ORGANIC OFFERINGS: 4-9 p.m. Friday, Integrity Organic Take Out, 243 Central Ave. (next to Redwoods), downtown St. Petersburg. Taste samples of organic foods and products from Integrity. Call (727) 824-0881.
HESS WINE DINNER: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Crazy Conch Cafe, 1110 Pinellas Bayway S, Tierra Verde. "Wine and Art" dinner features Hess Collection wines. The menu includes crab cakes with lime mayonnaise, conch fritters with American sturgeon caviar, Cuban pork asado, chocolate mascarpone espresso cake; $70, plus tax and gratuity. RSVP required: (727) 865-0633.
EINSTEIN DINE: July 10 at selected Tampa Bay restaurants. Celebrate epicurean delights paired with fine wines in a multicourse dinner guided by chefs and restaurant owners where you choose the restaurant from among the area's best, such as Mise en Place, Profusion, St. Bart's, Donatello's; $100 per person, evening attire. Einstein Dine benefits MOSI's K+I+D+S program. Call (813) 987-6077.
TAMPA BAY CULINARY CLUB: Noon July 12, Mystic Fish, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. Executive chef Doug Bebell prepares a signature dish for sampling at meeting of the club; $10. RSVP required. Call Jeanne at (727) 789-2605.
TROPICAL TASTES: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. July 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 13, Botanical Gardens at University of South Florida, off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard (southwest corner of USF, at Pine and Alumni Drives), Tampa. Get a taste of the tropics with samplings of tropical and rare fruits used in jellies, cakes, juices; pepper tastings with salsas, hot and barbecue sauces; cooking demonstrations; find plants for a kitchen garden; kids' activity area. Admission: $3 adults, kids under 12 and members free. Call: (813) 974-2329.
Wine and beer tastings/classes
WINE TASTING AND BBQ: 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 14248 U.S. 19 N (at Hudson Avenue), Hudson. Fourth of July wine tasting combines an array of wines with barbecue and more than a dozen beers to try; $7, includes logo glass, coupon for wine purchase. Call (727) 869-3003.
CELEBRATION OF BEER BREWING: 4-8 p.m. July 12, J.D. Ford Fine Wines, 1925 S Osprey Ave. (Fruitville Road exit off I-75), Sarasota. Celebrate beer brewing with Brewmaster Dinner, 7 p.m. July 10, $45; or an Ale and Brew Celebration with more than 40 beers from around the world paired with beer-friendly cuisine from chef Mario, $25. Call (941) 362-9463 to reserve.
PAELLA PAIRING: 6:30 p.m. Thur., Uncorked Fine Wines and Accessories, 2706 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Try wines perfect for pairing with paella at weekly tasting; $10, includes souvenir glass; portion of proceeds benefits St. Petersburg Free Clinic. Call (727) 892-9463.
ALL-AMERICAN ALES: beginning at 5 p.m. Fri., Dunedin Brewery, 937 Douglas Ave., Dunedin. Celebrate Independence Day and American Beer Month with handcrafted ales and beers, including the brewery's summer season ale, Apricot Wheat Ale. Food available for purchase; music at 8 p.m. ($5 cover charge). Call (727) 736-0606.
UNCOMMON DISCOVERIES: 6:30 p.m. Mon., Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits, 2008 W Morrison Ave. (at Howard Avenue), Tampa. Bored with the same old chardonnay and cabernet? Discover wines from lesser-known grapes such as gruner-veltliner, malbec and carmenere with Ken Collura; $30. RSVP required: (813) 250-9463.
GRAND GRIS AND GRIGIOS: 5:30-8 p.m. Tues., Mystic Fish, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. Try light, summery wines including Solol Blosser pinot gris, King Estate pinot gris and Fontana Candida pinot grigio at complimentary wine tasting. Call (727) 771-1800.
PETITE SIRAH FLIGHT: 6-8 p.m. Tue., A Taste for Wine, 241 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Taste smooth and seductive sirah wines at wine flight tasting; $15. Call (727) 895-1623.
GREAT WINES UNDER $15: 6:30 p.m. July 11, Apron's Cooking School, Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Class for the cost-conscious wine connoisseur, with wines from around the world rated 90+
by the Wine Spectator that cost under $15; $30. Call (813) 926-4465.
Cooking classes
FIERY FOODS: 6:30-9 p.m. July 11, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Learn to spice up your cooking with dishes such as chorizo and cheese-stuffed jalapenos, firecracker shrimp with mango jicama slaw, chocolate chili mousse and chicken chili and cheese chimichangas in hands-on "Fiery Foods" class; $45. Call (727) 736-3070 to RSVP.
COOKING AT APRON'S: Apron's Cooking School, Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa: Italian dinner hands-on class, 5:30 p.m. Sat., $40; or Cooking for the Week class, focusing on saving time with cook-ahead meals. 2 p.m. July 13, $60. Call (813) 926-4465 to RSVP.
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.
