|
MARCH 2009
Seasonal
Tip:
SPRING
LAMB comes fresh to markets this month. Also,
asparagus is harvested and the year's Brie is
ripe. |
|
|
February 27-March
1
Albuquerque, NM—21st Annual National Fiery Foods
& Barbecue Show |
Sample spicy foods and barbecue products at this fiery event, boasting one of the largest collections of hot and spicy products. Those with a low threshold
for spice, be warned. If you can
take the heat, browse the exhibits of hot sauces, salsas,
barbecue sauces, candies, honeys, chips, pestos, nuts,
jams, jellies, snacks, soups, salad dressings, mustards,
beans and ketchup, and attend cooking demonstrations.
The intense event, open to both trade and the public, will be held at the Sandia Resort
& Casino Events Center, where guests can also spend
time golfing, at the spa and gaming. Cost is $10 per person.
For more information call 505-873-8680 or visit www.fiery-foods.com. |
February
27-March 1
New York, NY—2nd
Annual New York Wine Expo |
Sample over 600 wines from more than 170 winemakers from around the world at this 3-day exposition for consumers and trade. Consumers can learn from the experts at a wide range of seminars designed for all levels of wine enthusiasts. Topics include wine tasting, wine and food pairings, wine serving, selecting the right vintage, among others. Last year's participating speakers included best-selling author and wine columnist Mark Oldman, who gave the keynote address. The third and final day of the event is dedicated to trade, including restaurateurs, retailers and other food and beverage professionals. The event will be held at Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Tickets can be purchased in advance online or at the door on the day of the event. For tickets, event hours and more information, visit www.wine-expos.com. |
March 6-7
Shell Beach, CA—Ninth Annual World of
Pinot Noir |
Over 100 Pinot Noir producers from around the globe
will gather at The Cliffs Resort in Shell Beach for
two days of education, tastings, camaraderie and even
kayaking. Some of this year's participants will include Acacia
Vineyard, Boedecker Cellars, Fiddlehead Cellars,
ROAR Wines and Talley Vineyards. The schedule for the
ninth annual World of Pinot Noir includes in-depth
seminars, two grand tastings (Friday and Saturday) featuring
entirely different groups of Pinot Noir producers and
a gala dinner featuring local and guest chefs. There
will also be a featured tasting with John Haeger (author
of North American Pinot Noir), along with Peter Neptune, Patrick Comiskey, Fred Dame and Allen Meadows, and a Santa
Barbara-style Paulée dinner. This food and
wine extravaganza will be hosted by participating wineries
and sommeliers from around the globe. Get all the details
at www.worldofpinotnoir.com. |
March
7
Portland, OR—Classic
Wines Auction |
The
Classic Wines Auction at the Oregon Convention Center is
the largest charity auction in Oregon and has a stellar line up of guest chefs and winemakers.
Each year the auction selects four honorary wine ambassadors
to represent Oregon, Washington, California and an International region. The 2009 ambassadors will include: Grace and Ken Evenstad of Domaine Serene (OR) and Champagne Louis Roederer (France). The week prior to the auction
features an expanded winemakers dinners from Mar. 3-5, followed by the Ambassador Dinner on Mar. 6 at the Portland
Art Museum. For more information, call 503-972-0194 or visit www.classicwinesauction.com. |
March 7
Santa Rosa, CA—Crab
& Fennel Fest |
Crab and fennel fit together like a hand and a glove. Add
some Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris to the mix, and you're
in for a truly delicious experience. Coinciding with the Russian
River Wine Road 31th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend, the Sixth
Annual Crab & Fennel Fest features the local, fresh Dungeness
crabs along with softly sweet wild fennel. Included is the "Vineyard Designated Tasting" where guests will be able to sample some of the
most unique and special bottles of wine from the Russian River
Valley. For more information or to purchase tickets,
call 707-521-2534 or visit www.rrvw.org. |
March
7-8, 14-15
Healdsburg, CA—Russian River Wine Road 31th Annual
Barrel Tasting Weekend |
Sample
wines right out of the barrel, visit with winemakers and
peruse the cellars of your favorite wineries along the Russian
River Wine Road. Purchase a tasting glass and event wristband, and let the adventure begin. Go directly into the
cellars at more than 100 wineries and sample wines from the
barrel. Many of the wineries offer "futures" to purchase, which will be ready to be picked up after the wine is bottled, about
12-18 months later. Tickets costs $20 per person if purchased by Feb. 25, $30 at the door. For more information, call 800-723-6336 or visit www.wineroad.com. |
March
7-9
McMinnville, OR—15th
Annual McMinnville Wine & Food Classic |
This three-day event held in the heart of Oregon's wine country features more than 140 booths of Oregon's best wineries, foods and arts & crafts. This year’s event will be held at the Evergreen Aviation Museum where the famous “Spruce Goose” is located. Enjoy by the taste, glass, bottle or case wines from August Cellars, Emerson Vineyards, Oak Knoll Winery and more. Visit and experience artists and enjoy culinary delights from throughout the Northwest. Shuttle service will be provided from participating hotels including the McMenamins Hotel Oregon. For more information, call the Wine Line at 503-472-4033 or visit www.macwfc.org. |
March
12-14
Cincinnati, OH—The Cincinnati International Wine Festival |
The
Cincinnati International Wine Festival, founded in 1991,
is one of the Midwest's largest annual wine and food events.
