Where’s the Beef(steak)?
Few fruits better mark the dog days of summer than the vine- ripened juiciness of ... tomatoes! Did you know that one of the best places to procure these herbaceous perennials is at a winery?  Forget the tasteless brands you find at the store, instead, spend an afternoon at one of Sonoma County’s most popular food and wine gatherings: the 12th Annual Kendall-Jackson Heirloom Tomato Festival. Participants of this day long affair can sample from   more than 170 varieties of heirloom tomatoes in every size, shape and color imaginable picked fresh from the winery’s Culinary Gardens. There are several entertaining things to do, including: taste recipes from fine food purveyors, stroll through the fabulous Bruschetta Boulevard, watch Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef’s Challenge, participate in wine education seminars, judge a tomato growing contest, take a garden tour and enjoy live music. All paired with delicious Kendall-Jackson wines. The festival is held in the walnut grove behind the Château at the Kendall-Jackson Wine Center. Tickets for the Saturday, September 6th, happening are $65 per person and can be purchased at www.kj.co or call (800) 769-3649.m

Stellar Sipping
Relax under the stars for an evening of vintage films and wine. Every summer, Sterling Vineyards presents a popular outdoor movie  series which includes wine tastings, cartoon classics and some of the most entertaining movies ever made. Featured on Saturday, September 6th, is “The Man Who Knew Too Much,” starring James Stuart and Doris Day. Wine tasting and concessions begins at 7 pm - the feature starts at dusk. Guests are invited to come early, dress warmly and bring picnic or purchase a barbecue dinner or movie snacks. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children (16 and under). To learn more, visit www.sterlingvineyards.co or call (800) 726-6136. FYI: Go online and save $5 off the aerial tram mand tasting of five wines.

Big Deal
Two of Sonoma Country’s premier wine and food festivals partner to debut “Sonoma Wine Country Weekend.” Features of the three day fete include: more than 200 wineries and chefs, winemaker lunches and dinners, a grand tasting and the most fun you’ll ever have at a wine auction. The big ticket item happens on Saturday, August 30th, during the 29th Annual Showcase: TASTE of Sonoma, where 100 wineries pour thousands of wines paired with the creations of over 60 local chefs. TASTE is an all inclusive event with an impressive  line-up of chef demonstrations, vineyards seminars, sommelier  seminars, winemaking demonstrations, wine marketplace and much  more. Tickets for the August 29th through 31st function start at  $75 per person. To participate, visit www.sonomawinecountryweekend.co or call (800) 939-7666. FYI: Visa Signature cardholders receive special savings and benefits.m

Best Bet
Enjoy a carefree afternoon in wine country at the 25th Napa Valley  Harvest Festival. Unlimited pourings and gourmet treats from the area's finest wineries, microbreweries and restaurants, arguably  makes this your best bet this weekend. Included in the $50 per person fee is all you-can-eat barbecue (with all the trimmings),  art exhibitions from popular local artists, live music and an auction offering luxury “getaway” vacations and other exciting  items. This family-friendly festival takes place at the Napa  Fairgrounds (575 3rd Street), Saturday, September 6th. For additional details, call (707) 258-1202.

Rock n Roll
If the economy has soured you from making your mark in the upscale wine scene, and drinking whatever basement juice they’re discarding at Trader Joe’s lacks the same giddy satisfaction, don’t worry - drive upvalley. In the jazzy enclave of Calistoga, there’s a savvy wine merchant that has the ultimate collection of rock star wines at better than Costco prices. The Wine Garage occupies the space of a former 1940s-era service station progressing into a hip, retro-chic wine mecca carrying close to 350 different labels! Todd Miller, founder and wine buyer, has an uncanny knack of finding undiscovered top shelf wines from small family producers (most making less than 1000 cases per year). Many of the bottles are priced under $15, which is why the Wine Garage has been a go-to destination for wine country insider’s who (believe it or not) can’t afford to buy their own wines. While they prefer this temple as their private Shangri-La, it’s time to let the cat out of the bag! In addition to rock bottom prices, the Wine Garage also has one of the best “won’t-burn-a-hole-in-your- pocket” wine clubs, too. The final word? Wall-to-wall boxes of kick-ass wines, groovy music playing in the background, cool funky decor and better than box store prices. Forget about Trader Joe’s, the Wine Garage is the modern equivalent Tower Records - all that’s missing is the life-sized album art! To find out more, go to www.winegarage.n, call (707) 942-5332 or, better yet, visit them in Calistoga. The Wine Garage is at 1020 Foothill Blvd (driving north on Highway 29 they’re on the right, a street before the flashing light).et

On The Radar
The final performance of the 2008 Rodney Strong Concert in the Vineyards concludes on Saturday, September 27th, with a consortium of renown rock musicians performing the ‘R n R’ Tour. Tickets begin at $45 per person and can be purchased at www.rodneystrong.com or call (707) 433-0919. Tickets are on sale for Taste of Lodi. This extraordinary event features up to 40 award winning wineries along with food selections from some of the area's finest restaurants and caterers. Wine seminars take place throughout the day, as well as chefs demonstrations and live music. The Port, Cigar and Chocolate Pavilion is a great place to pair wine with complimentary treats. Entrance for the September 28th event is $40 in advance or $50 at the door (if available). Tickets can be purchased online or by phone. (209) 365-1195; www.tasteoflodi.com