Beaujolais get such bum rap: they're lightweight, immature and spoil easily. (Hmm.. sounds more like a bad date.)

But oh, the release parties! So much fun!

Over 65 million Beaujolais nouveau bottles are distributed and poured around the world as people celebrate its release on or around the third Thursday of November. Grab a pitcher and drinking partners and join the rest. À votre santé!

Fête de Beaujolais Nouveau at Le Pichet
Thursday, November 20, 6pm 'til last call
1933 First Avenue, Seattle
I've gone the last few years and it's not to miss. Sip various Beaujolais en primeur (freshly made) by the glass, pichet or bottle. Snacks will be street-food style. Hot Club Sandwich-- Django-inspired live Gypsy jazz-- will entertain. No cover, no reservations. The renegade way.

Beaujolais Nouveau dinner at Maximilien
Thursday, November 20, 6:30pm and 8:30pm
81A Pike Street in Pike Place Market
Enjoy 3-course dinner with a sampling of Beaujolais Nouveau selections. Options of pumpkin bisque or saucisson en brioche (garlic sausage in brioche) for starters, joue de porc braisée au Beaujolais (pork cheeks braised in red wine) or bass au vin rouge (seared bass with red wine sauce) for entree, and tarte d'hiver (winter tart, chocolate tart with orange and caramel) for dessert. $35 per person. Call 206.682.7270 for reservations.

Beaujolais Nouveau dinner and author event at Crémant
Thursday, November 20, 7pm
1432 34th Avenue in Madrona
James Beard award-winning cookbook author Jennifer McLagan will sign her book, Fat: An Appreciation of a Misunderstood Ingredient, with Recipes. $100 per person includes the book with Beaujolais wine and dinner pairing. Chef Scott Emerick will prepare pâté, cassoulet de Toulouse, duck confit and other dishes inspired by the cookbook. Call 206.322.4600 for reservations.

Beaujolais Nouveau dinner at The Corson Building
November 19-22, seating starts at 6:30pm
5609 Corson Avenue S in Georgetown
Chef Matt Dillon will create dishes to pair with Beaujolais Nouveau, Beaujolais Blanc, Cru Beaujolais and Crémant. Dinner costs $50 per person on Wednesday and Thursday and $90 per person on Friday and Saturday. Fee does not include wine. Call 206.762.3330 for reservations.

Le Festival du Beaujolais Nouveau hosted by French-American Chamber of Commerce
Friday, November 21, 6pm-10:30pm
Lake Union Armory, 860 Terry Avenue N in South Lake Union
2008 Beaujolais Nouveau wines from Georges Duboeuf, Joseph Drouhin and Terres Dorées will take the spotlight. Buffet stations will serve oysters on a half shell, charcuterie, grilled sausages, crêpes suzette au Grand Marnier and more. The event will also feature a silent auction and live music by Hot Club Sandwich. Tickets are $55-$80. More info here.

Other noteworthy wine events (not exactly Beaujolais related):
Fête by the glass at Faire Gallery Café
Saturday, November 15, 5pm-1am
1351 E. Olive Way on Capitol Hill
Taste around 15 French wines from Bourgeois Family Selections, a small French wine importing company who work exclusively with family-owned vineyards that practice sustainable, organic and biodynamic farming. $20 covers wine tasting, light hors d'oeuvres and live jazz. Click here for tickets or call 206.652.0781.

20something, The New Vintage
Saturday, November 15, 7pm-11pm
Fremont Studios, 155 N 35th Street
Hosted by the Washington Wine Commission, this event caters to young professionals and encourages to sip/spit, mingle and patronize Washington wines. Local winemakers will be pouring $30 and under vinos, while up-and-coming chefs from Tom Douglas Restaurants, Waterfront Seafood Grill and others serve bites to pair. Participating wineries include Vin du Lac, K Vintners, Forgeron Cellars, Woodward Canyon, Guardian Cellars, Paradisos del Sol, L'École and more. See the line up here. Tickets are $50 each or $90 for two. Click to purchase.

Sips & Shoes
Sunday, November 23, 4pm-7pm
Grand Hyatt, 721 Pine Street in downtown Seattle
Tickets are $35.
About 36 wineries will be pouring juice while guests bid on shoes to benefit Ryther Child Center, a child welfare agency, at this Seattle Uncorked event. Attendees are requested to bring new or barely used footwear to donate. The Seattle Burn Foundation firefighters will be there to assist, I mean, sign their 2009 calendars. Ooh la la..

Taste over 30 varieties ranging from dry, sweet, semi-dry or blend from a dozen cideries. Northwest cideries featured include Eaglemount Cider of Port Townsend, Irvine's Vintage Cider of Vashon Island, Red Barn Cider of Skagit Valley and Wandering Aengus Ciderworks of Salem, Oregon. Click here to view the map of cideries in the region.

Hard ciders are made from fresh pressed juice of vintage cider apples providing the right balance of sweetness, tannin and acidity. "Good ciders tastes no more like apple juice than wine taste like grape juice," according to Northwest Cider Society who is co-hosting the event with Ivar's Salmon House.

