Pacific Symphony Celebrates The Fall Harvest With A Sophisticated Wine & Beer Festival

Pacific Symphony presents the first elevated Oktoberfest Orange County has ever seen. Guests will be transported to a lush outdoor Biergarten on the Hotel Irvine grounds for tasting stations of top wineries and premier breweries from California to Germany and beyond. There will be silent and live auction items providing chances to bid on exotic travel experiences, wonderful culinary adventures, luxury goods, and, of course, rare and exceptional wines. Executive Chef Michael Beck will serve a delicious German dinner with a gourmet flair. The event will be co-chaired by longtime Symphony supporters, Mike Kerr and Brian Pollack.

Pacific Symphony's Oktoberfest takes place Saturday, Oct. 12, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Hotel Irvine. Seating for this popular event is limited and starts at $375 per person. Tables are available at the Stein level ($10,000), which provides an upgraded experience featuring paired wine from a single winery, a winery representative to explain wine pairings, enhanced dinner menu, specialty glasses and other amenities to elevate the evening. Tables are also available at the Goblet level ($7,500) and Flute level ($5,000), both with upgraded paired wine. All proceeds of Pacific Symphony's Oktoberfest support the nationally recognized artistic, music education and community engagement programs of Pacific Symphony. Reserve your table or tickets today at (714) 876-2375 or Events@PacificSymphony.org. For more information, visit PacificSymphony.org

Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration in Munich, Bavaria for King Ludwig I and Princess Therese in 1810. The festivities were so popular that the city decided to hold a similar celebration the following year, and thus a new tradition was born. Pacific Symphony reimagines a new approach to this iconic celebration of Bavarian culture. While ales, lagers, and the like are an important part of this festival, wine is also an integral element of Bavarian culture and the Oktoberfest experience. As guests enter the Festival grounds at the Hotel Irvine, they'll be greeted by West Coast Prost, California's premier polka-variety band. The conviviality begins at 5 p.m. showcasing a wide variety of wine and beer tasting stations outdoors on the tented lawn. Some of the featured wineries for the tasting stations, to name but a few, include:

Germany: Weingut Ott's Grüner Veltliner and Schlosskellerei Gobelsburg
Spain: La Rioja Alta and Vega Sicilia
Portugal: Ferreira and Casa Ferreirinha
California: Pont Neuf Wines (Russian River Valley), Justin Winery (Central Coast), Château Montelena and O'Shaughnessy Estate Winery (Napa Valley)
Oregon: Willamette Valley Vineyards

Highlighting the beer tastings are local craft beer favorite, Unsung Brewery along with such German and Austrian beers as Ayinger Brewery, Hofbrau, Paulaner, Spaten and Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, the oldest brewery in the world, dating back to 1040.

After guests have completed tasting wines and beers from around the world, they will enter the adjacent outdoor Pavilion for dinner. A sumptuous feast of gourmet German fare created by the Austrian-born and trained Chef Michael Beck will be paired with selections of wine and beer. After dinner, the live auction begins with some rare and remarkable wines on offer, including: Château Haut Brion, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Château La Mission Haut-Brion, Château La Conseillante, Château L'Evangile, Château Lafleur,, Château Cheval, Château Margaux, Château Latour, Château Lynch-Bages, Château Mouton Rothschild, Château Cos d'Estournel and Château Ducru-Beaucaillou.

A few highlights of the coveted auction items include "A Private Jet to Napa"-Regency Air whisks you away to a luxurious two-night stay at the Meritage Resort and Spa; "Aloha Maui" with a four-night stay in an Ocean View Private Suite at the Four Seasons Resort in Maui; and "Paso Robles Luxury" features a three-night stay in a four-bedroom hilltop "Maison du Vin" on California's Central Coast.

Whether you prefer wine over beer or just want to branch out, Pacific Symphony's Oktoberfest will have something for everyone. Cheers! Or as the Germans say, Prost!

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