November 4-December 6
Yosemite National Park, CA—Vintners' Holidays
This is The
Ahwahnee's annual celebration of fall and the
bounty of top vineyards. Each Vintners' Holidays session
features four prominent wineries and industry experts
through informative seminars, panel discussions and
wine tastings moderated by nationally recognized wine
authorities. The sessions conclude with a five-course
Gala Vintners' Dinner in the Ahwahnee Dining Room,
highlighting wines from the session's participating
wineries, paired with a custom gourmet menu by Ahwahnee's
executive chef. Participating wineries include Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Silver Oak Cellars,
Dutton-Goldfield and Ravenswood. Hotel packages are
available for Vintners' Holiday guests. Be sure to
reserve your space early. Call 559-253-5635 or visit www.yosemitepark.com for further details.
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| November 30-December 2 |
Pomona,
CA—Harvest Festival Original Art & Craft Show
Fairplex
Park hosts this annual, touring, indoor festival bringing
in art-and-craft talent from all over the country, not
to mention great eats from local restaurants, all presented
with live musical accompaniment. Check out the latest
in furniture, clothing, garden art, ornaments, jewelry (such
as the bracelet pictured) and more. The festival is open
Friday-Sunday. Hours are 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Friday, 10
a.m.-7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave. Tickets, which
are good for all three days, are $8 for adults and $4
for youth 13-17 years old. Kids 12 years old and younger
enter for free if accompanied by an adult. For more
information, call 800-321-1213 or visit www.harvestfestival.com. |
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November 30-December 2, December 7-9
Fredericksburg,
TX—Holiday Wine Trail
Begin
your holiday festivities off right with a trip down
the Holiday Wine Trail in the heart of Texas Hill Country.
You can visit wineries decked for the season and stocked
with wines perfect for gifts, parties and special dinners.
The purchase of a $40 ticket grants guests a handcrafted
ornament at each of the wineries to decorate a grapevine
wreath. In addition, the wineries will each be doing
special food pairings, barrel tastings and art shows
as well as special releases of new wines. Wreaths are
limited and this popular event sells out every year,
so pre-registration is highly suggested. Buy a ticket
for yourself, or give it to someone as a present. To
purchase tickets, call 866-621-9463, or for more information
visit www.texaswinetrail.com.
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December
1-8
Los Cabos , Mexico —Los Cabos Culinary Festival of Rythm, Color & Flavor
This week-long fiesta kicks off with an evening event at El Tule Beach featuring a lavish buffet of signature dishes from local restaurants accompanied by a selection of wines from the Baja region. Throughout the week, chefs from renowned Los Cabos resorts and restaurants will prepare special menus of exotic dishes as well as traditional Baja cuisine. On Dec. 7, the Plaza Mijares hosts a fair with live music and Mexican fare from local eateries. The festival ends with “Dinner in the Desert” on Dec. 8, as the San Carlos Canyon is transformed into an elegant lounge offering fireside dining with fresh seafood, fine cuts of beef, drinks and live entertainment. A table for ten at the El Tule Beach event costs $100 and “Dinner in the Desert” is priced at $60 per person. Price for the Plaza Mijares fair is yet to be determined. All proceeds benefit various local organizations including Cabo San Lucas fire departments and the Mexican Red Cross. For more information, visit rhythmcolorandflavor.com.
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December
7-28
Charleston, SC—Chocolate
Seductions Tours
Give yourself a Southern Christmas treat by attending
the Chocolate Seductions Tours in Charleston. Carolina FoodPros oversees
the event, where guests visit three restaurants to visit with pastry chefs and sample their unique chocolate specialties. Stops may include demonstrations from the chefs at the following restaurants: Charleston Grill, McCrady’s, Oak Steakhouse, Carolina's, and Tristan. Some tours will be led by Amanda Dew Manning, a tenth generation South Carolinian and local food expert. Tours run every Friday through December 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
For more information visit www.carolinafoodpros.com or call 843-723-3366.
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| December
2 |
Carmel
Valley, CA—Holiday Spectacular
For the holiday season, Chateau Julien Wine Estate presents
their "Holiday Spectacular," featuring musical
entertainment amidst the near-ideal acoustics of the
aging oak barrels in the Wine Estate's Chai. A reception
of unique holiday gift ideas, hors d'oeuvres and wine tasting will follow in the festively decorated
Great Hall. The event is from 2:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. and
tickets are $30 per person. Go to www.chateaujulien.com to make your reservations online. Chateau Julien Wine
Estate is located at 8940 Carmel Valley Rd. |
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December
1-2
Franschhoek,
SOUTH AFRICA—Franschhoek Nedbank Cap Classique
And
Champagne
Festival
Come
celebrate the "Magic of Bubbles" in the country's
gourmet capital. This festival in the village of Franschhoek
will host several celebrated Cap Classique producers
such as Cabrière, Graham Beck, Krone and Colmant
as well as Champagne Houses such as Bollinger, Laurent-Perrier
and Veuve Clicquot. In addition, take in the vintage
cars, music and cuisine. Bubbly will also be sold throughout
the two-day revelry. To purchase tickets or for more
information, call 27-021- 876-3603, e-mail info@franschhoek.org.za or visit www.franschhoek.org.za.
Back
to the Calendar
(Updated:
04/19/08 HC)
