FESS PARKER PAIRINGS: 7 p.m. today, Mattison's City Grille, One North Lemon Ave. (at Main St.), Sarasota. Chef Paul Mattison pairs 5-course tapas-style wine dinner with varieties from both Fess Parker and Liberty School; $65. Call (941) 330-0440 to RSVP.
SPLENDID SPA CUISINE: 6 p.m. hors d'oeuvres, 7 p.m. dinner Thur., Safety Harbor Resort and Spa, 105 N Bayshore Drive, Safety Harbor. Executive chef Kim Miller's fresh spa cuisine pairs with wines from Castello Banfi from Italy, Chile and Australia in 5-course dinner; menu includes grilled flatbread with sweet thyme fig jam, caramelized onion and walnuts, mustard crusted double lamb chop with shiraz shallot reduction, bittersweet dark pot au chocolat; $50, inclusive. Call (727) 726-1161, 7825.
FRUITS WITH FLAIR: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat.-Sun., Jene's Tropicals, 6831 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Executive chef Greg Hilbert uses tropical fruits to prepare guava bread with starfruit spice butter, papaya cheesecake, Jamaican red bananas Foster over coconut ice cream, jackfruit shrimp spread on rosemary costini and other treats for tasting; sample an array of 50 tropical fruits like mamey, velvet apple, canistel and find rare and unusual fruits to add a tropical flavor to your kitchen garden at tropical fruit tasting. Free admission, call (727) 344-1668.
TAMPA BAY VEGETARIANS: 7 p.m. Tues., Saffron's Caribbean Restaurant, 1700 Park St. N, St. Petersburg. Black bean and corn salad, curry vegetable pasta, pumkin soup with coconut milk, pineapple upside down cake, ginger tea and more are on the menu for guests and Tampa Bay Vegetarians at this month's meeting, followed by talk on Creating a Healthy Environment with Feng Shui; $12, includes tax and gratuity. Limited seating, call (727) 392-0268 by Fri..
ITALIAN DISCOVERIES: 6-7:30 p.m. July 23, Gioia Italian Deli, 100 First Ave. S (Bayview Tower), downtown St. Petersburg. Explore the "forgotten" white wines and light reds from Italy, like Barberani Orvieto Castagnolo from Umbria, Pra Soave Classico Superior from Veneto and more, accompanied by Italian foods; $15. Limited seating, call (727) 892-9400 to RSVP.
MUSEUM WINE BENEFIT: 7-10 p.m. July 26, Leepa-Rattner Museum of Art at St. Petersburg College Tarpon campus, 600 Klosterman Road, Tarpon Springs. Enjoy epicurean treats provided by Amici's, paired with fine wines, plus entertainment; $59, proceeds benefit CASA. Call Brenda at (727) 849-0052, or visit www.divinecharities.org
Wine and beer tastings/classes
ABC WINE TASTING: 5:30-7:30 p.m. today, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 3535 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Try wines from around the world, over a dozen beers and ales, plus hors d'oeuvres to accompany; $7, includes souvenir glass, coupon for purchase; (727) 894-4875.
RIESLING MEETS TEMPRANILLO: 6 p.m. today, J.D. Ford Fine Wines, 1925 S Osprey Ave. (Fruitville Road exit off I-75), Sarasota. Taste a selection of wines from Germany and Spain, along with tasty tapas to accompany; $20. Call (941) 362-9463 to reserve.
BEST OF BENZIGER: 7 p.m. aperitif, 7:30 p.m. tasting, Thur., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Kathy Benziger presents tasting of varieties from the Benziger Family wines, including Carneros 2001 chardonnay, 1999 syrah, reserve merlot 1999; $20. Limited seating, call: (813) 879-2931.
PINK MARTINIS AND PJ'S: 7-11 p.m. Thur., Profusion, 2223 N West Shore Blvd. (Bay Street at International Plaza), Tampa. Sip pink martinis, sample wines and Profusion hors d'oeuvres while enjoying lingerie fashion show, all to benefit Charity for Women and breast cancer research; $65. Call (813) 353-8400 to RSVP.
