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MAY
2008
Seasonal
Tip:
HARICOTS
VERTS (French green beans) are their best
this month. Also, look for these spring items
in markets and on restaurant menus: red onions,
sweet basil, mangoes and fresh goat cheeses. |
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This annual event is known as the world’s largest
tasting of Rhône
varietals. This year's edition will be centered at the
Paso Robles Event Center. Event highlights include A Rhône Fête Feast, Rhône-n-Bowl, and Dine Around. Be the first to secure a spot with the
Weekend Package that includes two continental breakfasts, four seminars, two luncheons, the Rhône Rendezvous Tasting, the Grand Tasting and the farewell BBQ. For more info, visit www.hospicedurhone.com. |
May
3
Santa Monica, CA—15th Annual Uncork A Wish Wine Tasting and Auction |
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles will host the 15th Annual Uncork a Wish Wine Tasting and Auction fundraiser at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, 2008. This year's theme is "Moulin Rouge", and more than 1,500 guests are expected to come. The evening features wine tastings as well as the auction of fine wines, artwork, trips, sports and entertainment memorabilia, and one-of-a-kind packages. Proceeds from the event will be used to fulfill wishes of children in Los Angeles County who are living with life-threatening medical conditions. The Barker Hangar is located at 3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, Calif. 90405. Tickets are $150 pre-sale and $175 at the door. Visit www.wishla.org for tickets or call 310-788-9474. |
May
7-10
Charlotte, NC—Charlotte Wine & Food Weekend |
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May
8-10
Washington, DC—Ninth Annual Heart’s
Delight Wine Tasting & Auction |
Master
winemakers and top chefs gather to play and bid at the
yearly wine tasting and auction that benefits The American
Heart Association. Thursday will offer intimate wine
dinners with an international flair all over the city.
Then get ready for Friday where the Vintner Dinner will
highlight the wines of Premier Grand Cru followed by
a live auction led by Sotheby’s Jamie Ritchie.
The wine weekend then rounds out with a virtual tour
of Bordeaux, a seated tasting of more than twenty 2005
Bordeaux, seminars, food, and live and silent auctions.
For more information, contact Heidi Arnold at the American
Heart Association office 703-248-1720, email Heidi.Arnold@heart.org or visit www.heartsdelightwineauction.org. |
May
10
Carmel, CA—Château Julien Spring Winemaker
Dinner |
Dine under the stars at the new bistro-style restaurant and peruse the Great Hall wine bar.
Dessert is followed by an evening in the cellar with the Winemaker. Sunset dinner seating is at 5:30 p.m. and moonlight dinner seating is at 7:30 p.m. Cost is $100 per person. Visit www.chateaujulien.com for more information. |
May
14-18
Nantucket, MA—Nantucket Wine
Festival |
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The
nation's whaling capital will become a wine mecca at
this twelfth annual event. This festival attracts the
major movers and shakers of the wine, food and restaurant
scene. The festival includes an opening reception where
the Nantucket community greets winemakers and sips elegant
flutes of Champagne.
There will be winemaker symposiums/luncheons, wine and food seminars,
a charity gala, an auction dinner and the Grand Tasting
where more than 150 wineries will be pouring their wines.
Winemakers that attended last year include: Justin Baldwin
of Justin Vineyards & Winery, Bill Easton of Domaine
de la Terre Rouge, Laurent Drouhin of Maison Joseph
Drouhin, Jean-Luc Thunevin of Chateau Valandraud. From
the culinary world, attending chefs include Jimmy Bradley
(The
Red Cat and The
Harrison, New York City), Chris Schlesinger (East
Coast Grill, Cambridge), Jean-Louis Gerin (Restaurant
Jean-Louis, Greenwich) and Barbara Lynch (No.
