Taste wine fresh from the barrel and chat with Arizona winemaker, Eric Glomski, of Page Springs Cellar and Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, who will be pouring the wine. This is a 21-and-over event.

Jerome; Willcox; Mormon Lake

Even with a healthy appreciation for the arts and a career that puts me in close proximity to them — not to mention a cousin who’s an accomplished professional ballerina — I can’t say I clamor for a night at the ballet.

Travelers accustomed to chain eateries like Chili’s and Paradise Bakery now have a chance to experience local offerings such as Cowboy Ciao, La Grande Orange and Barrio Cafe at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The Bistro at Kokopelli Winery will close on May 26, with plans to re-open in September as Crust.

On Sunday, the popular PBS restaurant review show, “Check, Please! Arizona,” hosts its first food festival at CityScape in Phoenix. While attendees enjoy a plethora of food and wine samples and live demonstrations from award-winning chefs like Robert McGrath and Chris Bianco, one humble festival booth — Pittsburgh Willy’s Gourmet Hot Dogs — takes the next step in its Cinderella story.

Local chefs featured on the Eight, Arizona PBS show “Check, Please! Arizona” gather at the inaugural Check, Please! Arizona Festival, where fans and foodies can sample some of the Valley’s best restaurant fare and audition for upcoming episodes of the show. Cuisine from at least 36 of the independent restaurants – from five-star dining establishments to tucked-away cafes – previously featured on the show will be offered.  Among event highlights are cooking demonstrations, panel discussions and the chance to audition in front of cameras.

It all began when a pair of friends shared drinks together in Greece.

Tempe Festival of the Arts: Over 400 artists line Mill Avenue at this nationally ranked art gathering, where attendees also enjoy live music, street performers, food and beverage booths, wine and beer samplings, and a Kids Innovation Station, where kids can make their own take-home art.

This weekend downtown Chandler will be piled high with more than 20,000 pounds of BBQ at the Great American Barbeque and Beer Festival. The roster of restaurants dishing up ribs, brisket, pulled pork and chicken includes old favorites Famous Dave’s, Honey Bear’s BBQ, Joe’s Real BBQ and Tom’s BBQ, along with some newcomers including Porkopolis.

After Jody Farley Berens and Andy Royal lost their close friend, Michelle Singleton, to cancer in 2005, they noticed that while there were plenty of organizations aimed at helped in researching and battling cancer, there weren’t enough to help cancer patients get through the rigors of their day-to-day lives.

Whether you prefer Tempranillo and Sangiovese to Apatosaurus and Diplodocus — or don’t know the difference between any of them — doesn’t really matter here.

If you’re looking to purchase some pieces of live-in art, or if you’re just in the mood for an entertaining evening out that supports a great cause, you may be interested in “Chairitable,” an art auction featuring hand-painted and embellished furniture by local artists.

The most popular locally produced TV show on Eight, Arizona PBS, will soon take over CityScape in downtown Phoenix.

This time of year, we’ll take nearly any excuse to get out and enjoy the weather. Fortunately, Chandler’s got a good one in its Feb. 23 Classic Car and Hot Rod Show.

The first time I saw the work of Mesa artist William Barnhart, I was smitten. When I learned he is also the man behind one of the most interesting buildings in the city — the eye-catching cinder-block and steel Quonset hut on Center Street just north of University Drive — I was over the moon.

It’s ba-aaack: The Arizona Renaissance Festival opens this weekend in Gold Canyon, and it’s celebrating 25 years of transporting modern Valley dwellers to a 16th-century English village.

Tucked away in the heart of San Tan Valley, The Good Life Festival – a multi-event, season-long gathering at Encanterra Country Club – regularly puts a focus on food, wine and music.

Five local chefs have been chosen for the inaugural Ripe awards, an honor started by The Phoenix Art Museum’s Men’s Arts Council to celebrate chefs who create cuisine worthy of national recognition, exhibit passion for Phoenix’s growing culinary scene, and draw a national spotlight to the area.

Invite a lot of people over for dinner, and it doesn’t take long for the table to fill up with platters, flatware, plates and elbows.

The olives from the 2012 harvest have been pressed, and the slick, aromatic liquid they yielded is something to celebrate. At least, it is around these parts.

Queen Creek Olive Mill invites you to ring in the new oil — freshly pressed at the Mill — with food, wine, live music and a special collection of extra virgin olive oil.

The head of a popular Arizona winery will host a five-course wine pairing dinner in Chandler — at a rate more affordable than typical winemaker dinners.