PASSPORT TO THE AMERICAS: 7-9 p.m. Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Summer Passport Series takes a virtual tour of the west coast of the Americas, with wines to sample from Oregon, Washington, California and Chile; $10. Call (813) 879-2931 to reserve.
NEW ZEALAND WINES: 6:30 p.m. Fri., Uncorked Fine Wines and Accessories, 2706 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Wines from New Zealand are focus of this week's tasting; $10, includes souvenir glass; portion of proceeds benefits St. Petersburg Free Clinic; (727) 892-9463.
GREAT WINE VALUES: 6:30 p.m. Mon., Bern's Fine Wine and Spirits, 2008 W Morrison Ave. (at Howard Avenue), Tampa. Class led by Ken Collura shows how to discover great wine finds from around the world that won't break the bank; $30. RSVP required: (813) 250-9463.
PRISTINE CHARDONNAYS: 5:30-8 p.m. Tues., Mystic Fish, 3253 Tampa Road, Palm Harbor. Complimentary wine tasting features new chardonnays from Le Rime (Italy), Louis Martini (Napa), and Kim Crawford (New Zealand); (727) 771-1800.
WINE 101: 6 p.m. July 23, J.D. Ford Fine Wines, 1925 S. Osprey Ave. (Fruitville Road exit off I-75, Sarasota. New to the world of wine? Start with the basics, presented in a fun and engaging class; $15. Call (941) 362-9463 to reserve.
Cooking classes
VEGAN WITH A KICK: 7-9:30 p.m. Tues., La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. Make vegan dishes with daring in hands-on class: tamari baked tofu with Jack Daniels, wild mushroom and sweet corn relish, stir fried eggplant and green beans with garlic and herbs, warm chocolate cakes with ganache filling and more; $39.50. Call (727) 736-3070 to RSVP.
COOKING BASICS: 6:30-9 p.m. July 23, La Maison Gourmet, 471 Main St., Dunedin. First in three-part series for the beginning cook delves into cutlery skills; make seared tuna with mandarin orange pico de gallo, cappellini chinoise with grilled chicken, fruit flambe a la mode; $59.99 ($164.99 for all three classes). Call (727) 736-3070 to RSVP.
EAT FOR ENERGY: 7 p.m. July 23, 10 a.m. July 24, Nature's Harvest Market, 1021 N MacDill Ave., Tampa. Chef Debby DeGraaff shows how to increase your energy by changing your diet in free vegetarian class. (813) 873-7428.
BBQ AND WINE, MONDAVI STYLE: 5:30 p.m. July 26, courtyard of the Ybor City Museum, 1818 E Ninth Ave., Ybor City, Tampa. The "guru of barbecue" Steven Raichlen, author of BBQ USA and The Barbecue Bible teams up with Robert Michael Mondavi Jr. of the Mondavi family of wines to show how to create a memorable backyard barbecue; menu includes jalapeno baby back ribs with pineapple BBQ sauce, cinnamon grilled peaches; $75. Call Aprons Cooking School, (813) 926-4465 to RSVP.
Worth sending for
CHEESE LOVERS IN PARADISE: More than 200 varieties of cow's milk cheeses are produced in California - find out where to purchase cheeses or visit artisan and other cheese producers like Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station and Sonoma Cheese Company in Sonoma with free "Real California Cheese Country" brochure. Brochure maps cheesemakers and lists those who sell directly to the public, by mail-order or offer tours and tastings. Request brochure #21108 and send a self-addressed, stamped 37 cents postage business-sized envelope to Real California Cheese Country Brochure, California Milk Advisory Board, 3800 Cornucopia Way, Suite D, Modesto, CA 95358, or visit www.realcaliforniacheese.com and click on Cheesemaker Directory.
Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance of the publication date to Food File, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.
