California’s wine industry is dusting off its formalities and white-tablecloth service. This past weekend in Los Angeles, Good Boy & Friends’ natural wine festival stepped out with its fifth annual reminder of the sector’s vitality. Part tasting, part nightlife destination, and part late-night gallery tour, the event put natural and independent winemakers in front of a wide swath of curious (and thirsty) guests.
The Occasion: Over 2,500 attendees joined Good Boy & Friends as it celebrated the latest annual edition of its new-school wine festival, a hybrid series of activations and events aimed to educate audiences and democratize the complex wine infrastructure.
The Locale: The self-proclaimed “alt wine festival” staged a backdrop of LA galleries including François Ghebaly, showing “Pillow Paintings” by Guim Tió, and Night Gallery, showing “Bucket of Birds” by Shannon Cartier Lucy. Attendees wove through the galleries and curated open air spaces in the Arts District, sampled bites from LA dining staples, listened to DJs spinning tracks on the dance floor, and, of course, sampled, swirled, and swished a wide array of wines.
The Food and Drink: Guests were offered sips from over 70 natural winemakers and beverage producers from the Golden State and beyond. Deep reds from American Rhône movement pioneer Tablas Creek Vineyard shone a deep ruby under the twinkling lights while enthusiasts cooled off with chilly small-batch whites and rosés from independent winery Martha Stoumen. For those less wine-inclined, organic raw ciders from Pleiades Cider, on-the-go spritzes from Anytime Spritz, and Gonjo Sake from Japanese maker Kobe Sake were all available. Those on the grounds paired their drinks with bites from Cafe Tondo and Fuegos, and their evening aperitifs with sweet treats from Cinnies x Challahdad and Normal Ice Cream.
Cause for FOMO: Dogs were welcomed to the festival for the first time with the Maev lounge, offering a dedicated outdoor space for canines featuring free entry, free treats, and aura readings.
The Entertainment: With music curated by independent record label Stratasonic, a roster of up-and-coming DJs including Heidi Lawden and Hayes Bradley scored the Good Boy & Friends dance floor. Playlists and records from collectives In Sheep’s Clothing and Wine & Vinyl complemented the evening with a special curation of tunes.
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