Ron Irvine, founder of Northwest Cider Society, will be on hand to discuss various types from artisan, craft and vintage hard ciders. $25 admission also include seafood hors d'oeuvres to nosh for pairing.

Details: Thursday, November 13, 5:30pm-8:30pm. Ivar's Salmon House, 401 NE Northlake Way, Seattle. Buy tickets online or call 206.587.6500.

Free bread at Il Fornaio

Grown-ups need treats too. To celebrate their 10th anniversary in Seattle, Il Fornaio will be handing out free full-size ciabatta bread on Halloween at the Bakery Café, atrium level in Pacific Place. The offer is good only on October 31 while supplies last. The Bakery Café is open from 9am-8pm on Friday.

Il Fornaio ("the baker") began in 1972 as a baking school in Barlassina, Italy, in the Lombardia region. The first Il Fornaio bakery in the U.S. opened in 1981 in California; the restaurants were later added in 1987.

For Halloween and All Saints' Day, Crémant is preparing a special bones and blood menu featuring roasted marrow bones with fleur de sel (hand-harvested sea salt) and grilled bread, and choucroute garnie-- sauerkraut with blood sausage, boudin blanc (white sausage made with veal, pork and/or chicken) and pork loin. Reservations are recommended. Call 206.322.4600.

The roasted marrow bones (os à moelle rôti) is also served with parsley salad ($12) as part of Crémant's new brunch menu and as is during dinner ($12).

Very charming and intimate, Crémant is on 34th & Union in Madrona. The restaurant offers traditional French cuisine.

This weekend, October 25-26, foodies will surely flock to Qwest Field for the Seattle Food and Wine Experience.

Tickets are $59 per day with proceeds benefiting Heroes for the Homeless. The fee covers sampling of gourmet food, wine and beer, and five tastings from local restaurants like Cremant, Crush, Barking Frog, Campagne, Herb Farm, Rover's, Volterra and 35th Street Bistro. Cooking demos will also be on hand by Chef Daisley Gordon of Campagne, Chef Holly Smith of Café Juanita, Chef Don Curtis of Volterra, Chef Andrew Taylor from Australia and others.

The list of wineries is extensive and include many heavy weights. Let the eating and drinking begin!

Apple-looza at U-District Farmers Market
Saturday, October 11, 10am-12pm (market runs 'til 2pm)
Check out different Washington apples and learn which variety is better to make sauce, pies and other baked goods. Also patronize assorted apple products (ciders, jellies, pies, yum!) from local farmers and vendors. Cooking demo will be at noon.
50th St and University Way NE. Info: seattlefarmersmarkets.org

Free knife sharpening at Dish it Up
Saturday, October 11, 12pm-2pm
Bring up to two knives (no serrated) and have a pro get it back to shape for free. Located in Magnolia, Dish it Up offers kitchen gadgets and cooking classes from local chefs. Upcoming classes include making pintxos (Northern Spain's-- Basque Country to be exact-- equivalent of tapas) with Chef Wayne Johnson of Andaluca, cooking with fungi with Chef John Nesby of Poulsbo's Mor Mor Bistro and making warm autumn soups with Chef Larry Monaco of 08 Seafood Grill.
2425 33rd Ave W, Suite B, Seattle. Info: dish-it-up.com, 888-222-COOK

Wine tasting featuring Willamette Valley's Domaine Drouhin
at McCarthy & Schiering
Saturday, October 11, 11am-5pm
Family-run Domaine Drouhin winery has vineyards in Oregon's Dundee Hills, region of Willamette Valley. This tasting will feature their 2007 Domaine Drouhin Arthur Chardonnay and 2005 Domaine Drouhin Laurène Chardonnay. As always, McCarthy & Schiering's Saturday wine tastings are free.
Queen Anne shop: 2401 B Queen Anne Ave N & McGraw St. Ravenna shop: 6500 Ravenna Ave NE. Info: mccarthyandschiering.com

There are lots going on this weekend. As the weather gets cooler, sip some warm sake or tea, make fresh spicy salsa and dance to the beat of the music. Maybe not in that particular order, but come to think of it, why not?

Columbia City Beatwalk
Friday, October 3, 7pm-10pm
Eat, mingle and listen to live music at Kallaloo Caribbean Restaurant (featuring Duo Caribe and Eduardo Mendonça), Awash Ethiopian Restaurant (with Afro-Cuban jazz band Sonando) and other Columbia City stomping ground. Check out the extensive wine selection at Verve Wine Bar & Cellar and make sure to try something new.
$5 cover allows access to all venues offering live music. Info: columbiacitybeatwalk.org

Lake Chelan Crush Festival
Saturday, October 4-Sunday, October 5
also Saturday, October 11-Sunday, October 12
Tour Lake Chelan wineries, learn about wine making and meet the winemakers. Tasting will be in abundance. Participating area wineries include Vin du Lac, Tsillan Cellars, Nefarious Cellars, Hard Row to Hoe Vineyards and Tildio Winery.
Info: lakechelanwinevalley.com

