The results are being processed. The wine has been sipped, swirled and spit out. The glasses have been cleaned and the judges have departed until next year. The 2013 Los Angeles International Wine Competition is over.
A total of 10,000 glasses were used and 3,200 bottles were opened during this year’s competition. Dive into the world of wine and check out the infographic below for more fun facts on what went down during the competition:
Last week we gave you a peek into the 74th annual Los Angeles International Wine Competition. We haven’t slowed down one bit this week as we dive into the Los Angeles International Spirits Competition.
Held behind closed doors at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel, hundreds of glasses are lined up and ready to be filled with a variety of spirits: gin, whiskey, vodka, tequila and rum for starters. The judges started sipping and spitting bright and early this morning with tequila and whiskey (not your typical breakfast fare.)
We’ll be covering the event here on our blog but be sure to check Instagram and Twitter for additional coverage:
#laspiritscomp
#spitacular
Follow along: @lawinecomp
Cheers!
It’s almost the weekend! We are wrapping up the Los Angeles International Wine Competition here at Fairplex and are getting ready for Food Truck Thursday, Preakness and our other weekend happenings. As for you, there is plenty to see, do and taste throughout all of Los Angeles…
Go Kings Go!: If you’re a hockey fan, you might want to start your weekend a little early and hightail it over to the Staples Center to see the L.A. Kings face off against the San Jose Sharks in the second round of playoffs. Whether you have nosebleed seats or the best seats in the arena, it’s sure to be loud, wild and tons of fun.
Dominick’s Annual Crawfish Boil: If you’ve had enough of L.A. fare (quinoa, kale, organic everything) and want to escape to the South for a couple hours, stop by Dominick’s Restaurant on Saturday for Chef Brandon Boudet’s annual Crawfish Boil. The New Orleans native will be cooking 300 lbs. of live crawfish (flown over from Louisiana) for your dining pleasure.
International Museum Night at LACMA: If you’re looking for something slightly less rowdy than a crawfish boil, check out International Museum Night at LACMA. The agenda includes a series of lectures (“LACMA Exhibitions Around the World,” “Classic Maya” and “The Art of Looking.” KCRW will also be on hand to spin some low-key tunes along with two tasting stations.
CRUSH: End your weekend with some light wine and food tasting down in Santa Monica at the 18th St Arts Center. Down a cocktail or two and enjoy food from some of the best (or so they claim) that Los Angeles has to offer and spend an hour or two letting your inner foodie out.
And if all else fails… It looks like it will be a beautiful weekend, perfect for a walk in the park, a picnic on the beach or just relaxing with the family at home 
Los Angeles International Wine Competition employees prepare the wine for our judges
The wine judging began yesterday morning and continues strong today. Anyone walking into the ballroom will be greeted with a whiff of wine… a lot of wine. The sound of clinking glasses and the scratching of judges’ pencils and the sight of plates heaped with generous amounts of cheese, grapes, crackers and other pairings completes the scene.
Here are a few photos we’ve taken from the competition:
All lined up and ready to go
Judges
Reppin' Dodger blue in the judges room
The judges ended yesterday’s round with their own Table-to-Farm dinner out at McKinley’s Farm. Staying true to tradition, Chef David Teig prepared the feast right in front of the judges. A wide variety of foods was served, including a course of octopus. Vegetables, fruits and herbs were taken fresh from the farm (of course.)
The 74th annual Los Angeles International Wine Competition kicks off today at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel. As we speak, our esteemed panel of judges (coming from around the world) are being welcomed and and settling in for two days of sipping, swirling and spitting as they go through thousands of wine entries.
We’ll be covering the event here on our blog but be sure to check Instagram and Twitter for up-to-the-minute coverage:
#lawinecomp
#purpleteeth
#spitacular
Follow along: @lawinecomp
Cheers!
There’s no way around it: this weekend is packed. The L.A. Weekender is looking at Star Wars, the Kentucky Derby, and Cinco de Mayo. Shall we elaborate?
Taken from livemusicblog.com
The Rolling Stones: If you’re feeling spontaneous (and have some cash to blow), you can try to see The Rolling Stones, performing Friday night at the Staples Center. Perhaps it’s not the intimate performance the Echoplex saw last weekend, but for anyone who’s a fan, this is guaranteed to be a night to rock out and remember.
May the Fourth be with you: If you’re a Star Wars fan and tend to get a little geeked out when someone brings up the Death Star or Han Solo, you have a couple options:
1. Head out to Orange County and hit up Downtown Disney in the afternoon and meet Mike Kungl, Disney Fine Art painter as he reveals his latest Star Wars-inspired art collection. If you have a Disney pass, don’t forget to slip into Tomorrowland for a bit of fun.
2. Meanwhile in Los Angeles, Entertainment Weekly is going all out for at the CapeTown Film Fest at the Egyptian Theater with all-day screenings of Return of the Jedi.
Kentucky Derby: If racing and mint juleps are to your liking, consider the Kentucky Derby, happening on Saturday. Sure you might not actually be at the races and you’ll be hard pressed to find anything resembling a friendly Southern drawl, but why not swing by Finish Line Sports Grill for one of their signature Mint Juleps?
