Hi, sorry for the long absence, but we’ve been retooling and tweaking our independent music series in the last few months which we’re really excited about sharing with you this summer and beyond. This summer marks the second season of new music on the Estate lawn of Wente Vineyards where we’ll be showcasing some of the best local talent from the Northern California region, as always across different genres. This is a program near and dear to Karl Wente’s heart and whenever he’s traveling (which is a lot), by car, boat, plane he’s listening to new music, seeing live acts, talking with friends in the music world and outside of it to learn about emerging artists and styles. It’s like the world of wine choice, fascinating, endless, a pleasure to the senses...we could go on and on. 

Here at DWDM, we celebrate wine, music, & the fine folks who write about both! How could we match last year’s Aquarium Drunkard’s “Decade in Review” Party at Origami Vinyl? By jumping at the chance to enhance a Holiday meeting of the music minds down the street at Stories, pouring all six wines in Vintage 4. 

LA Times Music Editor Randall Roberts read his moving Ozomatli piece included in De Capo’s Best Music Writing 2010

Followed by LA Weekly’s Nightranger Lina Lecaro reading from her Los Angeles’s Best Dive Bars: Drinking & Diving in the City of Angels (I am credited as a “researcher”...excellent gig)

Both fine scribes signed copies after the readings, while much sampling of Vintage 4’s three whites & reds ensued. The music journo theme continued with a performance by Death Kit, featuring LA Times’ August Brown & Jessica Gelt, & LA Record’s Dan Collins manning the decks. Special thanks to our pal Lucy Rendler-Kaplan for the festive pix!

It’s hard to feel “summery” when store windows are chock full of woolen delights, & your local corner mart has morphed into Halloween Central. Come fight for your right to summer at our inaugural Day of Discovery Festival Saturday September 4/Labor Day Weekend. 

Any ol’ festival can stick some bands on stage, but a fest with DWDM in the title means you are in for a wine/music lovers’ treat: from noon to 10pm, you’ll be checking out performances in the Barrel Room, The Small Lot Winery, & on the Tesla Lawn, while your taste buds banish the end-of-summer blues with your favorite Wente Vineyards reds & whites, along with perfectly paired noms for your tum.

Tickets are $29 in advance, $35 day of the festival (kids 12 & under get in FREE!) Skip the ticketing fees by buying directly from the Wente Box Office: 925-456-2424. There are special discounts for Club Wente Entertainment, Golf, & Wine Members. We will be giving away tickets on facebook & twitter, so friend us immediately!

Click for the complete line-up & all the deets