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Food File

By PEGGY ANDERS
Published April 18, 2007

SPECIAL EVENTS

Burgundy on the Beach: 7 p.m. Thur., Cabana Grill & Bar, 1590 Gulf Blvd., Sand Key. Jacques Dioque of Maison Bouchard presents Burgundy tasting with five-course dinner; $75. Call (727) 595-1807.

Earth Day Dinner: 5:30-8 p.m. Sun. April 22, Integrity Organics at First Unity Church's Cafe, 469 45th Ave. N, St. Petersburg. Bring plate and glass to organic meal including beans and rice four ways: Southern, Louisiana, Cuban and rice and vegetables, live music; $5.95, benefits childrens' gardening program. Call (727) 209-2380 to reserve.

Italian Vegetarian: 7 p.m. Tue., Vincent's Italian Restaurant, 13079 Park Blvd., Seminole. Tampa Bay Vegetarians invite guests to Italian vegetarian dinner, menu includes penne primavera, stuffed shells primavera; $13.50, extra $2 for nonmembers; reserve by noon Sat. Go to www.tampabayvegetarians.org or call (727) 432-3327 or (813) 269-4665.

Wines of the World Dinner: 7 p.m. Tue., Le Bouchon Bistro, 796 Indian Rocks Road, Belleair Bluffs. Rioja, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and more varieties from around the world pair with herb-crusted lamb, poached pear in Wines of the World dinner; $50. Call (727) 585-9777 to register.

Lambert Bridge Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. April 25, Park Square Cellar, 16132 Churchview Drive, Lithia. Vineyard owner Andy Wilcox presents wines from Lambert Bridge in Sonoma's Dry Creek Valley, paired with five courses; $50 dinner, plus $50 wine purchase required. Call (813) 689-4560.

French Wine Dinner: 7 p.m. April 25, Cafe Largo, 12551 Indian Rocks Road, Largo. Chef Dominique's four-course classic French menu pairs with wines including Saint Aubin 2004, Laland de Pomerol 2000; $59. Call (727) 596-6282.

Dining Out for Life: Dine at any of 23 Pinellas County restaurants participating in Dining Out For Life benefit April 26 and 25 percent of receipts will be donated to AIDS Service Association of Pinellas. Participating restaurants include Cafe Alma, Casa Tina, Blue Heron, Pia's Trattoria. For more information, go to diningoutforlife.com or call (727) 328-3268.

Bern's Winefest: Tickets for select events at Bern's Winefest still available at bernswinefest.com include: Winefest Gala, 6:30 p.m. April 27 ($200); Saturday Soiree, 6-9 p.m. April 28 ($100); Grand Tasting, 12:30-4 p.m. April 29 ($95 in advance, $105 at door), held at Bern's Fine Wine & Spirits, 1002 S Howard Ave., Tampa.

Wine tastings/classes

Australian, French Samplings: Tastings, A Wine Experience, 149 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg, presents:

- Newly discovered varieties from Australia and New Zealand tasted, 6-8 p.m. today; $10.

- Michel Picard Vineyards, second-largest wine producers in France's Burgundy region, present award-winning red and white varieties, 6-8 p.m. April 25; $10.

Call (727) 894-2255.

WineStyle Samplings: WineStyles Belleair Bluffs, 2800 West Bay Drive, Belleair Bluffs, presents tastings:

- Sharpen wine sampling skills at "blind" taste test, 5-8 p.m. today; $5.

- Evening Down Under tasting of Australian favorites, 5-8 p.m. Thur.; free.

- Organic tasting of European wines, 5-8 p.m. Fri.; free.

Call (727) 518-9463.

Super Reds and Whites: 6-8 p.m. Fri., Pic Pac Fine Wine, 6609 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. Outstanding red and white wines sampled; $5. Call (727) 347-0743.

Sangria Sampling: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Fri., Uncorked Fine Wines and Accessories, 2706 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg. Sample refreshing and fruity sangrias; $10, benefits Special Olympics of Pinellas County. Call (727) 892-9463.

New Discoveries: 5:30-7:30 p.m. April 25, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits, 23399 US 19 N, Clearwater. Sample from more than 70 wines from around the world, plus accompaniments, cigar and whiskey sampling; $10. Call (727) 797-1210.