Enjoy ticketless wagering and watch the races with your fellow SoCal horse enthusiasts.
Cinco de Mayo: All of Los Angeles is celebrating the Mexican army’s triumph at the Battle of Puebla 150 years ago, and while there are plenty of food and drink specials to be found, we recommend taking the family to the free Cinco de Mayo Festival down on Olvera Street. Check out the folk dancing, live performances from Ballet Folklorico, Mariachi Estampa de America and La Original Banda El Limon, and chow down on your favorite Mexican meal before calling it a day.
So many options, so little time…
“You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” — Maya Angelou
If you’ve ever been to the L.A. County Fair, you’ve seen it. You’ve walked through FairView Farms. You encountered dinosaurs in the lush jungles of the Exposition Center a couple years ago. You were transported to London’s finest gardens and monuments. And you might have seen a pirate ship or barn make its way through the fairgrounds during a parade.
We don’t use pixie dust here…
Meet the mastermind behind it all: Kathy Wadham, creator extraordinaire or as her business card says: Director of Creative Programming. Staying true to Maya Angelou’s quote, her never-ending well of ideas continues to bring the fun to Fairplex. Her M.O.? “How hard could it be to make? There are no problems, only solutions.”
As we move towards Fairtime Kathy will be blogging her secret tips and tricks for how she transforms our quiet campus into a riotous, colorful playground and share some of her ideas with you for your own home or event.
“I have to say, I am one very lucky girl–I get to do a job that I love!” she says. “Simply put: I get to create the impossible. Every day holds a different challenge for my extremely creative team and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Being creative makes me happy; it is just part of who I am.”
Besides the Fair, Kathy and the creative team are kept busy with the other Fairplex events like holiday festivities, Oktoberfest and most recently, the Upland Lemon Festival.
Meet the creative team
Kathy and her team makes ‘something out of nothing’ on a regular basis. What was once a pile of scrape wood, buckets of leftover paint and a collection of nails, screws and splinters morphed an old-fashioned lemonade stand, perfect as a photo prop. Other creations included a western town, wine garden and the Circus.
Innate creativity
London, L.A. County Fair 2012
Creativity comes naturally to Kathy. You might say she was born with it. “I have been making “something out of nothing” since I was a little girl,” she told us. “I used to make my own paper dolls and clothes out of old wallpaper books, brown grocery bags, scraps of fabric and lace. In high school, I made my own clothes, because I wanted something different to wear every day. Remember Newberry’s? You could buy fabric for .50 cents a yard and could make a dress for less than $2 dollars. To this day, I never really wear the same things together the same way more than once. I just love the color combinations.”
I can personally attest to that last one. Kathy is always in something unique and colorful, always stylish, never gaudy
When she’s not creating something for Fairplex, Kathy can be found sipping Starbucks, browsing Pinterest (her obsession) and Etsy, watching TV (“my favorite shows are NCIS, Castle, Revenge, Scandal and HGTV”), shopping Target, Loft and HomeGoods and decorating and redecorating her house. Other loves include statement necklaces, clothes (“lots and lots of clothes”) and everything about the beach. She is married with three daughters and five wonderful grandchildren that call her Nana.
Coming up …
Kathy will be sharing her tips on creating a multitude of fun things. Summer’s coming fast and she has plenty of ways to bring the beach to your home (minus the pounds of seaweed and sand.)
What are some of your favorite Fair attractions Kathy has made?
Tell us in the comment section below….
…And we’re live: Eventstagram, a live Instagram feed for events (think Tweetdeck for Instagram) has officially been adopted into the Wayra family. What does this mean for the rest of the event world? It means that Evenstagram (less than a year old) could soon be the answer to engaging event guests and aggregating live visual content, not to mention a practical and visually pleasing piece of decor for your venue. It’s a slideshow of your event, during your event, created by guests, curated by you. Worth trying out or at the very least, keeping an eye on.
I want to ride my bicycle: Last Sunday marked the 6th successful CicLAvia event. The Los Angeles take on a Colombian tradition opened a car-free 15-mile stretch from downtown to Venice Beach, allowing cyclists of all ages to enjoy a sunny Sunday ride from city to the sea. As Los Angeles continues to fight traffic and pollution (no easy feat; we are America’s most congested city), it will be interesting to see how much traction events like CicLAvia will gain. Currently only three days out of the year are scheduled for such events in the city–there are only so many days a car-dependent culture can take of massive street closures. CicLAvia has been met with high success. The average number of participants is 100,000.
Stagecoach: Southern California went a little country this weekend at the annual Stagecoach Country Music Festival. As soon as Coachella hipsters cleared the scene, a wave of cowboy hats and boots, Daisy Duke shorts, beer and guitars came roaring into the desert. Country music lovers enjoyed the sounds of Lady Antebellum, Dierks Bentley, Norah Jones and Trace Adkins among others all weekend long.
