BLUE HERON WINE DINNER: 7 p.m. Mon. Blue Heron, at Shoppes at Clover Place, 3285 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. Chef-owner Robert Stea creates a four-course dinner paired with wines from Italy; menu includes blue crab-stuffed Belgian endive, grilled artichokes with shaved Pecorino and lemon-basil oil, ragout of spring lamb. Cost: $60. Call (727) 789-5176 to reserve.

BERN'S WINEFEST: Fifth annual event Sat.-Tue. under air-conditioned tents at SideBern's, 2208 W Morrison Ave., Tampa. Wine seminars 1-4 p.m. Sat. with Mondavi and Chateau de Beaucastel winemakers ($50); grand tasting 1-5 p.m. Sun. with more than 150 wines paired with cuisine from Bern's and SideBern's ($50), silent auction to benefit the Divine Providence Food Bank; winemaker dinners, 7 p.m. Mon. and Tue. ($100 each dinner). Visit www.bernswinefest.com or call (813) 250-9463.

FLORIDA WINEFEST AND AUCTION: Thur.-Sun., various Sarasota venues including the Ritz-Carlton, Bijou Cafe, Cafe L'Europe, Fred's, Zoria and Michael's on East. International wines and cuisine; winemaker luncheons, vertical tastings, gala dinner, coffee and cheese seminars, grape stomp. Prices: $10-300. Call (954) 952-1109 or visit www.floridawinefest.com.

CRAWFISH CELEBRATION: beginning 5:30 p.m. April 12, noon April 13-14, behind Bayfront Center, 400 First St. S, St. Petersburg. Crawfish, crawfish, crawfish plus other Cajun and Creole favorites such as jambalaya, gator burgers, boudin, gumbo and pralines. Live music. $10, three-day passes $25, kids 10 and under free with adult (no coolers or umbrellas). For tickets, call (727) 892-5767 or Ticketmaster at (727) 898-2100.

FRENCH DISH: 1 p.m. April 13, Bon Appetit, 148 Marina Plaza, Dunedin. Sample a signature dish of chef Steven Farquar at this month's meeting of the Tampa Bay Culinary Club. Cost: $10. Call Jeanne at (727) 789-2605 to RSVP (required).

Wine and beer tastings, classes

DYLONS WINE TASTING: 5:30-8:30 p.m. Thur., Dylons, 136 Fifth Ave. N, downtown St. Petersburg. Free wine tasting features chardonnays from Clos Du Val, Artesa, cabernets from Mondavi, Beringer and Hanna: (727) 898-5575.

MEET THE WINEMAKER: 6 p.m. Fri., Clubhouse at Aston Gardens at Tampa Bay, 12951 W Linebaugh Ave., Tampa. Gary Patzwald of Kendall Jackson Vineyards will speak about crafting the winery's reserve red wines: $25. Limited seating, call (813) 818-9463.

UNCORKING CALIFORNIA VINTAGES: 6:30 p.m. Fri., Uncorked Fine Wines and Accesories, 2706 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Wines from DeLoach and Wild Horse Vineyards are tasted at this sampling: $10, includes souvenir glass. Call (727) 892-9463.

"ZINCERELY" YOURS: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Zinfandels star in this tasting, including Folie a Deux Amador 1998, Seghesio Sonoma 2000 and Bonny Doon Cardinal Zin 2000, $10; (813) 879-2931.

SCOTCH SAMPLING: 6-9 p.m. April 10, Scottish-American Society Hall, 917 Louden Ave., Dunedin. Taste six single-malt Scotch whiskys and two premium blends, plus appetizers. Also sample Dunedin Brewery Highland Game ale and listen to bagpipers and Celtic musicians. Benefits the pipe bands of Dunedin: $15. Call (813) 243-7176 or visit www.dunedinhighlandgames.com.

BIG TASTE, SMALL PRICE: 6 p.m. April 10, J.D. Ford Fine Wines, 1925 S Osprey Ave., Sarasota. The Tasting Room features fruity and full-flavored wines for cost-conscious wine buffs: $15. Call (941) 362-9463.

Cooking classes

MAIN COURSE MUSHROOMS: 7 p.m. today, 10 a.m. Thur., Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Use mushrooms to make vegetarian main-course meals in free class; (813) 873-7428.

"FRUTTI DE MARE": 6:30 p.m. Mon., Mattison's, an American Bistro, 111 Second Ave. (the Plaza Tower), St. Petersburg. Chef Paul Mattison teaches the basics of seafood cookery: $35. Registration required; call (727) 895-2200.

BEAN OF THE MONTH: 7 p.m. April 10, 10 a.m. April 11, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are the featured bean of the month. Free. Call (813) 873-7428.

PANTRY CUISINE: 6:30-8:30 p.m. April 16, Margaret Ann's Catering, 5625 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Learn what ingredients you should always keep on hand for last-minute meals; $35. Call (727) 525-3983 to reserve.

OUTDOOR COOKING: La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Two barbecue classes: Summer grilling hands-on class 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat. makes pork tenderloin in crushed coriander and mustard, roasted eggplant with lemon-scallion mayonnaise, and tropical fruit flambe, $35; international barbecue class, 7-9 p.m. April 10 makes cedar planked salmon with ginger, lime and soy; churasco (Nicaraguan-styled steak); grilled crab and Pepper Jack cheese quesadillas, $39.50. Call (727) 736-3070.

SPRING KALE: 11 a.m. Sat., Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater. Guest chef Debby DeGraaff cooks with kale and Asian-style greens in this free class. Call (727) 443-6703.

- Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance of the publication date to Food File, the Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

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