October Events

September certainly flew! They say as you get older, time starts to go by more and more quickly, which makes me a little sad. I am definitely starting to feel it! I suppose that’s why savoring each moment, even the mundane ones, becomes more important. October is upon us, and it’s going to be a busy one for me at work as we prepare for all of our holiday events. I receive dozens of press releases about events each week, and while I end up deleting many of them, there are still so many that share events I would love to attend. Below is just a sampling of events I would go to if I had all the time in the world (and could be bi-coastal).

Whisky Live – October 2 – I am dying to attend Whisky Live, but I was sick for two weeks and missed a ton of NYC Marathon training so I am being a good runner and running that night. It is sure to be a tasty and festive event.

Whisky Live Boston is back for its second year at The Park Plaza Castle, a National Historic Landmark, on Wednesday, October 2.  Whisky Live offers a fantastic evening of the finest whisky, incredible whisky cocktails, great food and fantastic entertaining – making enjoying whisky part of a lifestyle.

Let’s Talk About Food Festival – October 5 – On Saturday, October 5, the outdoor festival kicks off with a host of presentations and programming elements.  The main stage will include presentations such as Cooking for Geeks, Raise Your Hand for Better School Food, The Mediterranean Diet, Let’s Talk About Seafood,  How to Fuel an Athlete, An Israeli Brunch: Beyond Hummus and Falafel, and finally, Men (and Women) in Blue – local first responders from Cambridge, Watertown and Boston will compete with area chefs in a cook-off. 

Urban Grape 60 Miles to Boston Challenge – If I didn’t have a very fun wedding to attend the night before, I would definitely be at this pop up, which brings together two favorites, The Urban Grape and Lineage.

Three years ago, Lineage did our very first pop-up with us at the Chestnut Hill store. It seems only fitting to bring them back for our first pop-up at the BCAE. Their new Executive Chef, Alex Saenz, is up to the challenge to present us with 100% locally sourced menu, featuring only items found within 60 miles of Boston. Everything in your glass will also be from within 60 miles. Can we do it? Join us on October 6th and find out!

East Cambridge Business Association Rib Fest – October 20 –

The East Cambridge Business Association (ECBA) is proud to present The East Cambridge Business Association “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2013, on Sunday October 20, 2013 from 12:00 noon – 4:00pm. The Rib Fest and Street Fair will take place on Cambridge Street in East Cambridge, between Fulkerson Street and Fifth Street.

The Rib Fest is a culinary showdown pitting pit master against pit master for the title of the best ribs in town. The event is for all ages so come and enjoy some BBQ. There will be plenty of food and fun to be had, but for the best chance to sample a variety of ribs and to cast your vote, you’ll need a Taste Ticket which will get you 10 rib samples from the restaurants of your choice at a first come first serve basis. Taste Tickets are currently on sale. Additionally, each restaurant will be selling a dish of their own, showcasing their own menu.

Donelan Family Wines at Stonehedge Inn – October 21 – One of my favorite things about our stay at Stonehedge Inn was definitely their wine program. I was disappointed that their wine cave was not open, but we loved our meal and service so much and definitely look forward to attending a wine dinner soon. Donelan Family Wines is out of Santa Rosa, a place we try to visit often, and I am pretty sure with the great food at Stonehedge and these fantastic wines, this will be a night to remember.

Founded by Joe Donelan, Donelan Family Wines is a small, boutique winery located in Santa Rosa, California. The winery focuses on producing critically acclaimed, well balanced, terroir driven wines from Syrah and Rhone varietals. The goal at Donelan is not to just only find the sites, get the fruit, and make the wine, but also to discover and distill what truly makes an impact to the components of great wine, and to isolate out the best of the best by segmenting vineyards based on natural variation within even the smallest of sites among northern California vineyards. Within their portfolio of wines they offer a series of blends and a series of single vineyards. Simply put, they think wine should taste great – with every vintage and every grape, which is their ultimate priority and their greatest motivation. They recently received their second consecutive set of overwhelmingly positive reviews and scores from well known wine critic Robert Parker. Consistently rated 90+ (several 95+!) on all of their wines, Robert Parker describes their wines as “exceptionally elegant” and “flirting with perfection”. Join us as we taste these phenomenal wines with Joe Donelan.

Schramsberg Wine Dinner with Hugh Davies – October 21 – Oh how I love Schramsberg! We celebrated the mister’s birthday at the wine caves a few years back, and we have the best memories of that day, along with a major love of their incredible sparkling wine.

On Monday, October 21st at 6:30 p.m, 51 Lincoln, a top Newton-area destination for creative New American cuisine, will host a special Schramsberg wine dinner with Hugh Davies, the acclaimed California sparkling wine estate’s owner and winemaker. The dinner will start with a champagne-topped fall cocktail, followed by five courses of elegant fare designed by 51 Lincoln Chef and Owner Jeff Fournier to highlight a selection of Schramsberg’s exquisite vintage sparklers and J. Davies Cabernet Sauvignon. Davies worked with the 51 Lincoln team to select the evening’s wines, which include some of the estate’s most sought-after bottles, and he will be on-hand to lead guests through each pairing and talk about his family’s vineyard and winemaking philosophy.

Wine Road Wine & Food Affair – November 2 and 3 – Okay, this one is in November and in Sonoma,  but a Wine & Food Affair is one of my favorite events of all time. In 2011, I cancelled my attendance last minute when my nana passed away. Last year, I didn’t go due to the NYC Marathon that never happened, and this year, I’m still not going because of the NYC Marathon. Next year, I will be there. You can see my past Wine and Food Affair post here. (The Wine Road also does an awesome barrel tasting event in the Spring. Remind me why I don’t live in Sonoma County?)

A Wine & Food Affair is the premier event for Wine Road – Northern Sonoma County!
Join us for a weekend of wine and food pairing in the Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. All of the wineries participating will have a favorite winery recipe in the cookbook, which they will prepare both days for you to sample, along with the perfect wine. – See more at: http://www.wineroad.com/events/wine_and_food_affair/6#sthash.yyIpESh0.dpuf

Wine and Yoga at Jessup Cellars – All month long – If I lived in the Napa Valley, I would spend a lot of time at Jessup Cellars. They have all sorts of fun events, and this one combines two loves, wine and yoga.

Join Jessup Cellars every Wednesday from 9/25 to 10/31 for our six week Yoga & Wine Series with instructor July Zaleski. The Vinyasa style classes will be open to all levels. After class enjoy Jessup Cellars wines with fresh, seasonal local bites.