The Joy of Sake is a celebration of the art of sake brewing, and is the largest sake tasting in the United States, featuring 300 premium sakes. This is a rare opportunity to sample outstanding labels in peak condition. Attendees will be able to sample the full spectrum of sake styles in the junmai, ginjo, and daiginjo categories, including recipients of silver and gold awards from the U.S. National Sake Appraisal. Top restaurants in each city will serve appetizers to complement the sakes, featuring a variety of cuisines from Asian and Japanese to French and American. Tickets may be ordered online or (808-739-1000, 888-799-7242); a special rate is offered to the trade.

Wine producer and exporter Valckenberg will entertertain journalists and customers from around the world for a celebration of their 200 year anniversary of owning the renowned Liebfrauenstift‐Kirchenstück vineyard.

Liebfrauenstift‐Kirchenstück has long been recognized as one of the historically significant vineyards in Europe. Its illustrious heritage began centuries ago. The church in the center of the vineyard was a stop along the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage trail. The original caretakers and winemakers were Capuchin monks who served the thirsty visitors a delicious white wine that tasted like none other along the route. Word of mouth soon made the wine a legend. Click here for more information.

The Connecticut Hospitality Expowill unite several thousand leaders of the state’s restaurant industry, where they will learn how new products, trends and cutting-edge technology can help them keep their businesses vibrant and relevant. For details visit cthospitalityexpo.com.

International trade fair for food, beverages, food processing, technologies, packaging, public catering, hotel and shop equipment, and services, Riga Food is the leading in the Baltic countries exhibition for food industry offers information on the development of the food sector and opportunities to meet with representatives playing a significant role in the food market.
Visit the Web site for details.

Headlining the event is Stephanie Izard, recent winner of Bravo TV’s Top Chef. Izard will showcase her award-winning skills in her first West Coast cooking demonstration. All cooking seminars and special tastings will take place Saturday. Demonstrations (including Izard’s) and non-wine or spirit-related events are free. Returning festival favorites include Chef Lars Kronmark from the Culinary Institute of America (presenting a lively outdoor grilling and entertaining demonstration) and Joseph Keller of Bouchon (Yountville, California and Las Vegas) and Bistro Zinc Restaurant in Las Vegas. Keller will prepare a special four-course luncheon paired with premium wines from California.Seminar and tasting tickets range from $10 to $110 and can be purchased by calling 1-888-229-2193 or visiting www.tahoefoodandwine.com

Washington State University's 2008 Feast of the Arts Dinner series will showcase world-renowned Cougar-connected wineries, a gourmet five-course dinner expertly prepared by chefs and students from WSU’s School of Hospitality Business Management, and world-class art from the WSU Museum of Art on Friday evenings prior to home Cougar football games. Visit feast.wsu.edu for details.

Bartenders from around the world compete in teams of three, country against country, and shake it out for the international title. For more information, visit www.42below.com/#/section/cwc.

Grapefest celebrates the beloved grape in a multitude of ways, including grape stomping, grape crushing, and wine tasting. Other activities including the Texas Wine Tribute Dinner, a culinary pavilion, the GrapeFest Express Railroad, arts and crafts booths, and more. For more information, call 817-410-3185.

A three-day culinary symposium, 60 of the world’s most influential and innovative chefs, pastry chefs, mixologists, and sommeliers will present the latest techniques and culinary concepts to their peers. Visit www.starchefs.com for more information.

The Kentucky Bourbon Festival offers the opportunity to sample fine Bourbon whisky from all of Kentucky's great distilleries. Approximately 55,000 people from 40 states and 14 countries attended the 2007 festival. For more information, visit www.kybourbonfestival.com.

On September 18th, 2008, in New York City, Wine 2.0, Wine Library TV, and Web2.0 Expo are sponsoring an evening of wine and technology. Wine 2.0 New York will feature over 1,000 friends from the wine, technology and venture capital community, tasting over 100 wineries' best wines. On display in the Wine 2.0 technology showcase will be Wine 2.0 startups who are changing the way wine is made, marketed or sold. Information can be found and reservations made at winetwo.com.

Attendees will gain a reliable and detailed vision of where the industry is headed and how to capitalize on opportunities. Those that would like to register may do so at www.hotelfandb.com.

For two days, participants will attend hands-on master classes with acclaimed chefs, restaurateurs, and industry insiders. Students will learn techniques and creative approaches to preparing dishes, then create and eat the dishes they have learned. In-depth, intimate tasting workshops will feature limited-edition and rare wines, as well as specialty, hard-to-find foods. Visit nymag.com for more information.

