By Deirdre Bourdet

The film Bottle Shock tells the tale of the 1976 "Judgment of Paris," where California wines beat out their French counterparts in a widely publicized blind tasting.  This week in Napa, three local merlots go head to head against three from Bordeaux at Back Room Wines' Thursday night tasting event. It won't be blind, but it will be delicious.

Get ready to Swirl, Sip & Sizzle at the Old Food & Wine Festival in Alexandria, Virginia on October 10-11th from 11am to 6pm both days. Meet local winemakers and taste Virginia's small-batch artisan wines. Tasting admission also includes a souvenir glass and all exhibits and seminars on the Viking culinary stage.

For the foodies, author Joe David, Gourmet Getaways (50 Top spots to cook and learn), will be on hand to share what he thinks makes your meals special. According to an excerpt from his book "One way to create an outstanding meal is to add the meal multiple layers of well-prepared ingredients that will enhance the essential goodness of the primary ingredient."  David, along with a local catering chef and a winemaker will have a wine and food tasting and food demonstration ~ Saturday, Oct. 10th at 1 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 11th at 3 p.m.

What: Old Town Food & Wine Festival
When: October 10 - 11, 2009; 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Where: Old Town Alexandria, Virginia
Tickets: Tasting Admission ($35), General Admission ($15)
More Info: www.oldtownwinefestival.com

By Deirdre Bourdet

The sensory delight of Napa Open Studios begins September 19th. What better way to celebrate wine country's artists than with local wines and nibbles?

Although many venues are hosting special events, the offbeat G Studio in the upstairs of an old factory in Napa lets visitors meet the artists and their creations in the actual studio space where they work. The resident artists include Kate Salenfriend, Reuben Godinez, Katie Roberts, Deb Lubin, and glass maven Patti Wessman, whose fabulous tableware designs look straight out of that sexy wine country restaurant you've been dying to visit. Visiting artists Yvonne Henry, Heather King and Nancy Shapiro join the party for Open Studios this year. Walk around and chat with these crazy colorful characters about their inspiration as you sip seriously good wine (Bennett Lane, Bighorn, Tres Sabores, and many others), enjoy the late summer light streaming in the windows, and ponder the beauty of life.

By Deirdre Bourdet

A wave of anti-gluten sentiment is washing over wine country... everywhere you look, foods trumpet their gluten-free status, chefs dole out gluten-free recipes, and South American-Americans hawk their pão de queijo.

I first encountered Brazilian cheese bread at the Napa's farmers' market, where Alex Fochi of Sampas was handing out samples of her company's miniature versions behind a huge GLUTEN FREE banner. She makes her pão de queijo the size of Swedish meatballs or Asian fish balls, perfect for wine tasting snacks... or really any kind of snack. The traditional tapioca flour in pão de queijo means there is no gluten in the finished product, although the "bread" is puffy and chewy and much like a tender pizza crust in snack form. Since the cheese is completely incorporated into the dough, every mouthful has a smooth, sensual texture worthy of the Brazilian title. Napa-based Sampas does both the traditional plain (cheese) version, as well as rotating weekly specials like roasted garlic or black olive.

Liberte, Egalite, Block Parté

by Deirdre Bourdet

'Tis the season of Independence Day celebrations, and Francophiles in the Napa area will be fête-ing le quatorze juillet (aka Bastille Day) at the Oxbow Market - this year. Live music, dancing, games, and--bien sûr--a wide variety of frenchy food specials will celebrate 220 years of Gallic freedom in appropriately hedonistic style.

Starting at noon, Toni Cordioli and his Accordion Gang will roam the market and transport you to Paris, only without the b.o. and pushy donation collection. Cooper masters from Nadalie USA will be there from 2-6 to demonstrate the fine art of barrel-making--an entirely different kind of French toast we rarely get to see.

Are you the grill master of the cul de sac? Do your burgers evoke sighs of satisfaction and gushing praise from even the most jaded of picnic attendees? Do you dream of tender patties sizzling on the grill? Answer yes to any of these questions, and you just might have a chance at $50,000 in one of the nation's biggest and best cook-offs, The Build a Better Burger contest.

Oh sure, just about anyone who's lit a charcoal grill thinks they've got the secret to deliciously delightful burgers: onion soup mix, hickory chips, homemade relish, or perfectly grilled buns. Amateurs all, compared to the folks who've re-invented burgers from the ground up at the Sutter Home Winery competition that takes place each year in Napa, CA.

Winners in past years have had recipes ranging from simple portabella mushroom burgers, and a Greek-inspired burger with lamb meat, roasted eggplant and feta cheese, to Hawaiian tuna burgers with onion and lime salsa. Definitely not your everyday burgers.

The competition is already open (April 1 - July 29, 2009) so you better get a move on if you plan on submitting your top secret perfect burger concoction. CLICK HERE to enter. Ten finalists  will be selected to cook their creations at the Sutter Home winery next year, in addition to being featured on the Food Network. The pressure builds in the timed cook-off, where contestants are challenged to create their recipes in front of judges, cameras, press and other finalists for the $50,000 grand prize, or the $10,000 Best Alternative Burger category.

If you like to eat burgers rather than cook them, take the Burger Personality test and see what type you are, get the best burger recipe to match, along with a wine pairing suggestion.

By Courtney Cochran

You could say that everyone feels like a kid again at Safari West - and this Easter will be no exception. Come April 12, the exotic animal park that prides itself on cultivating "the spirit of Africa in the heart of wine country" will host "Hunt for the Hare," a unique Easter celebration that's sure to be a hit with kids both young and old.

Yountville, CA - Napa Valley Irishman Bob Hurley is getting ready to celebrate his own brand of Saint Patrick's Day at Hurley's Restaurant & Bar in Yountville. When March 17th rolls around most people come for the corned beef and cabbage - cured six weeks in house. But Chef Hurley also plans to get back to his roots in County Kerry and showcase what the Emerald Isle does best despite the short summers and rocky soil. He feels that the secret and beauty of Irish cookery lies in its simplicity. The menu, written in Gaelic, will feature Breac Bácáilte (whole baked trout with cockles, mussels, new potatoes and pearl onions), Gaelic Stú (Irish stew), Brat Caoireola (Irish farmhouse soup with peas, barley, carrots, onions and lamb), Ciste Visce Beatha (Irish whiskey cake) and of course his own corned beef and cabbage and more. Classic Irish potato preparations of the day will be Champ (mashed potatoes with melted butter and green onions) and Boxty (Irish potato pancake). For those who can't get enough of the restaurant's favorite dishes the regular menu will also be available.

HEALDSBURG, CA - Don't miss this year's Fourth Annual Celebration of Pigs & Pinot 2009 event, March 20-21, 2009 at Hotel Healdsburg. The weekend will include a series of intimate dining and educational events hosted by renowned Chef Palmer.

Tickets can be purchased directly online and there are several lodging packages available at Hotel Healdsburg which include access to all Pigs & Pinot events, including exclusive access to the Gala Dinner. But space is limited; so make sure you make advance reservations now!

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.