The 41st Annual Cabernet Fest at The Wine House

The Wine House has been throwing Cabernet Fest for 41 years now, and on Sunday, November 1, it's back at the shop's West LA home on Cotner Avenue. The pitch is simple: more than 100 Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux blends from around the world, poured in one room over one afternoon. If you're scanning upcoming events Los Angeles has on the calendar for early November, this is one of the few where you can compare Napa, Bordeaux and everything in between side by side without booking a flight.

Two ways in

There are two admission tiers. VIP gets you in at 1 PM, a full hour before everyone else, which matters more than it sounds. That first hour is when the tables are quiet and the pourers actually have time to talk about what's in the glass. General admission opens at 2 PM, and the whole thing wraps at 4 PM.

What's on the table

The wine is the main event, but you won't be tasting on an empty stomach. There's a cheese and charcuterie table plus passed appetizers throughout the afternoon. The Wine House is also running special savings on many of the bottles poured that day, so if something stops you in your tracks, you can walk out with a case of it. That's the practical reason people come back year after year: it's a tasting and a shopping trip rolled together.

A hundred-plus wines is a lot. Pace yourself. Spit buckets exist for a reason, and nobody at a Cabernet tasting will judge you for using them.

Tickets and the fine print

Tickets on Eventbrite run $129.89 to $161.90 depending on tier. Everyone has to be 21 or older, and everyone pays, designated drivers and caregivers included. There are no physical tickets; your name goes on an attendee list at the door. Cancellations need to come in at least 48 hours before start time for a refund or a transfer to another Wine House class or event. The organizers say tickets are limited, so don't wait on this one.

Getting there

The Wine House is at 2311 Cotner Avenue, just off the 405 near Olympic and Pico. Valet parking is included with admission. Even so, the shop itself recommends a taxi or a rideshare home, and with this many Cabernets on offer that's good advice.

If you're rounding up things to do in Los Angeles for the first weekend of November, it's an easy afternoon to build around. Find more events around Los Angeles and the rest of the food and drink calendar for ideas on where to eat afterward.