Wine and Food Festival Preview: Two Great Wine Events That Aren't Sold Out (Yet)

Tomorrow marks the start of the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival. If you had any doubt that our town is becoming more foodie and cosmopolitan, you need only look at the myriad "SOLD OUT" announcements on the THCWFF's site to quickly lose that notion. But while many tastings are already full, we still see two events on the wine calendar well worth recommending as last minute bookings:

A Wine Dinner w/ Simi Winery - Thursday, March 29th @ 6:30pm - Central Market North: As fans of Simi's Landslide series of wines, we can't help but guess that this pairing dinner will be delicious. The dinner is hosted by Eric Lee, Simi's executive chef, and the menu will include Seared Lamb Tartare Crostini with Calabrian Chiles & Mint served with Simi Sauvignon Blanc; Toad in a Hole Salad with Exotic Mushrooms & Crispy Pancetta served with Simi Sonoma County Chardonnay; Lobster Ravioli à la Nage served with Simi Russian River Reserve Chardonnay; Grilled Ahi Tuna with Roasted Eggplant Risotto Cake & Olive Jus served with Simi Sonoma County Merlot; and Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes with Saffron-Pistachio-Rose Water Ice Cream.
Simi is a quality brand that is also well distributed (and thus easy to find in local wine shops), so go have a great dinner and discover a favorite wine that you can purchase whenever you'd like!
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Ridge Reserve Tasting - Saturday, March 31st @ 3:30pm - Sullivan's Steakhouse: We're flummoxed as to how this wasn't the very first event to sell out this year. After all, how often does one get the chance to taste wines from the very same winery that won the famous Judgment of Paris twice? While there's single vineyard Zinfandel on the menu this time rather than Monte Bello Cabernet, it's guaranteed to be a wonderful time. Ridge winemaker John Olney will lead a vertical tasting (the same wine, but from different vintages) of their Lytton Springs Zinfandel. At least six different vintages from the 90's will be included, and since Olney runs the Lytton Springs vineyard, all your questions about the wine will be easily answered.
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There are also tickets remaining for both the THCWFF's Bouquet of Rosés tasting and the Robert Talbott Vineyards vertical Chardonnay tasting on Saturday, so if our selections didn't appeal to you, perhaps these will. Either way, it's time for some great wine drinking this weekend.

Ridge tasting note image via yajico on Flickr.