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JANUARY
2009
Seasonal
Tip:
It's
OYSTER harvesting time. Have them with
Champagne
to ring in the new year! This is also the season
for wild mushrooms, tangerines and oranges,
as well as Camembert and blue cheeses. Look
for these ingredients in markets and on restaurant
menus. |
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January
6-February 1
Yosemite,
CA—2009 Chef’s Holidays |
Get
up close and personal with renowned food artists as they
reveal their secrets amidst the natural wonder of Yosemite
Park. Chef's Holidays at The Ahwahnee feature
eight sessions where guest chefs share their trademark techniques
during "Meet the Chefs" receptions, cooking demonstrations
and kitchen tours. Each session comes to a delightful end
during the Chef’s Gala Dinner, a five-course meal
that highlights the specialties of the featured chef paired
with complimentary wines. This year's guest chefs
include Kent Rathbun of Abacus (Dallas, TX); Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza & Pizzeria Mozza (Los Angeles, CA); Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière (San Francisco, CA); Peter Chastain of Prima (Walnut Creek, CA); Susan Spicer of Bayona (New Orleans, LA); Tony Aiazzi of Aureole (New York, NY) and many others. Guest packages including
lodging are available. Call 559-253-5635 or visit www.yosemitepark.com for information and reservations. |
January 10-April 3
Boston, MA—20th Annual Boston Wine Festival |
Located
on beautiful Rowes Wharf, The
Boston Harbor Hotel will invite guests to the 20th annual
Boston Wine Festival. Plan ahead since connoisseurs
and novices alike will enjoy exceptional dinner events.
The 2009 edition promises a fun-filled lineup of
vintners and events. Special room rates are available through
the hotel (call 800-752-7077 for more room rate details).
For more information or reservations, call 800-752-7077
or visit www.bostonwinefestival.net. |
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Australia Week 2009, or "G'Day USA,"
will highlight Australian culture and the impact of its
food, wine, artists, sports and fashion on American pop
culture. The event will draw Australian celebrities, dignitaries,
sports teams and a number of commercial and financial interests
to Los Angeles and New York. The event's activities include
the Black Tie Gala in LA and New York, Melbourne Australia
CEO Golf Day, an Australian designer showcase, economic
and environmental forums and a food and wine trade event.
For
event information and tickets call 310-229-2371, email Losangeles@dfat.gov.au or visit www.australia-week.com. |
January
14-18
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico—1st Annual Cabo Wine and Food Festival 2009 |
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This five-day gastronomical fest will be held at the beachfront properties of Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (including the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa and the Hotel Pueblo Bonito Rose Resort & Spa) at Fellini's Ristorante, Siempre and LaFridarestaurants. Celebrating Mexico's wines and innovative gastronomy created by award-winning, classically trained chefs, the event welcomes Mexico's Master Champion Sommelier and Pueblo Bonito's Executive Sommelier, Juan Carlos Flores, as he leads seminars and orchestrates wine tasting selections from Mexico, Spain, France, Argentina and Sonoma, California. Enjoy winemaker dinners, a private chef’s table dinner, and cooking classes by award-winning Executive Chef Antonio de Livier. A welcoming fiesta at the Sky Pool and after dinner drinks make this event complete. The festival is open to the public with a range of food and resort packages that can be purchased in advance. Once the festival has begun, individual tickets may be purchased separately. Tickets, packages and additional details are available at www.cabowineandfoodfest.com.
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January
17-18
Uncasville, CT—Sun WineFest |
Wine aficionados, gourmets and collectors will gather in
New England at Mohegan
Sun for a weekend-long extravaganza. The event will
welcome celebrated chefs such as Michael Luboff, Todd English,
Jasper White, Mary Ann Esposito, Ihsan Gurdal and Michael
Ginor. Also in attendance will be wine experts like Kathy Benzinger, Malcom Gosling, Fred Dame, Steve Reeder and Stefano
Girelli. Sun WineFest benefits important charitable organizations
including Share our Strength and The Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation. For information visit www.sunwinefest.com or call 860-953-0444. |
January
23-February 1
Mendocino, CA—Tenth Annual Mendocino Crab & Wine Days |
Every
year, Mendocino County celebrates two of its best products,
wine and crab. For the tenth straight year, natives and
visitors will celebrate the relationship with Dungeness
crab by pairing a wide variety of crab dishes with fine,
locally-crafted Mendocino wines during the Crab and Wine
Days. Throughout the county, restaurants, winemakers, and
even the fishermen themselves will take part in the events.