WCR's conference draws more than 300 culinary professionals together to enjoy keynote presenters, master classes, panel discussions, break out educational sessions, networking breaks and lunches, mini trade fair and cookbook signing, culinary tours, champagne receptions, dessert buffets and dine arounds at area restaurants. One of the featured events of the conference is the Women Who Inspire Celebration Dinner and Awards Ceremony traditionally held on Sunday evening. Visit www.womenchefs.org to register.

This one-week campaign rallies over 2000 restaurants and the entire restaurant community behind Share Our Strength’s vision of ending childhood hunger in America. Participants include Danny Meyer’s Union Hospitality Group in New York City, Thomas Keller’s Laundry in Napa, California, and I Pano Kartassos’s Buckhead Life Restaurant Group in Atlanta. The event will help the organization end childhood hunger in America through education programs and providing access to the nutritious foods that children need to grow, live, and thrive. To find participating restaurants or to get involved, visit join.strength.org

Over 50 chefs and wine merchants will create a platform for more than 75 culinary students to be mentored at New York City restaurants for the ultimate culinary experience. The event is titled "Excite your Senses." For additional information, call (646) 548-2949.

This event will feature chef competitions, key note speakers, an exhibit hall, educational seminars, and more. Learn more and register online at americasfoodandbeverage.com.

The Newport Mansions Wine & Food Festival will include exhibits from top wineries, a grand tasting event, auctions, seminars, wine dinners, and more.

The Bocuse d'Or USA contest is a pre-qualifying competition whose purpose is to select a single finalist team of Chef and Commis that will go on to represent the United States at the International Bocuse d'Or , held biennially in Lyon, France. Visit the Web site to learn more.

Preview more than 200 wines produced from versatile Spanish varietals, representing many of Spain’s 67 denominations of origin. These comprehensive afternoon tastings, open exclusively to wine and food professionals and press, will give you a first-hand taste of the latest releases from Spain. Details may be found at greatmatch.org.

The Fourth Annual Connecticut Restaurant & Lodging Show continues to be the marketplace for Connecticut’s 7 billion dollar food & beverage industry. Held at the CT Expo Center this year, the Connecticut Restaurant & Lodging Show is cost-effective, efficient, and focused for both the exhibitors and attendees. Visit ctrlshow.com to register.

Preview more than 200 wines produced from versatile Spanish varietals, representing many of Spain’s 67 denominations of origin. These comprehensive afternoon tastings, open exclusively to wine and food professionals and press, will give you a first-hand taste of the latest releases from Spain. Details may be found at greatmatch.org.

The granddaddy of all US beer festivals, the 2008 event is expected to serve more than 1,800 different beers, in one-ounce tasting portions, from an estimated 400 U.S. breweries to the event’s 46,000-plus attendees. In 2007, the entire event sold out in advance of the opening session. Visit greatamericanbeerfestival.com for details.

The Nightclub & Bar East Coast Convention and Trade Show brings the industry together in a unique and exciting way. Attendees will enjoy more than 200 exhibitors, educational sessions, preconference workshops, special events, and networking opportunities. Click here for details.

The US Drinks Conference is structured to provide the critical and practical information UK distributors need to penetrate the American drinks market. Visit www.usdrinksconference.com for more information.

Gourmet, the magazine of good living, will present the sixth annual Gourmet Institute, an exceptional culinary weekend uniting the epicurean worlds top talents. Glimpse inside the pages of Gourmet, and rub elbows with the faces behind the magazine: Editor in Chief Ruth Reichl, Executive Chef Sara Moulton, and acclaimed Wine & Spirits Consultant Michael Green. Call 1-888-308-6133 for ticket information or visit gourmetinstitute.com.

Most commonly known as the “culinary Olympics,” the Internationale Kochkunst Ausstellung (IKA) International Culinary Art Exhibitionwill draw participants from more than 40 nations for a four-day competition that takes place every four years. National,regional, pastry and youth teams, as well as individual competitors, will battle it out in their respective categories, defending their region’s cuisine. Visit acfchefs.org for more details.

The Ministry of Rum's Edward Hamilton evening of rum education and tasting with rums and distillers from around the Caribbean and beyond. Door prizes and special gifts from the Ministry of Rum and the people who make the best sugar cane spirits in the world will be up for grabs. Click here to join the event mailing list.

Preview more than 200 wines produced from versatile Spanish varietals, representing many of Spain’s 67 denominations of origin. These comprehensive afternoon tastings, open exclusively to wine and food professionals and press, will give you a first-hand taste of the latest releases from Spain. Details may be found at greatmatch.org.

Kosherfest is the #1 kosher food and beverage trade event serving the retail, foodservice, manufacturing and distribution industries. Visit www.kosherfest.com to register.