Each March in the Cincinnati Convention Center, more than
600 wines from 130 wineries are poured, accompanied by food,
live music, auctions and other special events. In 2008,
the festival donated more than $250,000 for Cincinnati area
charities. The festival has raised over $2.75 million since
its beginning for charities like Cancer Family Care and
the Ronald McDonald House. For more information and tickets,
call 513-723-9463 or visit www.winefestival.com. |
March
14-15
Phoenix, AZ—West of Western Culinary Festival |
One of the Southwest's premier culinary arts festivals, West of Western features the creative fare of 60 Arizona chefs along with 100 wines and spirits, and will be held at the Phoenix Art Museum. Expect a weekend filled with fine food and entertainment, with a dash of education thrown in. Highlights of the festival include the Chefs' Invitational Grand Tasting, a gathering of Arizona’s top executive chefs, chefs de cuisine and pastry chefs. In the museum's Great Hall at The Wine Table, connoisseurs and novices can sample dozens of labels from around the world with the assistance of trained sommeliers and wine masters. Presentations by local and national food and wine experts, cooking demonstrations, live music and docent-lead tours of the museum complete the experience. For more
information and to purchase tickets, call 602-262-5652 or
visit www.westofwestern.com. |
March 20-22
Paso
Robles, CA—17th
Annual Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival |
Get
acquainted with the Paso Robles wine country at the 17th Annual Paso Robles
Zinfandel Festival where more than 90 area wineries will
host an array of events. The event will feature a Grand
Tasting of Paso Robles wine country Zinfandels. There will
be a live auction followed by a silent auction and the Grand
Tasting. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to causes
benefiting health and education for the vineyard worker
population in the local community. Special winery events
will be offered throughout the weekend at Paso Robles wineries.
For more information call 800-549-WINE or visit www.pasowine.com. |
March 21
San Francisco, CA—3rd Annual San Francisco International CHOCOLATE SALON |
 |
It’s a chocolate-lover’s dream come true. Experience the finest in artisan, gourmet and premium chocolate at this day-long event. The Salon will feature chocolate tastings, demonstrations, chef and author talks, wine pairings and a live chocolate body frosting demonstration. New this year will be a chocolate wedding and a chocolate art gallery. There will also be a fund-raising charity silent auction. The long list of participants includes Amano Artisan Chocolate, Christopher Elbow Artisanal Chocolate, Patchi Le Chocolat and Ghirardelli Chocolate. During the week leading up to this event, Bloomingdale's San Francisco will present daily chocolate recipe demonstrations in its kitchen by chocolatiers as well as by well-known chefs and cookbook authors. In addition, there will be “Chocolate Specials" on dishes, drinks, and desserts at local restaurants, bars and clubs such as Shanghai 1930. The Salon will take place from 10am to 6pm at Fort Mason Conference Center. Tickets cost $20 for adults. For more information, visit www.SFChocolateSalon.com. |
|
Join
the member wineries of Rhône Rangers for a day of sampling
fine wines, bread, cheese and other foods at this 12th annual
event held at Fort Mason in San Francisco. The weekend kicks off with the Winemaker Dinner and concludes with a seminar and Grand Tasting on Sunday. Throughout the event, more than 120
member wineries will be presenting barrel samples, new releases
and library samples of American Rhône wines, accompanied
by food from Bay area and Northern California artisan producers.
For more information, call 800-467-0163 or visit www.rhonerangers.org. |
|
Enjoy
the best that Sonoma Valley has to offer. Taste fine wines
from wineries throughout the valley, nibble on scrumptious
food pairings prepared by local chefs and restaurants, listen
to local musicians and peruse art from local artists. Over 20 area wineries are scheduled to participate, inlcuding Benziger Family Winery, Chateau St. Jean, and Kenwood Vineyards. A Weekend Pass costs $55 per person and
$20 for designated drivers. For more information call 866-794-WINE,
or visit www.heartofthevalley.com. |
|
The
one and only "Culinary Masters" will take place
at the Hyatt Regency Irvine once again, and is sure to be a culinary extravaganza. The event
will offer guests a five-course meal paired with wines by
one of the top chefs in Orange County. Chefs Bill Bracken and Rob Wilson, from Palm Terrace at The Island Hotel Newport Beach and Restaurant 162’ at The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, respectively, are the honorary chef co-chairs. Included in the evening is live music and an auction for rare
wines and trips around the globe. Proceeds from the event
will benefit the Roosters Foundation, a charity that helps
at-risk and disadvantaged children in the community. For
more information, call 949-706-7613 or visit www.roosters.org. |
|
March
28-29
Hermann, MO—30th Annual Wurstfest
The
"best of the wurst" is celebrated at the annual Wurstfest. Sample and purchase Old-World delights
like bratwurst, leberwurst, schwartenmagen and sommer sausage.
All events will be held in the Pavilion at Stone Hill Winery
and at the Hermannhof Festhalle. Live German music, sausage-making
contests, a brat knot-tying contest, a "whole hog
sausage breakfast," crafts, wine tastings and more.
For more information, call 800-932-8687 or visit www.hermannmo.info.
|
Back to the Calendar
(Updated: 11/05/08 ET) |
|