Artistic Creations: 7-10 p.m. Fri., Gulf Coast Museum of Art, 12211 Walsingham Road, Largo. Wine and cheese sampling for young professionals encourages guests to create their own artistic "masterpiece" on glassware while enjoying works of 20th century American artists; $10. Call (727) 518-6833, ext. 207 to reserve.

Cream of the Crop: 7 p.m. apertif, 7:30 p.m. tasting Fri., Vintage Wine Cellars, 3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa. Cream of the Crop seminar includes some of world's most highly rated: Veuve Cliquot 1996 La Grand Dame, Chapoutier Hermitage 2003 Sizeranne; $75. Call (813) 879-2931.

Southern Hemisphere Sampling: These VINO 100 locations present free sampling of wines from the Southern hemisphere, including Ra Nui sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, Mustang Sally shiraz from Australia, Cremaschi chardonnay form Chile:

- 4-7 p.m. Fri., 1038 Bloomingdale Ave., Valrico; (813) 654-8466.

- 5-8 p.m. April 26, 5056 Fourth St. N, St. Petersburg; (727) 522-8466.

Wines & Fresh Market: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sat., Florida Estates Winery of St. Petersburg, 3101 37th Ave. N (1 mile west of I-275), St. Petersburg. Sample from among winery's red, white, fruit, dessert and other varieties, browse fresh market with homemade foods, sandwiches, arts and crafts; free admission. Call (727) 526-2113.

Vintage, Verse & Song: 6-8 p.m. Tue., Salvador Dali Museum, 1000 Third St. N, St. Petersburg. Wine & Song VIII combines wines from Spain's Aragon region with tapas from Pepin's Restaurant and Spanish poetry; $25 advance, $30 day of event. Call (866) 440-7880.

Wine #101: 6:30 p.m. April 25 and May 2, Mattison's Steakhouse, 525 Bay Isles Parkway, Longboat Key. Mattison's sommelier leads Wine #101 casual class for women, with focus on pinot noir wines; $18. Call (941) 387-2700 to reserve; limited seating.

COOKING CLASSES

Savory Seaweed, Raw Foods: Nature's Food Patch, 1225 Cleveland St., Clearwater, presents free demonstrations:

- Add seaweed to salads, soups, vegetable dishes for nutritional benefits, 6 p.m. today.

- Raw Living Foods Made Easy with chef Joseph Custer, 11 a.m. Sat.

Call (727) 443-6703.

Wedding Cake Bliss: 3-6 p.m. Sat., Savant Fine Dining, 2551 Drew St., Clearwater. Techniques for creating an elegant wedding cake taught in chef David Miller's class, followed by eight-course dinner; $100. Call (727) 421-9975 to register.

Beef #101, Appetizer Delights: Rolling Pin, 2080 Badlands Drive, Brandon, presents:

- Learn the best cuts of beef to buy for varied cooking techniques, make sesame beef kabobs, spinach-stuffed tenderloin in Beef #101, noon-2:30 p.m. Sun.; $45.

- Appetizer Delights class makes hot cheese puffs, coconut cilantro shrimp, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. April 26; $40.

Call (813) 653-2418, then press 3, to register.

Italian Immersion: Four-week class on Italian language, cuisine and culture: 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Tue., Bellini Restaurant, 487 Main St., Dunedin; $205, includes materials and dinner. Preregistration required. Call toll-free 1-888-386-5764 or go to www.Learnalanguage.us.

Pelagia Trattoria Chef: 6:30 p.m. April 26, Apron's Cooking School at Publix Supermarket at Shoppes of Citrus Park, 7835 Gunn Highway, Tampa. Chef Fabrizio Schenardi demonstrates Mediterranean cuisine dishes from Tampa's Pelagia Trattoria, noted by Zagat as one of top 20 new restaurants in Florida; $40. Call (813) 926-4465 or go to publix.com/aprons/schools.

Savant Starters and Entrees: 3-6 p.m. April 28, Savant Fine Dining, 2551 Drew St., Clearwater. Class makes chef David Miller's cuisine appetizers and entrees, followed by eight-course dinner; $100. Call (727) 421-9975 to register.

Compiled by Peggy Anders of the Times. Send news of coming events at least two weeks in advance to Food File, St. Petersburg Times, P.O. Box 1121, St. Petersburg, FL 33731.

[Last modified April 17, 2007, 11:56:02]