Something for the solstice

Young Chang

First, it was orchids in February. Three floors, elaborate displays

and a blanket of fragrance thick as tea bags.

In May, there were hundreds of miniature gardens. You could’ve sworn

you heard the buzz of bees.

Now it’s June. And the reigning smell at South Coast Plaza’s Crate &

Barrel wing will be of culinary creations from restaurants including

Maggiano’s, Morton’s of Chicago and Antonello Ristorante paired with more

than 50 varieties of wines from around the world.

Similar to South Coast Plaza’s orchid and garden shows, Thursday’s

ninth annual Summer Solstice: A Festival of Fine Food and Wine will

feature food and wines dotting the stretch of the wing’s three floors.

Area chefs and wine aficionados will head up the festival, and

proceeds will benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County and

Someone Cares Soup Kitchen.

“With the music, there’s a great festival energy to it,” said Debra

Gunn Downing, executive director of marketing for South Coast Plaza. “A

lot of people come right after work and make it a social event.”

Organizers expect about 1,200 to 1,500 people this year. Many will

come for the food -- to taste the best of South Coast Plaza’s more than

30 restaurants -- and wine aficionados will come for the chardonnays and

pinots and other international varieties.

“What it’s showing is the new [wine] trends that are coming up,” said

Lizann Grupalo, account manager at the participating Robert Mondavi Wine

and Food Center and liaison with the Solstice. “And really to give

consumers more diversity with wines to choose from and become more

familiar with.”

The center will pour four wines: a Dan Zante pinot grigio, a Caliterra

chardonnay from Chile, a coastal pinot noir from the center and a

Woodbridge syrah.

“This stems from Robert Mondavi’s philosophy -- that wine is meant to

be enjoyed with friends and family,” Grupalo said. “And [the festival’s]

a perfect opportunity and way to express that.”

Downing added that people have been responsible with their drinks

every year -- tasting just enough to have fun.

“It’s a great selection of wines,” she said. “We’ve always worked very

hard to attract some of the best wineries throughout Southern California,

so we have a great sampling of everything from great chardonnays and red

wines to champagnes.”

Grupalo said one of the newer wine trends may be a growing category of

pinot grigios and syrahs.

The festival “is really for people to be able to experiment and try

wines from other regions of the world,” she said.

And, of course, it’s for a good cause.

Tom Seeberg, director for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County,

said he appreciates the timeliness of the support.

“It’s a very difficult year, for outside businesses and the economy in

general,” he said. “And the more support we can get through fund-raisers,

the more it helps us perpetuate our existing programs.”

FYI

WHAT: Summer Solstice: A Festival of Fine Food and Wine

WHEN: 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday

WHERE: South Coast Plaza’s Crate & Barrel/Macy’s Home Wing, 3333

Bristol St., Costa Mesa

COST: $40 in advance, $50 at the door

CALL: (714) 435-8517