Wine tasting at McCarthy & Schiering featuring Paul Gregutt Selections
Saturday, October 4, 11am-5pm
The Selections-- created by wine adviser Paul Gregutt and McCarthy & Schiering proprietors Dan McCarthy and Jay Schiering-- will be of single vineyard offerings, unusual varietals, special clones or exceptional barrels from a particular vintage.
As noted previously, the Saturday wine tastings are free. Gregutt will be at the Ravenna shop (6500 Ravenna Ave. NE) from 11:30am-2pm and the Queen Anne shop (2401 B Queen Anne Ave. N & McGraw St.) from 2:30pm-5pm.
Info: mccarthyandschiering.com/

Warm sake tasting
Saturday, October 4, 12pm-8pm
Sunday, October 5, 12pm-7pm
Sake Nomi-- sake shop and tasting bar in Pioneer Square-- brings back kanzake (warm sake) in time for the fall weather. Ask about their complimentary sake tastings.
76 S Washington St. & 1st Ave. Info: 206.467.SAKE, sakenomi.us

Northwest Tea Festival
Saturday, October 4, 10am-6pm
Sunday, October 5, 10am-4pm
Sample teas from India, China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and learn about various cultural tea ceremonies. Highlights include cooking demo with Eric Tanaka, Executive Chef of Tom Douglas Restaurants; Tea 101 workshops and films about tea at SIFF Cinema.
Seattle Center, Northwest Rooms. Free admission, $5 suggested donation.
Info: nwteafestival.com

Wine Outlet's Lamb Roast Anniversary Party
Sunday, October 5, 11am-5pm
Wine Outlet's Interbay shop turns one and you're invited to celebrate with them. They're firing up the grill for a lamb roast party, pouring wine and offering great deals. Cheers.
946 Elliott Ave. W. Info: 206.285.1189, seattlewineoutlet.com

Fresh salsa demo at Broadway Farmers Market
Sunday, October 5, 12pm-1pm
Learn how to make fresh salsa using seasonal vegetables, herbs, fruits and other local produce from the market.
10th Ave. E & E Thomas St. on Capitol Hill behind Bank of America. The Broadway Farmers Market is held every Sunday, 11am-3pm, through Nov 23.
Info: seattlefarmersmarkets.org

Cooking demo at CroatiaFest
Sunday, October 5, 1:30pm
John Sarich, Chateau Ste. Michelle Culinary Director, will demonstrate how to make tasty Croatian food at this weekend festival celebrating Seattle's Croatian American community. While there, try Ukuhana kava (Croatian coffee), Kranjska kobasica s ajvarom (spicy Croatian sausage with red pepper relish) and Karlovačko pivo (imported Croatian beer). Zivjeli!
Seattle Center, Center House. Free admission. Info: croatiafest.org

Every Saturday, local wine purveyor McCarthy & Schiering offers free wine tasting from 11am-5pm.

"It is our belief that the best way to learn about wine is to regularly sample wines from around the world... As you start to choose for yourself the style of wine that you prefer, not simply those that are recommended by highly influential wine publications, we begin to act as your wine merchant, recommending similar wines that are of interest to you as an individual," their site says.

2-5 wines are offered every tasting. Occasionally, winemakers are on hand to talk about their wines and meet guests.

I stopped by the Queen Anne shop yesterday and Barolos had the spotlight. We sampled 2004 Damilano Barolo ($48), 2004 Elvio Cogno Barolo ($47), 2004 Vietti Barolo ($50) and 2004 Prunotto Barolo ($56). Considered "Italy's greatest wine," Barolo wine is derived from the Nebiolo grape and produced in the Piedmont region.

A slew of neighborhood folks and visiting tasting fans crowded the place. We swirled, sipped and discussed food, wine and restaurants around the city. It was lovely. Come and join next time.

McCarthy & Schiering has two locations, in upper Queen Anne and Ravenna. Both offer free Saturday wine tastings from 11am-5pm. Queen Anne: 2401 B Queen Anne Ave. N & McGraw St. in the A & J Building. Phone: 206.282.8500. Ravenna: 6500 Ravenna Ave. NE. Phone: 206.524.9500.

Upcoming tastings:
Saturday, October 4
Paul Gregutt Selections, created by wine adviser Paul Gregutt and McCarthy & Schiering proprietors Dan McCarthy and Jay Schiering. The Selections will be of single vineyard offerings, unusual varietals, special clones or exceptional barrels from a particular vintage.
Gregutt will be at the Ravenna shop from 11:30am-2pm and the Queen Anne shop from 2:30pm-5pm.

Saturday, October 11
2007 Domaine Drouhin Arthur Chardonnay
2005 Domaine Drouhin Laurène Chardonnay
Family-run Domaine Drouhin winery has vineyards in Oregon's Dundee Hills, region of Willamette Valley.