The Hearst Castle's Neptune pool
California's 24th Annual Central Coast Wine Classic is coming. The epic wine fest kicks off with a tasting at 2 PM on Thursday, July 10th, at the Dolphin Bay Resort ($40 per person; 2727 Shell Beach Rd., Shell Beach, CA). But those with deep pockets might want to wait until 5 PM for the extravagant wine dinner on the terraces of the Hearst Castle, where they'll take in the views of the Santa Lucia mountain range and the castle's famous pool ($1,250 per person; 750 Hearst Castle Rd., San Simeon, CA; for reservations call 805-544-1285).
The festivities continue through Sunday, July 13th, with a slew of tastings, talks, winery dinners and auctions. Participants looking for a break from all that wine may want to check out the 20-mile bike ride through wine country on Friday morning and the olive oil symposium on Sunday. For a full schedule of events, go to www.centralcoastwineclassic.org).