Photo by jetalone on flickrThe third Thursday of November (one week before Big American-Style Thanksgiving) marks Beaujolais Day - setting off a sort of Cannonball Run of wine, with distributors racing to get wildly celebrated bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau, the red wine made exclusively from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France, to market. We were busy drinking some middle-of-the-road Sauvignon Blanc last night or we would have totally reminded you yesterday. According......

TUESDAY [17] party • Red Bull Music Academy Info Session, hosted by Prince Klassen, featuring SuperContinent at Beauty Bar (Click to RSVP) books • Mark Regnerus presents Forbidden Fruit at Intellectual Property (5:00pm) books • Mayor's Book Club Author Event with Mayor Will Wynn and Stephanie Elizondo Griest at Mercury Hall (6:00pm) books • Darryl Wimberley presents The King of Colored Town at BookPeople (7:00pm) comedy • Comedians Nathan Timmel, Normal Wilkerson, Robb Loving......

Now drink this: Tuesday 7pm, Jane Nickles will be demystifying Zinfandel at Cork and Co. ($25, 7-9-ish pm.) "Rich, Spicy, Dark Red Zinfandel is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Many people are confused by Zinfandel, from its mysterious past as “California’s Mystery Grape” to its 80’s incarnation as a frilly pink wine," says Miss Jane. "Don’t be fooled by the Zinfandels of your past … experience the true potential of Zinfandel as a World......

We are crushed that one of the hottest event at the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival - tonight’s Sip and Stroll done got sold out. We are completely missing out on both champagne and chatting up the Bubbly Professor - Jane Nickles. We are also missing out on wandering down to (sometimes yay, sometimes nay) Cru Wine Bar, where we would have been force-fed white wine. We are also, alas, not heading......

The matchless Jane Nickles ("Miss Jane" if you're one of her students) teaches wine classes for both the armchair wine lovers, as well as budding professional culinarians at Texas Culinary Academy, and has published a neat little volume, Winespeak 101. With Valentine's Day precariously close, we asked her to throw her two cents in regarding everyone's favorite come-hither combo - chocolate and wine. Read on, you animals... Many people, myself included, just love, love,......

One of Austin's favorite wine educators, Jane Nickles, is hosting a free wine tasting class (complete with a glass or two of free wine) at Book People this Saturday at 5pm. We like that Miss Jane talks to both wine newbies and wine snobs about things like aroma, body, and finish in a way that both entertains and educates. If you can't tell, we like her. While you're there, buy a copy her new......

In case you were in need of some cultural enrichment this weekend, here are some cerebral events for your consideration: SATURDAY (11/11) Do you only attend panel discussions featuring historic icons? Well, you're in luck this weekend as The Ransom Center presents A Conversation with Norman Mailer, literally. Norman Mailer, Gay Talese, and Lawrence Schiller will participate in a discussion moderated by professor Steven Isenberg. Admission is free and seats will go fast. Doors......

If you love women who know good wine, or know women who love good wine, tonight just may be your night. From 7-9pm at Cork & Company, Austin wine-ista Miss Jane Nickles will host “Miss Jane’s Zinposium” – a Zinfandel class and tasting at Cork and Company. In Miss Jane’s words, “Rich, spicy, dark red Zinfandel is one of life's greatest pleasures. Many people are confused by Zinfandel, from its mysterious past as ‘California's......