A sampling of activities include meeting the fishermen and
going on scheduled cruises leaving every day from Noyo Harbor
near Fort Bragg, special barrel tastings and crab appetizers
in and around local wine tasting rooms and the Crab Cake
Cook-off, which benefits the Coast Clinics. For more information,
visit www.gomendo.com,
e-mail info@gomendo.com or call 707-961-3463. |
January 23-25
Boston,
MA—18th Annual Boston Wine Expo |
This
marks the 18th season of the nation's largest consumer wine
event at the Seaport World Trade Center and Seaport
Hotel. Tastings and discussions will be hosted by winemakers
and wine experts, while celebrity chefs will prepare their
specialties on stage and offer recipes. Last year's chefs included Kevin Crawley of Coriander Bistro and Tom Berry, former executive sous chef for Ming Tsai, of Temple Bar. Be prepared for
more than 1,800 wines available for sampling and opportunities
to meet the winemakers who produce them. The popular Grand
Cru Wine Lounge will return along with the Vintner Dinner. Over the years, more
than $700,000 has been given to charitable organizations
including Tufts-New England Medical Center's Summer Camp
Program for Children with Disabilities, Dana Farber Cancer
Institute's Pan Mass Challenge and New England Shelter for
Homeless. For tickets and more details, call 877-946-3976
or visit www.wine-expos.com. |
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Ideas,
information, science and data all come together at the Unified
Wine & Grape Symposium. The symposium combines a trade show with a spectrum of seminars. The program of sessions address topics affecting the grape-growing and winemaking industries, ranging from marketing and business to enology and viticulture. For more information, call 800-550-1496, or visit www.unifiedsymposium.org. |
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The Zinfandel Advocates & Producers' (ZAP) annual Zinfandel
Festival honors one of California's favorite wine varietals. Held at various
locations around the city, highlights of this year's event
include: Flights: A Showcase of Zinfandels; a ‘dine-around’
extravaganza, where Zinfandel producers will team up with
restaurants to create special pairings; An Evening With
The Winemakers, which raises money for The Heritage Projects
including The Heritage Vineyard; and the Annual Grand Zinfandel Tasting, which allows exploring
the wide varieties of more than 260 Zinfandel wineries.
Tickets may be purchased by calling 530-274-4900. Visit www.zinfandel.org for more info. |
January
28-February 2
Taos Ski Valley, NM—23rd Annual Taos Winter Wine
Festival |
This
annual event at Taos
Ski Valley Resort offers a number of wine-related activities such as daily wine seminars, guest chef demos, nightly winemaker dinners, and two grand tasting events featuring more than 75 wines. The grand tastings will also serve up culinary treats from local restaurants. A silent auction will follow the tasting events and will benefit the Taos Community Foundation. This year's select wineries include The Calera Wine Co., Beaux Freres, Pax Wines, Casa Rondeña, Ferrari Carano, Kendall-Jackson, Sebastiani Vineyards and many others. Guest chefs are to be announced. For more information
or to make reservations, visit www.skitaos.org. |
January
31-March 28
Napa
Valley, CA—Napa Valley Mustard Festival |
This
two-month showcase of food, wine, art and entertainment celebrates the rich agricultural and
cultural bounty of Napa Valley. Fields, vineyards and hillsides
vibrant with blooming wild mustard provide a breathtaking
backdrop for the activities. Highlights include the annual "World Wide
Mustard Competition," "Mustard Magic" (the
Grand Opening Event), the "Chefs' Mustard Recipe Competition,"
"The Marketplace" (the Signature Event), photography,
art contests and many other great happenings. Visit www.mustardfestival.org, email info@mustardfestival.org or call 707-944-1133 for details and tickets. |
Back
to the Calendar
(Updated:
11/20/08 ET) |
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