- Publish Date: Sep 27, 2009
October Wine Events
A roundup of the month's best festivals and gatherings
For the next four weeks, wineries throughout the northern hemisphere have all hands on deck, 24-7, to pick and process their grapes. Somehow, wineries still have the time and energy to participate in some seriously good parties, festivals and mega-tastings.
Below is just a snapshot of some of the top food and wine festivals on offer this month. Whether you want to learn about winemaking or simply indulge in the end product, there's an event you won't want to miss.
Crushpad Harvest Crush Camps, starting Oct. 1
Want to know what it's like to work at a winery? Until harvest ends, Crushpad offers on-the-job training every Wed.-Sun. for a mere $25. Bring a change of clothes; you'll get dirty. Click here for more information.
SPONSORED LISTING
Morton's and the Mondavi Families: Celebrating the Legendary Blend, Oct. 7
Diners at 54 Morton's locations will enjoy a special menu along with six wines from the Mondavi family. Simultaneously, two generations of Mondavis will enjoy the same meal, broadcast live from the Carriage House of Charles Krug Winery in Napa Valley. Guests can bid in a silent auction that includes Charles Krug, Continuum Estate and Folio Fine Wine Partners wine lots, with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Click here for reservations at a Morton's near you.
NYC Wine and Food Festival, Oct. 7-10 
Dozens of celebrity chefs, cooking classes and wine seminars. Some events are already sold out, so time's running out on your chance to go to one of the biggest wine-and-food events of the year.Click here for tickets and information.
Texas Fall Fest & Wine Auction, Oct. 8-10
As good an excuse as you'll get to visit Hill Country. Get a taste of the Lone Star State's best restaurants and local wineries. Proceeds benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children. Click here for more information.
Taste & Tweet Houston, Oct. 11
Get a taste of Napa without leaving Space City. And, honestly, do you really have something better to do on a Monday night? A $15 pass includes fifteen tastes as well as appetizers. Tweet with the tag #TasteNapa and you could win a prize. Click here for tickets.
Saké Fest Portland, Oct. 13
Saké is about as fun and versatile a drink can get. Learn all about how saké is made and how to pair it with food. Click here for tickets and information.
OUR FEATURED PICK
Ultimate Cocktails, Spirits & Wine Blast, Oct. 15
Finally, a good reason to set foot in Times Square. From vodka to gin to bourbon, dozens of artisan spirits producers will be on hand to pour samples, while top mixologists splash out inventive drinks.
Click here for information and tickets.
Martha's Vineyard Food & Wine Festival, Oct. 15-16
Some of New England's best restaurants and dozens of wineries from around the world will be on display in this idyllic setting. Pick and choose from several seminars and wine dinners. Click here for information and tickets.
Harvest Wine Weekend Paso Robles, Oct. 15-17
Right now Paso Robles is producing some of California's most exciting wines. Get a taste for them--and everything else the region has to offer--through an array of tours, seminars, cooking classes and concerts. Click here for more information.
Harvest on the Harbor, Oct. 21-23
Three full days of the flavors of Maine. Sip wines and spirits from around the world while you devour the state's local culinary delights. No problem if you only drink beer: Plenty of Maine's microbrews will be on hand as well. Click here for tickets and information.
Tucson Culinary Festival, Oct. 28-31
A wide range of cooking, wine and mixology events and seminars support Tucson Originals, an organization aimed at supporting local cuisine. Also benefitting are New Beginnings, which helps homeless women and their children, as well as the Diamond Childrens' Medical Center. Click here for more information.
Philadelphia Food & Wine Festival, Oct. 29-31
There's plenty of star power at this event, including cooking demonstrations by Top Chef winner Michael Vottagio. Also, don't miss a wine seminar taught by Daily Beast columnist and Wine School of Philadelphia founder Keith Wallace. Click here for tickets and information.
Chesapeake, Virginia Wine Festival, Oct. 30
Get a taste for Virginia wines and help support a good cause. The inaugural iteration of this festival supports the Sidney M. Oman Cancer Center of Chesapeake Regional Hospital and the Community Charities of the Chesapeake Rotary Club. Click here for more information.
Is there another event you love that we should know about? Tell us and everyone else about it below.
