, an endless variety of wonderful restaurant options, beautiful parks, and many cultural events and…

It was truly a Bella Notte—a “beautiful night” at the Europa Village Winery in the Temecula Valley Wine Country in Southern California, where the winery’s first musical, internationally-themed wine dinner of the fall season took place recently. Europa holds these wine pairing dinners occasionally and they are always exceptional events.…

A unique wine tasting phenomenon is going on in the Temecula Valley Wine Country, located about an hour north of San Diego.  While it’s not surprising that the wine aficionados here get together and drink good wine, eat good food, and discuss what they’re eating and drinking, it is interesting that there are several organized groups that meet not just for socialization but for the specific purpose of tasting and reviewing wines from all over the country and the world.  These groups are…

On a recent Thursday night in the enticing Hillcrest area of San Diego, Planet Rooth Design Haus brought together the seemingly unlikely but totally pleasing combination of high-end whiskeys, gourmet appetizers, and beautiful artisan furniture.  A group of about 40 gathered to partake of it all and we had a unique and completely enthralling evening. …

If an earthquake had started shaking southern California on a recent Sunday night, we might not have felt it at the Thornton Winery, in the Temecula Valley Wine Country, where guests were doing their own kind of shaking to the spirited, heartfelt beat of jazz saxophonist and singer, Mindi Abair. With her high energy vibe, Mindi was the ideal musician to launch Thornton Winery’s 24th Annual Champagne Jazz Series. Mindi and her talented band had everyone on their feet clapping, dancing and…

When wine connoisseurs Linda Kissam and Tom Plant invited me to a wine tasting and food pairing, I was thrilled to attend and the experience exceeded my already high expectations.  Linda and Tom had some special wines for us to taste and we were all encouraged to bring dishes that would go with our assigned wines.  Our group is called the Occasional Wine Council and meets “on occasion” to taste and critique wines along with food prepared by the participants to match specific…