Tree-Lighting Is Just the Prelude as Hotel Celebrates Santa Season

After the tree-lighting ceremony Monday in Costa Mesa’s Town Center Park, in front of the Westin South Coast Plaza, the celebration continues inside the hotel. Complimentary cookies and wassail punch will be served, and kids may have complimentary photos snapped in a horse-drawn carriage with Santa Claus. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m.

The Disneyland Hotel will host the 1990 Pinot Noir Wine Forum on Tuesday at 7 p.m., featuring winemakers from six California wineries who will present an in-depth seminar and tasting of this varietal red wine. Admission is $10 per person at the door of the Marina Four meeting room, second level of the hotel’s Convention Center. Ten different Pinot Noirs will be featured from Bouchaine Vineyards, Cambria Vineyards and the Louis M. Martini, Zaca Mesa, Kendall-Jackson and Robert Mondavi wineries.

Angelo Capella, for many years maitre d’ of Alfredo’s in the Westin South Coast Plaza, is now manager and maitre d’ at Ciao Bella in Fountain Valley. Capella is a past winner of the Southern California Restaurant Writers’ Maitre d’ of the Year award.