By Courtney Cochran

San Francisco Magazine's annual Fallfest festival of food and wine   goes down soon - October 11, to be exact - and is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated food events of the fall season. After all, any event that transforms San Francisco's waterfront into a European-style epicurean market is just fine by me, particularly one that features a bevy of the Bay Area's top restaurateurs, winemakers, eco experts and artisans as its hosts.

During a recent trip to the Pebble Beach area it struck me - this place is actually pretty nice. Sure, postcard views of the rugged coastline and storybook houses in the hills are a dime a dozen here. But beyond that obvious stuff, there's a lot going on in Pebble Beach. I took time in between watching actors act like they know how to play golf (who am I kidding, most of them are a hell of a lot better than me!), to explore some of the region's finer establishments for culinary delights and the occasional beer. The list can take a month's worth of columns to fill, and I will devote the necessary time to that venture in due course.

Chef Eric C. Maczko:

From "Appellations and Appetizers" to "Creative Culinary Combinations", Pine Ridge Winery, located in the historic Stags Leap District of Napa Valley, boasts an active culinary program to compliment their award-winning wines. Led by Chef Eric Maczko, the winery's food-focused events include a variety of cooking demonstrations, cave dinners and extensive wine tastings.