Sept. 13: The Sacramento Grub Crawl

VIP sampling of fine wines and cuisines. Every hour, on the hour, you'll stroll to the next location to greet, eat, and meet (as SacDine puts it) "the industry's finest insiders, ….renowned chefs, celebrity guests, world class staff and (while not yet famous, … the always infamous) Sacramento Party Crowd! " The restaurants include Chops (5 to 6 p.m.), Parlare (6 to 7), Table260 (6 to 7), Sofia (7 to 8), Esquire Grill (8 to 9), Cabana (10 p.m. on). If you want to join the fun, it's $25 per person, and you can purchase at 3102 O St., Suite 6, or call 400-3240. This will probably become a weekly event, but the Web site doesn't have all the details yet, so check back to see what's coming up.

Sept. 13 and 14: Tour de Vine--El Dorado's Wine Harvest Festival

Twenty El Dorado county family wineries, including Boeger, David Girard, and Mount Aukum will be open for tours and tastings. Some of the events will include vineyard tours with winemakers; hands-on experiences like grape crushing; special tastings from vineyard to barrel to bottle, in cellars and a cave; fermentation demonstrations and grape "punch downs" by participants;blessing of the grapes ceremony. There will be light food samples paired with wines at each location. You can find a map of the wineries and a listing of events at the El Dorado Wines Web site. You can also buy the $45 tickets there or at some of the wineries. Events run 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Sept. 20, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m: A Harvest Pear Affair

Join Slow Food Sacramento and Tim Neuharth from Steamboat Acres to celebrate the end of harvest with an orchard tour where he will discuss the challenges of organic pear farming in the Delta, and Chris Zanobini from the California Pear Advisory Board will conduct a tasting with information on history and pear varieties. The orchard floor near the river will serve as a beautiful background for a shared potluck picnic with fellow foodies, and dessert diva Kira O’Donnell prepares scrumptious pear galettes.

Please bring: Festive picnic fare, drinks, blankets or chairs, picnic ware (no disposables), and please bring a favorite potluck appetizer, side dish or entrée to share with someone you meet at the picnic. Sharing good food with new friends is a goal for all Slow Food events.

Cost: $15 for Slow Food Members; $20 for non-members; purchase deadline is Sept. 17

Buy Tickets Now at Brown Paper Tickets For more information, contact Melinda McRae Beer at melinda_beer@yahoo.com or 916-717-1621.