15-20 Diverse California Wineries will pour 60-80 wines - Whites, Rosé, Reds and a few surprises. From Zinfandel to Albarino - California is making some really exciting wine and we want you to come and celebrate with these producers. Great food by one of LA’s top restaurants REPUBLIQUE will be provided as well as a silent auction supporting Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
list of Brands participating (more to come)
Margerum Wine Company is dedicated to producing small-lot, premium wines sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Nestled in the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley, the winery is located in Buellton, where owner Doug Margerum and winemaker Robert Daugherty craft world-class wines using traditional, hands-on methods. Their facility is meticulously maintained, with temperature-controlled buildings that house tanks, barrels, and a cold room tailored to their production needs, ensuring the highest quality in every bottle.
At Margerum, the focus is on creating wines that express a true sense of place and personality. By embracing nature’s nuances and working on a human scale, the winery strives to produce wines that reflect individuality rather than adhering to the principles of mass production. Every step of the process is intentional—from organic and sustainable farming to hand-punching down red wine fermentations in small open-top fermenters. The use of lees and natural CO2 from fermentation, rather than heavy reliance on sulfur, preserves the purity of the fruit flavors.
Margerum Wine Company invites you to share their thoughtfully crafted wines with family and friends, honoring the tradition of enjoying wine at the table where it belongs. Their wines, made with personal care and attention to detail, are not only a reflection of the land but also of the passion behind each bottle.
Pouring:
Sta Rita Hills Chardonnay, 2022
"M5" White, 2022
Fonte, 2022
Sta Rita Hills Pinot Noir, 2021
"M5" Red, 2023
Making Pinot Noir is no joke and neither is moving a vision from concept to reality. Once we settled on our core purpose, the heavy lifting began, drafting all elements of my experience to the project, breathing life into an aesthetic that is worthy of the phenomenal wines we are producing from Sonoma County. Having had the great fortune of experiencing planet Earth through scuba, surf, golf, and an unquenchable thirst for travel, I meditated on the aesthetic aspects of those experiences that manifest joy and tranquility in life. In Fiji, Roatan, Palau, Tahiti, and the Maldives, as an example, I found nature and the ocean to be raw and untouched, yet here my father and I were travelling via first class liveaboard, enjoying five dives a day, exploring terrain unspoiled by humans, while experiencing accommodations at the highest levels of service and perfection. These were stunning experiences that have informed all my endeavors in life. So, naturally, rustic luxury became the centering point from which brand, story, property, and winemaking started and is found today in all that is Croix Estate.
Pouring:
1904 Estate Zinfandel, Russian River Valley, 2022
West Pyramid Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2022
Stoetz Ridge Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, 2022
Narrow Gauge Chardonnay, Russian River Valley, 2022
Founded in 1972 by David S. Stare, Dry Creek Vineyard was the first new winery in the Dry Creek Valley following Prohibition. Dave’s vision to start a winery modeled after a Loire Valley château reintroduced the world to the wines of northern Sonoma County. Dry Creek Vineyard proudly carries the legacy as Dry Creek Valley’s namesake winery and the flagship of our renowned winegrowing region. Today, his daughter Kim Stare Wallace continues to build on these established traditions while innovating for the future. With the second generation firmly at the helm, the stewardship and future of Dry Creek Vineyard has never been brighter!
Pouring:
DCV3 Sauvignon Blanc, Dry Creek Valley, 2023
"Petite Zin" Rose, Dry Creek Valley, 2023
Spencer's Hill Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, 2021
Alluvial Gap Meritage, Dry Creek Valley, 2019
Moraga Vineyards is one of the most unique wine estates in California. Located at a 550-900 foot elevation in the Santa Monica Mountains in the Los Angeles community of Bel Air, the winery and vineyard is the source of remarkably refined wines that perfectly reflect a union of distinctive terroir and the gentle guidance of focused winemaking. The property is owned by Rupert Murdoch.
The property was originally the home of Victor Fleming, director of Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz. Fleming created a horse ranch on the property and used it through the 1930s and 1940s as a retreat and a secluded venue to host his friends.
In 1959, Tom and Ruth Jones purchased the property. After living on the estate for 20 years, Tom, the longtime CEO of Northrop Corporation, decided to plant grapevines. It was the steeply sloped hillsides and the gravelly and calcareous soils on the property that inspired them to plant vineyards as it reminded them of Bordeaux where they often travelled.
Pouring:
Sauvignon Blanc, California, 2021
Sauvignon Blanc, California, 2011
Bordeaux Blend, California, 2019
Bordeaux Blend, California, 2012
Nestled at nearly 3,000 feet in the Ojai mountains, Ojai Mountain vineyard is a biodynamically farmed and family-owned estate. Praised by Wine Enthusiast as “one of the more interesting estates in California,” it produces small-batch, artisan wines that reflect the rugged beauty of its surroundings.
