Celebrate All Things Wine at the 32nd Annual Ojai Wine Festival
Wine season is upon us and I couldn’t be happier.
To be honest, every season is wine season simply because you can uncork a bottle anytime of the year and it pairs well with whatever is on your table wherever you may be. I particularly love wine most when spring turns into summer because it becomes perfect for backyard barbecues and afternoons lying on the beach. With the excitement of warmer weather coming around, my anticipation of popping open a bottle is at anall-time high. What makes me even more excited is the opportunity to discover new brands and tastes and the best way for me to do so is at the Ojai Wine Festival in Ventura.
I was invited to the festival that takes place on Lake Casitas this Sunday June 12th. The idea of sampling over 60 wineries and more than 30 breweries has me wanting it to be the weekend already. While there are a few days before the festival, I decided to chat with two of the women leading the execution of the event: Latasha Ball and Sarah MacMillan. Granted this interview is in no way keeping me calm until the event, but hearing more about it is holding me over until I’m in Ventura County.
Follow My Gut (FMG): The Ojai Wine Festival has showcased wine and beer vendors annually for over 30 years, how does the event curate its participants?
Ball & MacMillan (B&M): The Ojai Wine Festival curates great event participants by partnering with local wineries, breweries, restaurants, vendors and more to make this event unlike any other wine festival. The Rotary Club of Ojai-West is lucky to have loyal participants return each year to enjoy our selection of exclusive wines and beers, and give back to the community.
FMG: What makes the Ojai Wine Festival unique in comparison to similar festivals? 
B&M: The Ojai Wine Festival is the primary fundraising effort of The Rotary Club of Ojai-West. 100% of the festivals’ proceeds go back to local and international humanitarian efforts. Event-goers can embrace the fact that not only do they get to enjoy fine wine and craft beer, but their ticket purchase is donated back to those who need it the most. Attendees will experience the beautiful city of Ojai, and everything that makes this area and festival truly unique.
FMG: How does the festival continue to help local organizations? What impact has the festival made since partnering with charities and projects?
B&M: The Ojai Wine Festival has raised over $1.2 million dollars for the Rotary Club of Ojai-West local and international humanitarian efforts. Charities impacted are on both a local and international scale. Local projects include the 3rd Grade Dictionary Project, Girls Empowerment Workshop, and more while international charities include The Global Eradication of Polio, The Grace Center for Girls in Zambia, English as a Second Language Proficiency Program for Children in Nicaragua, and The Birth Attendant Training in Niger Project to name a few.
FMG: What contributes to the festival’s success over the last 30+ years?
B&M: The Ojai Wine Festival has had the support of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties over the course of the rotary club’s lifetime. Our sponsors, wineries, breweries, art vendors, participating restaurants, board members, community members and support staff are the backbone of our success. We could not host the festival without them
FMG: What are you hoping attendees will gain from going to the festival?
B&M: The Ojai Wine Festival encourages participants to enjoy our eclectic selection of wineries, breweries and culinary delights in one beautiful lakeside location. This family-friendly event invites guests from all over to enjoy themselves and support a variety of amazing organizations. Hopefully participants gain the knowledge that they are supporting a great cause and are enjoying themselves in the process with those they cherish most!
FMG: What are some of your favorite wines that will be at the festival? And yes, I’m twisting your arm.
B&M: All our participating wineries have distinct flavors sure to please. Some of the fantastic wineries participating include:
1. Arndt Cellars: Won Best of Class for their 2014 Merlot at the 2018 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition
2. Vinemark Cellars: Won the Gold and Bronze wine judging score from certified wine sommeliers at last year’s Ojai Wine Festival
3. Old Creek Ranch Winery: Just celebrated their grand re-opening!
4. Barefoot Wines & Bubbly: Will be pouring their line of bubbly at the VIP lounge this year. This is Barefoot’s 25th year pouring at the Ojai Wine Festival.
5. Midnight Cellars Winery: 29th established winery in Paso Robles
6. Pomar Junction Vineyard & Winery: Pomar Junction’s rich agricultural history dates back nearly 8 generations
7. Cavaletti Vineyards: Wine that expresses the heart and soul of Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Counties
8. Topa Mountain Winery: Locally sourced quality grapes throughout Ojai Valley and neighboring Santa Barbara County
9. Toucan Vineyards: Micro-winery that places a high focus on quality over quantity
FMG: Between the wineries, breweries, the VIP Lounge, and the free boat tour, what is the suggested way for attendees to navigate through the festival for the best experience?
B&M: The lakeside location and open layout of the festival encourages event-goers to timely enjoy all their favorite wineries and breweries, and explore all new varietals this year. The dance floor located centrally between the booths invites attendees to dance to Santa Barbara’s hottest dance band, Area 51 and enjoy blues music by Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan.
FMG: Are there any tips that people should know prior to attending the festival?
B&M: Bring comfortable shoes to dance in and sunscreen! Lake Casitas Recreation Area gets doused with beautiful sunshine. The biggest tip is to kick off the summer by enjoying The 32nd Annual Ojai Wine Festival!
FMG: How can potential vendors go about participating in the festival next year?
B&M: Interested vendors and sponsors can visit us, here, and email us at ojaiwinefestival@gmail.com.
FMG: For those unable to attend the festival, what’s the best way for them to discover the wines and beer that are showcased at the event?
B&M: Visit our website for a full list of participating wineries and breweries this year and check back next year! Many of the wineries attending make their wines in small batches that focus on quality of quantity, so we encourage interested participants to be on the lookout for tickets to The 33rd Annual Ojai Wine Festival to taste of selection of these exclusive wines!
For more information on the event and to purchase tickets, visit them here!
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Address: 11093 Santa Ana Rd, Ventura, CA 93001
Phone: (805) 646-3794
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