March 2012 Food & Wine Events Calendar
Seasonal
Tip:
SPRING
LAMB comes fresh to markets this month. Also,
asparagus is harvested and the year's Brie is
ripe. |
March 1-4
Charleston, SC — Seventh Annual BB&T Charleston Wine and Food Festival |
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Now in its seventh year, this well-received epicurean festival provides the opportunity to meet and learn from some of the country's best chefs, authors and wine professionals. Get a taste of Southern cuisine and the "Lowcountry's" unique food styles, heritage and recipes at various events and venues. One of the most popular and not-to-be-missed features is the Friday Culinary Village + AAA Carolinas Grand Tasting Tents, with multiple tents highlighting delectable cuisine, wine and spirits from across the country; among the tents will be the SCE&G Celebrity Kitchen Tent and an expanded Stock Yards Angus Beef + Sterling Silver Outdoor Living + Grilling area. The festival features a cornucopia of individually-priced events, and tickets sell out quickly. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.charlestonwineandfood.com |
March 2-3
Shell Beach, CA — Twelfth Annual World of Pinot Noir |
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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. The schedule includes in-depth seminars, two grand tastings (Friday and Saturday) featuring entirely different groups of Pinot Noir producers, a seaside fête, winemaker dinners at five local restaurants and outdoor excursions. This food and wine extravaganza will be hosted by participating wineries and sommeliers from across the U.S. For more information, visit www.worldofpinotnoir.com |
March 2-4, 9-11
Healdsburg, CA — Russian River Wine Road 34th Annual Barrel Tasting Weekend |
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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 straight 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. Advanced tickets cost $30 per person if purchased between January 31 and February 27, or $40 at the door. The event will be held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. For more information, call 800-723-6336 or visit www.wineroad.com |
March 3
Portland, OR — Classic Wines Auction |
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The Classic Wines Auction at the Oregon Convention Center is the largest charity auction in Oregon and features 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. This year's ambassadors include Evening Land Vineyards (Oregon) and DeLille Cellars (Washington). The week prior to the auction features expanded winemaker dinners from February 28-March 1, followed by the Ambassador Dinner on March 2 at the Portland Art Museum. For more information, call 503-972-0194 or visit www.classicwinesauction.com |
March 4
San Francisco, CA — Sixth Annual San Francisco International Chocolate Salon |
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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 Celebrity Chef demos, the Chocolate Salon Fashion Bar and the 2nd annual SF Invitational Wine Salon. There will also be a fund-raising charity silent auction. The long list of participants includes Amano Artisan Chocolate, Cacao Atlanta Chocolate Co., Dolce Bella Chocolates and Café and Ghirardelli Chocolate. The Salon will take place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Fort Mason Conference Center. Adult admission is $25 in advance or $30 at the door. Catch the Early-Bird bargain until January 31 and pay only $17.95. For more information, visit www.SFChocolateSalon.com |
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Cookbook connoisseurs, authors and publishers all unite at the Paris Cookbook Fair in conjunction with the 2012 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, rewarding the best cookbooks in the world from more than 140 countries. Learn about the global cookbook market, promote international cooking, discuss new food trends and peruse more than 4,000 titles at Le 104 in Paris. Bookshops, cellars and workshops will be showcased while ideas, conferences, recipes and tips will be shared daily. For more information, visit www.cookbookfair.com |
March 8-10
Cincinnati, OH — 22nd Annual Cincinnati International Wine Festival |
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The Cincinnati International Wine Festival, founded in 1991, is one of the Midwest's largest annual wine and food events. Each March at the Duke Energy Convention Center, more than 600 wines from 130 wineries are poured, accompanied by food, live music, auctions, a golf tournament and other special events. The festival has raised millions of dollars since its beginning for charities including Cancer Family Care and the Ronald McDonald House. Tickets go on sale December 1, 2011. For more information and tickets, call 513-723-9463 or visit www.winefestival.com |