Winemaker Erich Bradley, drawn by the unique terroir, emphasizes minimal intervention, using native yeasts and neutral French barriques to highlight the mountaintop-influenced tannins.
Committed to biodynamic farming, the estate integrates natural pest control through birds of prey. Several rehabilitated birds from the Ojai Raptor Center have made their permanent home here. This organic approach ensures healthier vines and higher-quality grapes.
Pouring:
White Blend, 2022
Red Blend, 2021
Syrah, 2021
Our intent at ONX Wines is to farm sustainably, organically, craft artfully, and host graciously. We are a small family-owned winery specializing in blends. We are located on the Central Coast.
Pouring:
Field Day Sauvignon Blanc, ONX Estate Vineyard, Templeton Gap District, 2023
Noble Intrigue, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley AVA, 2020
Reckoning, ONX Estate Vineyard, Templeton Gap District, 2020
Perfecting the old California classics, Robert Biale Vineyards has become a revered standard of heritage vineyard Zinfandel and Petite Sirah in the Napa Valley. From the winery’s inception, the Biale Founders have cherished the tradition of historic old vines (some dating to the 1880s!) and prize the small quantity of concentrated and intense fruit that they produce. Diligent farming, expressive terroir, and superb elegance are the winery’s hallmarks. Among the winery’s portfolio of 20 wines that Winemaker David Natali crafts, Black Chicken Zinfandel is the flagship–and has become a benchmark for the varietal.
Pouring:
Clementina Greco Bianco, 2023
Black Chicken Zinfandel, 2022
Royal Punishers Petite Sirah, 2022
Royal Punisher Petite Sirah, 2022
Robert (Bob) Foley began his winemaking career in the Napa Valley in 1977, having graduated from UC Davis with degrees in both Viticulture and Enology. He spent his first year working for Heitz Cellars, followed by 15 years as the founding winemaker for Markham Vineyards. In 1992 Bob began another 15 years as the founding winemaker for Pride Mountain Vineyards, and during this period he also created the highly acclaimed Switchback Ridge, Hourglass, Paloma, School House, and Engel Family wines. He now focuses on Robert Foley Vineyards, and is also the winemaker for Padis Vineyards and JennaMarise.
In 1998 Robert Foley Vineyards bottled its flagship Claret and has since expanded and diversified its production to offer more of the big reds Bob is famous for – Petite Sirah, Merlot, Charbono, the limited-release Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon and Howell Mountain Merlot from our estate property, a Carneros Pinot Noir, a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon, The Griffin (red blend) and a Syrah that we call Kelly's Cuvée.
The winery is located on Napa County’s Howell Mountain, where more than 1,500 barrels are housed in an extensive cave system (completed in 2008) for the production of Robert Foley wines. Our tasting room is open by appointment only, and is nothing fancy. It's all about the wine and not the show!
Pouring:
Charbono Napa Valley, 2020
Pinot Noir Carneros, Napa Valley, 2017
Merlot Napa Valley, 2018
Claret Napa Valley, 2017
Robert Foley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, 2018
Thomas’ entrance into the wine industry was sparked during a 1999 wine tasting trip to the Burgundy wine region in France. At the time he was a senior financial executive for a large biotechnology company and prior to going on that tasting trip, Thomas never dreamed of owning his own vineyards or making wine. It was that wine tasting trip in 1999 that altered his dreams, and led him to chart a new course in life… a life in the wine industry as a vintner. With this new found enthusiasm driving him forward, in 2001, Thomas was able to purchase a 36-acre parcel of land to begin the process of constructing that new future.
Located in The Anderson Valley, a cool climate wine appellation in south western Mendocino County, Thomas T Thomas Vineyards began in 2008 with Thomas planting a 3-acre pinot noir vineyard. Also, in 2008, Thomas built a winery next to the vineyards, with the understanding that one day he would produce and store his own wine there. From 2011 until 2017, Thomas was a grape grower only, then in 2017, Thomas decided to take a small portion of his grape production to create his own wine brand; A decision that was always part of his long-range plans. Starting in 2018, Thomas stopped selling his grapes to third party wineries and now he takes 100% of his production for his own brand. Currently, Thomas makes four different pinot noir wines, where three wines are produced from 100% estate fruit and the fourth wine has a mix of non-estate fruit. Starting with the 2020 vintage, Thomas added a Chardonnay wine offering, which he sources from quality vineyards in Anderson Valley and recently, Thomas has planted a parcel of estate chardonnay.
In his short time as a vintner, Thomas’ wines consistently score 90+ points by several major wine magazines and has won multiple Platinum and Gold medals from major International Wine Competitions. His 2017 Anderson Valley Reserve Pinot Noir was chosen as the Wine of the Year at the 2021 Monterey International Wine Competition and his 2018 Anderson Valley Reserve Pinot Noir was awarded the John Parducci Award and Best Red Wine Mendocino County at the 2021 Mendocino County Fair Wine Competition.