G’bye Gibson: The curtain falls on the Gibson Amphitheater to make way for Universal Studios Hollywood’s newest project: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
Upland Lemon Festival: The Upland Lemon Festival hosted large crowds this weekend as the city celebrated with carnival rides and games, lemonade, food trucks, live entertainment and pie eating contests. You can check out photos of the event on the Facebook page.
The theme for this week’s L.A. Weekender is: free. Spend more time than money on this weekend’s itinerary. Whether you’re hanging out in the Inland Empire or enjoying a day on the Westside, there is plenty to do:
Image taken from coverbooth.com
1. Upland Lemon Festival: Carnival rides and games, live entertainment (is that Queen Nation and DSB I hear?) and all things lemon are happening in Upland this weekend. Grab your family and friends and enjoy a warm afternoon strolling through Crafter’s Village, hopping on a carnival ride or two and enjoying a slice of lemon pie. P.S. It’s free!
2. Brewery Artwalk: The world’s largest art complex is only open to the public twice a year and this weekend marks the first of 2013. Check out the works of more than 100 artists and purchase a few paintings if the mood strikes. Admission and parking are free.
3. Bite Flite: Our friends at L.A. Foodie are hosting quite the event on Saturday. Bite Flite, happening at Culver City’s Bar & Garden, invites guests to an evening of beer samples paired with a number of delectable hamburgers and desserts. Foodie heaven. Each guests receives a tote bag full of goodies too. While this event comes with a price, it’s only $15. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday evening!
4. Mom and Pop Up Shop: For nearly a decade, Etsy has been a virtual alternative to craft fairs, offering an online storefront for designers, thrifters and crafters. The site transforms from virtual to tangible at this weekend’s Mom and Pop Up Shop. A one-day-only collaboration with permanent San Pedro marketplace Crafted, the pop-up shop boasts more than 50 artisan vendors inside the Port of Los Angeles’ World War II–era warehouses. (Need we mention that admission is free?)
We hope you enjoy your weekend! Check back here on Monday for photos from the Upland Lemon Festival!
The Upland Lemon Festival is right around the corner (this weekend!) That means our heads are filled with agendas for pie eating contests and Lemon Idol, and our office is abuzz with all things yellow, tart and tangy.
On that note, inspiration struck in the form of food: breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. If you’re inclined to make a day of it, we have a full menu of lemon-y ideas for you to try. Or if you’re like me, just pick a couple recipes on for size.
Good Morning! Start the day with a cold glass of lemon water. It stimulates the digestive system, revs up your metabolism and gives you a quick cleanse from any toxins built up overnight. The easiest way to prep this beverage is to fill a container with water, throw lemon slices in and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. (I use a gallon-sized container with one sliced lemon to use for the whole week.)
It’s recommended that this ritual only be repeated a few times a week, as too much lemon water can make teeth sensitive.
Breakfast: Lemon ricotta pancakes are first in line. Try Bobby Flay’s recipe: easy and quick to make, with delicious results. Just mix all the ingredients together, sprinkle on some powdered sugar and raspberries, take a pic for Instagram and dig in.
Cupcakes and Cashmere
Sticking with the berry theme, Jenny’s Picky Palate Creamy Lemon Blueberry Crepes are equally tasty.
Full list of ingredients here.
1. Place flour, sugar, milk, egg and vanilla into a blender, blending until well combined, about 20 seconds. Pour crepe batter into a large measuring cup and set aside.
2. Place blueberries, sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice into a medium bowl, mixing to combine. Transfer to a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place lemon curd and cream cheese into a small bowl, mixing until smooth and combined.
4. Heat a crepe pan or 12 inch non stick over medium heat. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of crepe batter into pan swirling all the way around to get a nice circular crepe. Cook for about 1 minute on the first side or until turning golden then flip and cook for another 30 seconds-1 minute. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Continue cooking crepes until all the batter is gone. Makes about 10 crepes.
5. Fill each crepe with a thin layer of lemon curd cream and a spoon of blueberries. Roll crepes and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Now eat!
Makes about 10 crepes
Lunch/Dinner: For an easy fix (and about an hour of your time), opt for lemon chicken:
Trampling Rose photo
Ingredients
Serve with a side of brown rice and a brightly colored garden salad and you have yourself a lemon-y healthy meal. Too boring? Mix the protein in with the carbs with a delicious serving of lemon chicken pasta.
Happy Hour: After all that cooking, relax a bit with a refreshing cocktail. It’s springtime after all. (Granted, there aren’t any actual lemons in the mix… you remedy that with an elegant spiral sliced lemon for garnish )
Dessert: One of my personal favorite desserts, lemon bars are perfect for a mid-day snack or a post-dinner treat.
smitten kitchen
While making the dessert can be slightly high-maintenance if you’re pressed for time (in which case we recommend booking it to the closest Ralph’s and getting the easy-bake kind), the delightful contrast between the sweet cookie crust and the tart lemon mixture is well worth the effort.
If you aren’t too lemon-ed out after this post, join us for the Lemon Festival this weekend, where you can drink fresh lemonade, sample a few baked goods and enjoy the rest of the fun we have going on to celebrate the citrus roots of Upland.