March 9-11
McMinnville, OR — Nineteenth Annual McMinnville Wine & Food Classic |
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This three-day event held in the heart of Oregon's wine country features 160 of the state's best wineries, foods and arts & crafts. This year's event will be held at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum where the famous "Spruce Goose" is located. Enjoy wines by the taste, glass, bottle or case. A variety of live music will also be featured, along with chef demonstrations. Shuttle service will be provided from participating hotels including the McMenamins Hotel Oregon. General admission is $15. For more information, call the Wine Line at 503-472-4033 or visit www.sipclassic.org |
March 16-18
Paso Robles, CA — Zinfandel Festival Paso Robles |
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Get acquainted with the Paso Robles wine country at the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival where more than 50 area wineries will host an array of happenings. Producers and enthusiasts will come together at this festival to celebrate everything that Zinfandel has to offer. The festival will feature a tasting of Paso Robles Zinfandel and Zinfandel blends, cuisine from more than ten of the region's best restaurants and an auction. Other activities include winemaker dinners, exclusive Zinfandel tastings, winery and vineyard tours and more. For more information and tickets call 800-549-WINE or visit www.pasowine.com |
March 17-18
Sonoma County, CA — 22nd Annual Savor Sonoma Valley |
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Experience the best of Sonoma and sample 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. Whether you plan to drink or be a designated driver, the 22nd annual Savor Sonoma Valley has much to offer. A Weekend Pass costs $65 per person and $20 for designated drivers. The event is held 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on both days. For more information call 866-794-WINE or visit www.heartofthevalley.com |
March
24-25
San Francisco, CA — Fifteenth Annual Rhône Rangers
Wine Tasting |
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Join the member wineries of the Rhône Rangers for a day of sampling fine wines, bread, cheese and other foods at this fifteenth annual event held at Fort Mason Festival Pavilion in San Francisco. The weekend kicks off with Saturday's 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 |
March 24-25
Hermann, MO — 33rd Annual Hermann 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 Stone Hill Pavilion Hermannhof Festhalle, including live German music, Old-time sausage-making demonstrations, 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.visithermann.com |
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March 30-31
Atlantic City, NJ — Seventh Annual Atlantic City Beer Festival |
This year marks the Atlantic City Beer Festival's seventh year and their celebration gets better and better. The event will host over 70 brewers and breweries from around the world. Among the participants are Lancaster Brewing Company, Stone Brewing Company, Ommegang, and others. Guests will enjoy culinary demonstrations, beer seminars, festival vendors, live music, and of course plenty of beer! Tickets are $55 at the door or $50 per session. Tickets for designated drivers are available for $10 at the door only. For more information, visit www.celebrationofthesuds.com. |
March 31-April 1
Seattle, WA — Taste Washington Seattle |
This two-day event kicks off on Saturday at Seattle's Bell Harbor International Conference Center with wine seminars, a keynote luncheon and a tasting leg by Masters of Wine and Master Sommeliers. End the day indulgently at the Taste Washington Winemaker Dinner, featuring guest chefs and wineries. The big finale on Sunday is the Grand Tasting event, where attendees can sample wines from more than 200 wineries and nosh on culinary treats from approximately 75 local restaurants including Barrio, Spring Hill Restaurant & Bar and El Gaucho. For tickets and more information, visit www.tastewashington.org. |
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"Take A Sip For Scholarship" at the 38th annual UNLVino, an event founded and sponsored by Larry Ruvo and Southern Wine & Spirits of Nevada to benefit UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration scholarship fund. The weekend's events include tastings of sparkling wines and Champagne cocktails at "Bubble-Licious" at Caesars Palace, "Sake Fever" at The Palms Pool & Bungalows, and the Grand Tasting at Bally's Las Vegas. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 702-876-4500 or visit www.unlvtickets.com/eventInfo/spe/174/unlvino |
Back to the Calendar
(Updated: 12/12/11 JM) |
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