October 6: Strategies for Building a Balanced Wine Collection The experts at the Italian Wine Merchants can show you how to build up your wine collection beyond those bottles that were left over from your last party. During the course of the afternoon, you'll taste eight Italian wines including vintage Barolo, Brunello, Super-Tuscans, and more while sampling assorted antipasti. $125 per person. Reservations required and can be made online or by calling 212-473-2323 x106. 1:00......

August 23 & 30: "Get Some" at Bottlerocket Mingle with wine-curious folks at Bottlerocket Wine and Spirit for their singles night, every Thursday in August. 6 to 8 pm. Free wine and cheese. 5 West 19th Street between 5th & 6th Avenues. 212-929-2323. August 25: A Study of Barolo’s Vintage Streak So rumor has it that 1995 to 2001 were some rocking vintages on the Barolo front. The team at Italian Wine Merchants will guide......

June 30: Italian Wine Merchants - A Study of Friuli Learn about Friuli-Venezia Giulia through a study of wine and food. Friuli's whites will keep you cool during the summer, but the red varietals hold their own as well. 1:00 - 3:00 pm, $75.00. Register online or by calling 212-473-2323 x106. Italian Wine Merchants - Studio del Gusto, 108 East 16th Street between Park Avenue South & Irving Place. June 30: 5th Annual Tuttorosso Pasta-Eating......

June 14-16: Food Film Festival, Part 1 This weekend is the official kickoff of the first annual NYC Food Film Festival at Water Taxi Beach. This weekend features regional american burgers and asparagus, with Hamburger America (for those of you who missed our QBQ Burger Bash last year), Asparagus! A Stalk-Umentary, and more, including your chance to taste the famed green chile cheeseburger. Drool. You can find the full schedule here. June 14, 19:......

June 7 - June 11: Broadway Panhandler "Yard Sale" Just because they don't technically have a yard in their new location won't stop Broadway Panhandler from having its annual Yard Sale, where you can find discounts of up to 75 percent off on select cooking supplies. 65 East 8th Street, 212-966-3434. June 8: Beard on Film Join directors whose films will be featured at the upcoming NYC Food Film Festival (June 14–16, 21–23, September 6–8):......

This week we took a chance. For our wine tasting group, the theme was wines of Northern and Central Italy, and instead of going big, we went small—really small. We knew we would be up against big Barolos and robust Amarones. We suspected many of the wines would cost over $75 a bottle; ours was less than $25. Bite my tongue for saying this, but bigger isn’t always better, and when it comes to wine......

Gothamist has its calendar marked for next week's PBS premiere of Martin Scorese's documentary about the life and times of rock legend Bob Dylan. And, appointment viewing like this certainly calls for something special to broaden your experience of the show. No, we are not suggesting anything illegal here! Instead, we recommend picking up a bottle of Bob Dylan-crafted vino - under the Planet Waves label. Had no idea that the singer/songwriter was also a......

September 12: Save New Orleans Cocktail Hour Restaurants and bars across the nation including Employees Only, Freeman's, and Flatiron Lounge in New York will serve New Orleans classic cocktails like the Pimm's Cup, the Hurricane, and the Sazerac from 5 to 7 p.m. All receipts from the $10 drinks will be donated to a relief fund established by the Museum of the American Cocktail, Go to the website for a full list of participants. September......

The James Beard Foundation seems to have gotten past the drama of the past year, and managed to announce its 2005 award winners. Local honorees include: - American Express Best Chef, New York City: Andrew Carmellini, Café Boulud - All-Clad Bakeware Outstanding Pastry Chef: Karen DeMasco, Craft - All-Clad Cookware Outstanding Chef: Mario Batali, Babbo - Ecolab Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional: Joseph Bastianich, Italian Wine Merchants - Illy Best New Restaurant: Per Se -......

When was the last time you had a wine that knocked your socks off? The kind that wakes every last taste bud and leaves you longing for just one more sip - we’re talking “lick the bottom of the glass when nobody’s looking” good. If you’re having trouble remembering, then it time you explore the great wines of Italy. Is there anyone that knows food and wine better then the Italians? Italy, the world’s......

Gothamist, like many other New Yorkers, will be strategically avoiding the various lifestyle headaches that promise to accompany the Grand Old Party to our beloved city. For those natives fleeing the island as the Republicans descend, we'll take a page from the administration's book and offer our suggestions for a Gothamist Food "Go Bag" stocked with some of our favorite hometown provisions: - 1 dozen bagels from Absolute Bagels on Broadway at 107th Street -......

The New York restaurant scene is flush with nominations from the James Beard Foundation, the top award in the food world. Mario Batali (Babbo, pictured left), Tom Colicchio (Gramercy Tavern), and Alfred Portale (Gotham Bar & Grill) were all nominated for Outstanding Chef (a national award); Nobu Matsuhisa (Matsuhisa, LA) and Judy Rodgers (Zuni Cafe, San Francisco) are the other two. Chanterelle, Felidia, and La Caravelle were nominated for Outstanding Restaurant (national). New York made......