Pouring:
T Anderson Valley Chardonnay, 2020
Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, 2019
Reserve Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, 2018
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in Napa Valley by former emergency room physician Larry Turley in 1993. Under the direction of winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, Turley now makes 50 different wines from over 50 vineyards across California, primarily Zinfandel and Petite Syrah, with many vines dating back to the late 1800s. By farming organically and focusing on old vine vineyards of these varieties, Turley aims to both create and preserve California’s unique winemaking culture.
Pouring:
Zinfandel Rose, California, 2023
"Juvenile" Zinfandel, California, 2022
"Kirschenmann Vineyard" Zinfandel, Lodi, 2022
"Pesenti Vineyard" Zinfandel, Paso Robles, 2022
"Estate Vineyard" Zinfandel, Napa Valley, 2022
Prices are all inclusive
Join Matthias Pippig of Sanguis Vineyards and Richard Crowell from Red Car for a very special and intimate VIP Dinner that allows you entry into the 6:30PM early entrance, 7:00PM tray pass along with an 8PM 5+ course Republique tasting dinner menu (limited, includes tax and tip) (Dinner ends around 10:30). Guests of the dinner will depart with a dinner edition of the VIP gift bag. Valued over $600!
Early admission to the tasting, with heavy appetizers including oysters, caviar and special tray pass plus the 7pm tray pass. Taste all night until 9:30 with food being tray passed all night… but a heavier set of food for our 6:30 arrivals.
From 7pm to 9:30 enjoy Republique restaurant tray pass and taste over 50 wines from all the visiting wineries. A silent auction will benefit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Taste all the wines, limited food will be provided - please eat before attending.
Where? RÉPUBLIQUE
624 S La Brea Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
République, located in Miracle Mile, is owned by Chefs Walter and Margarita Manzke. Centered in the heart of Los Angeles, the historic building in which it resides was originally erected in 1929 by Charlie Chaplin, and later transformed into the iconic La Brea Bakery and Campanile Restaurant. République builds on this storied past, offering a gastronomic environment imbued with history and grandeur. The space features a casual bakery, café, and bar in the front with a more formal dining area located in the rear, serving a French-inspired menu created daily by our chefs.
A Southern California native, Walter Manzke began his fine dining career in Los Angeles working alongside esteemed Chef Joachin Splichal of Patina. From there, he traveled around the world working with renowned chefs Ferran Adrià and Alain Ducasse. After a few years in the Bay area opening successful Relais & Chateaux properties, he returned to Los Angeles to make his mark on the city as Chef of Bastide, then moved on to take over the kitchen at Church & State. Chef Walter has several restaurants to his name. Domestically, he and his team have opened a string of critically -acclaimed Los Angeles concepts, including the ever-thriving République. Working alongside his wife and business partner Margarita Manzke, they have opened sixteen Wildflour Bakeries in the Philippines. Regarded as an “unassailable cornerstone of Los Angeles dining” by Los Angeles Times Restaurant Critic Bill Addison, Chef Walter’s restaurants have pushed him to the forefront of contemporary French cuisine, earning him recognition from the Michelin Guide, The James Beard Foundation, The Los Angeles Times, and journalists from across the globe. Born and raised in the Philippines, Margarita Manzke entered the Los Angeles scene working at some of the city’s most celebrated restaurants, including Patina, Spago, and Mélisse. In the early 2000s, she and her husband Walter moved to Carmel, opening critically acclaimed dining concepts Bouchée, Cantinetta Luca and l’Auberge Carmel, which is where her signature French baguette was mastered. Manzke eventually returned to Los Angeles as Pastry Chef of Bastide Restaurant, and, in the years to come, opened several award-winning concepts in Los Angeles, including République. Manzke pushed the boundaries of her craft at République, introducing her own distinctive techniques and flavors into her creations. As a result of her inspired work at République, Manzke has been nominated for the James Beard Awards Outstanding Pastry Chef category for eight consecutive years running, with a win for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker in 2023. République has continued to make its mark on the culinary landscape of Los Angeles as a frequent entry on the Los Angeles Times “101 Best” List and one of Restaurant Critic Bill Addison’s most recommended LA restaurants to both friends and readers.
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About
IAN BLACKBURN
I discovered the wine industry while working with Chef’s Thomas Keller and Joachim Splichal in the top dining rooms of Los Angeles. My passion redirected my career from restaurants/hotels to vineyards and wine-education. Now with over 25-years of experience hosting events; leading trips around the wine world; I published a wine book; produced my own wine called Beekeeper Cellars and sat for the difficult Master of Wine Exam! Today, I am considered one of the region's best wine educators and work for my 20,000 followers (follow me), visiting vineyards and wine regions and produce over 100 wine classes and events a year for my businesses and my team.
