Bon Vin Voyage November 13th Weekend Roundup

A weekly compendium of upcoming wine festivals
and other wine related activities throughout the USA

Pack your wine glass and head out this weekend, Nov 13 - 15, 2009

Saturday, Nov 14th

Now in its 5th year and for the occasion they have moved this great one day festival from its home in New Orleans to Las Vegas. Easy to figure out the locations since this is a 100% effort from Emeril Lagasse and his foundation and where does he have more restaurants; Vegas or New Orleans?

The Venetian will host this gala with a rather robust assortment of guest chefs, wine makers, personalities and, of course, YOU. Jump into the live auction now on line or just get to Vegas and enjoy. This year they even have rounded up George Rodrigue of the Blue Dog painting fame.

For most of us the evening commences at 6pm with the Krewe du Vin Tasting Dinner followed by the Live Auction filled with travel packages, culinary experiences, wine packages and who knows what the attendees will offer spontaneously for Emeril’s charity? After the auction is completed stay for the music by the Neville Brothers. WOW!

Pinot Days in Chicago

Fri - Sat, Nov 13th - 14th

Can’t be in Vegas this weekend and you’re stuck in Chicago (or live around the Windy City.) This still could be your lucky weekend when this annual Pinot Festival returns to Navy Pier.

Friday the organizers have added a Table Hop Dinner featuring eighteen different pinots at Bin 36 at Marina City. This four course dinner will feature some great producers who will move seats with every course giving attendees a crack at learning more from the horse’s mouth.

Of course, the big day is Saturday and in the afternoon the public gets to indulge in over 60 producers of Pinot for a mere cost of $50. plus the cost of a cab back to their room!

Great Wine Escape Weekend in Monterey, CA

Fri – Sun, Nov 13th – 15th

Friday starts off a great weekend with wine seminars, chef demos, lunch and a wine maker’s dinner. If you can’t make in down early on Friday, you will still have plenty of time to wonder over to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for the Tour and Dinner during this evening. If you have never had the chance to be at the aquarium during the evening, jump on this opportunity. Sometime not be missed and only $150 per person. Of course there is another nine wine dinners to attend if the thought of having live fish see you eating their brothers.

The program gets a little athletic on Saturday with Wine Tasting Trails, either hosted or self guided. A great way to enjoy the scenery, wine and get a little exercise. During the evening you can enjoy a few different wine dinners or join in the Wine Enthusiast Signature Winemaker Dinner at the Intercontinental. This will only set you back $150pp, but it looks like a steal at that price.

Racing for the grand finale on Sunday, you could always just run into Intercontinental: The Clement Hotel in Monterey and for $90 you can eat and drink wine to your heart’s content for three and a half hours.

Denver International Wine Festival in Denver, CO

Thur – Fri, Nov 12th – 13th

Now in their 5th year, this celebration of wine and cuisine packs them in. First of all, who would want to miss the Elegance Chef’s Wine and Food Competition/Auction held at The Mile High Station and all for only $100pp.

The next day, Friday the 13th, be part of the Colorado VIP Winery Day Tour & Chef’s Demo. It starts at the Warwick Denver Hotel at 9am and promises to return you, intact, by 4pm, Friday afternoon. That’s important since the big event, the Grand Tasting of International Wines & Food will have already started at 2pm, but goes until they run out of wine or 9pm. Over 450 wines to be sampled for only 31 cents per sample (assuming you partake in all 450) for the VIP ticket or the real bargain price of $75 for general admission. All this and if you dare, drive up the mountain and ski off the foggy brain on Saturday and Sunday.

Also, check our web site, www.winefestnews.com, to see details on other superb wine festivals happening this weekend in Yosemite National Park; Mendocino County, CA; San Antonio, Grand Rapids, MI; Milwaukee, WI; Puerto Vallarta; Dover Downs, DE; Lodi, CA; Tulalip, WA and for those with their own jet, Beaune, France.

For those that just need to plan and are not a spur of the moment kind of folk; remember that next weekend, starting on Wednesday, the 18th, southern California’s biggest and just maybe the best wine festival, the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival kicks off. Look for us blogging about this festival, if you attend. If you can just dream about going, at least get to your favorite wine store and spring for the new release of Beaujolais which should arrive this weekend all the way from France!

Until next week, we toast to your sybarite ways…..

Just remember what John Waters said, “Without obsession, life is nothing.” How true!!!