9 Park, Boston). For more information, call 508-228-1128
or visit www.nantucketwinefestival.com. |
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More than a dozen
noted chefs from every region of the United States will
act as ambassadors of sustainable dining at Cooking for
Solutions. The focus will be on great cuisine from sources
that protect the health of the oceans and the land. Celebrity
chefs will create memorable gourmet dishes, host one-of-a-kind
food and wine adventures and present cooking demonstrations
that feature sustainable seafood. Darina Allen (Ireland) and Alton Brown (Atlanta), both chefs and authors, will be honored this year. The roster of culinary greats
include: John Ash (Fetzer Vineyards, Santa Rosa), Michelle Bernstein (Michy's Restaurant, Miami), Andrew Brown (White Dog Café, Philadelphia), Joël Chenet (Mill Bay Coffee and Pastries, Kodiak),
Sam Choy (Choy's
Diamond Head Restaurant, Honolulu),
Douglas Katz (Fire, Cleveland), and others. For details call 831-647-6886 or visit www.montereybayaquarium.org.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 866-963-9644. |
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Taste
award-winning wines from Paso
Robles wineries pouring their top bottles at this
26th annual event. Located close to mountains, beaches
and deserts, this rural area is known as one of the
country's finest wine-growing areas. Local vendors will
provide the food and live entertainment. For more information, call 805-239-8463 or visit www.pasowine.com. |
May
17
Los Angeles, CA—Culinary Evening with
the California Winemaster |
Benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, this nineteenth
annual celebration takes place at the "Midwest Street " set lot at Warner Brothers in Burbank.
More than 65 wineries and 45 celebrity chefs across the
nation will tantalize the over 1,200 expected guests.
A single ticket costs $350 and the event lasts from
6 p.m.-8 p.m. For further details, call 323-655-8525 or visit www.californiawinemasters.org. |
May
17-18
Mountain View, CA—A La
Carte & Art |
The Bay
Area's bustling festival season kicks off in Mountain
View at this vibrant springtime celebration featuring
savory ethnic and classic American foods, premium wines
and microbrews, cooking demonstrations, a juried art
show, lots of music and fun for kids. Downtown will
be transformed into a moveable feast of strolling people
and colorful tents. Get your fill of gourmet sausages,
crêpes, marinated artichokes, barbecue chicken,
fresh fruits, organic produce and more. Located on Castro
Street between Church Street and Evelyn Avenue, 10 a.m.-6
p.m. each day. Admission is free. For more information,
call 650-964-3395 or visit www.miramarevents.com. |
May
21-25
New Orleans, LA—17th Annual
New Orleans Wine and Food Experience |
Experience the rich cultural heritage of New Orleans through its local cuisine, paired with wines from around the world. This five day vinicultural and culinary experience kicks off with Vintner Dinners held at some of the city’s premier restaurants, including Stella!, with prices ranging from $85-$125 per person. At the center of the event are the Grand Tastings, featuring extensive offerings from local chefs and a variety of domestic and international wines, as well as a cooking demonstration stage. Seminars include "Red, White & Fin,” a seafood and wine pairing with Chef John Besh, and “Wild About Game & Wine!” featuring Kendall Jackson wines with samplings of stuffed breast of pheasant, braised Creole duck and venison wiener schnitzel. Not to be missed is the Royal Street Stroll, an evening outdoor event showcasing the lively city’s art scene and architecture along with live jazz and wine offerings. For tickets and more information, call 504-529-9463 or visit www.nowfe.com. |
May
22-24
Palm Beach, Aruba—Fourth Annual
Aruba Wine, Food & Art Festival |
This three-day festival, held at the newly renovated Westin Aruba Resort, kicks off with a tasting and art exhibition in the Grand Ballroom. For $35 per person, feast on cuisine from the resort’s culinary team and sample more than 60 varieties of wines from the U.S., Italy, France, Australia, Chile & Argentina. A souvenir wine glass is also included with admission. The event concludes on Saturday with a gala dinner featuring a five-course menu paired with Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon Champagne. Grand Marnier liquor and Hennessy Cognacs will be served at the Coffee Lounge. Tickets for the dinner event cost $140 per person, and are available at the Westin Aruba Resort concierge desk during the week. For more information, visit www.westin.com. |
May 31-June 1 & June 7-8
Santa
Cruz Mountains, CA—Vintners' Festival:
A Taste of the Mountains |
The Santa Cruz Mountain region has won acclaim
for its local wineries since the 1800’s; now there
are over 40 small, family-owned wineries in the region
that are a part of the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers'
Association (SCMWA), which includes vineyards such as
Beauregard, Bonny Doon and Glenwood Oaks. This association
will host a two-weekend event that includes attractions
such as tastings of special wines, food, music, art
exhibits, winery tours and barrel tasting. It's a great
opportunity to purchase regional wines from Santa Cruz.
The cost is $30 in advance or $35 at the door. The event
lasts from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with restaurants closing at
4 p.m. Call 831-685-VINE or visit www.scmwa.com for more information. |
Back
to the Calendar
(Updated:
05/01/08 ET)
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