Hall Wines (Napa Valley – www.hallwines.com) presents its Second Annual Cabernet Cookoff (www.cabernetcookoff.com), taking place April 11^th from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

HALL Wines is first winery in the state of California to be Gold LEED certified by the U.S. Green Building Council, and received its Organic Certification from the California Organic Farmers in 2010.  The winery’s Cabernet Cookoff invites chefs to showcase their talent with sustainable wine and food, while guiding and encouraging guests to share HALL Wines’ concern for the environment.

While Northerners are shoveling out and locking up indoors to avoid the cold, Floridians have plenty to look forward to in February – and one of my personal faves is the Delray Beach Garlic Fest. Slated for the weekend of February 11, the 2011 version features excellent  live music, a Gourmet Alley sponsored by Publix; a diverse offering of wines and a Garlic Chef competition…just to mention a few. This smelliest of outdoor festivals draws a crowd of locals and tourists every year, and brings some great entertainment, food, and goodies with it.

In Miami, there are primarily two destinations if you want to hit some serious nightlife action: South Beach and downtown Miami. While South Beach offers celeb-filled nightclubs and some of the most-talked about hotspots in the country, downtown Miami holds its own with an eclectic mix of clubs, lounges, and hot restaurants that are favorites among city locals who’d rather not fight the traffic and tourist crowd on SoBe.

MIA Ultra Lounge was designed with Miami’s diversity in mind – bold, dashing color and luxury elements throughout the venue with frosted glass bar tops, bold fixtures and perfect lighting for the ladies.