Summer is officially here and with it comes a season filled with outdoor entertaining on backyard patios and decks across the country. In celebration of the arrival of summertime, Mirassou Winery has announced its "Celebrate Summer with Mirassou" sweepstakes. What better reason than summer to get outside and spend time with your family and friends?
 

One lucky winner will receive the summer celebration of a lifetime, with Mirassou Winery playing host to an outdoor get-together for up to 30 of the winner's friends and family. Mirassou will provide everything needed for an outdoor summer bash to remember!
 

Visit http://www.mirassou.com/ to enter the "Celebrate Summer with Mirassou" sweepstakes. Just like summer, this sweepstakes won't last forever, so be sure to enter to win before July 31, 2008.
 

Also available online at http://www.mirassou.com/ are delicious recipes with wine pairing suggestions, as well as a food and wine pairing interactive tool, to help make pairing the food and wine at your next summer gathering a bit easier.
 

About Mirassou Winery: The Mirassou family has been growing grapes and crafting superior wines since 1854, earning them the distinction of being America's oldest winemaking family. Today, the Mirassou wine style is light bodied, refreshing and fruit-forward. Mirassou's premium wines — Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon — retail for approximately $12 per bottle and are widely available in all 50 states. They can be located through Mirassou.com's "Where to Buy" section, purchased through TheBarrelRoom.com or by calling (888) MIRASSOU.
 

No purchase necessary to enter or win a prize. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of one of the 48 contiguous United States or the District of Columbia who are at least 21 years old at time of entry. Void in AK, CA, HI, TN, UT, WA, PR, outside the 48 contiguous United States, and where otherwise prohibited by law. Limit one (1) entry per person, per household, or per valid e-mail address. Sweepstakes ends 7/31/08. Please visit http://www.mirassou.com/ for complete Official Rules. California Table Wine (C)2008 Mirassou Winery, Modesto, Stanislaus Co, CA. All rights reserved.
 

One of Kansas City's favorite traditions (and my personal fave) is the Annual Plaza Art Fair. What started in 1932 has become one of the nations Top five art fairs with over nine blocks of art, crafts and jewelry featuring top artists from the metro, nation and around the globe. What many don't know is that over 1,500 artists compete in a juried process to make the cut each and every year. 2007 marks the 76th Anniversary of the Plaza Art Fair and it's bound to be better than ever.
Not Just an Art Fair:

The Plaza Art Fair is one of KC's time honored traditions. The weather is always perfect and you get to bust out your cool fall clothes. Yes, many people go for the art…but the majority of people who attend (all 300,000+) also go to catch up with friends, people watch, drink some wine and enjoy some great food.
2007 Plaza Art Fair :

September 21, 22, 23rd
Friday 5-10pm
Saturday 10am-10pm
Sunday 11am -5pm
Admission is FREE

Eats:

One of the best reasons to go to the Plaza Art Fair is the eats. Restaurants from around the Plaza take their culinary arts to the streets and have vending booths with bevies throughout the fair. Tomfooleries, The Classic Cup, and Bo Lings (just to name a few) are fair faves with everything from hamburgers and hotdogs to lamb shanks and dessert…and everything in between.
Food Spots :

Restaurants take up shop in the following locales:
On the East and West side of Halls.
On the North side of Ward Parkway between Williams Sonoma and Plaza III.
On Wornall between Williams Sonoma and Cole Haan.
Parking:

Let me put it this way, parking is a beast anyway you swing it during the Plaza Art Fair. Go early and you'll likely find a spot in one of the free parking garages. Go late and you'll be stuck in traffic.
Best bets: Head to the north or south and try to find parking on the street and walk. There are also spots West of the Plaza. I've heard of people parking in Westport and hiking it in. Yeesh! If you can swing it, and don't mind paying–head to the Intercontinental (check the parking price though)…

Wine Country Trekking, LLC, is pleased to announce that their signature vacation, the San Francisco to the Wine Country Trek, was recently recognized by National Geographic Traveler as one of their “50 Tours of a Lifetime”. This active luxury vacation lets travelers trek from San Francisco to Glen Ellen in the heart of the Sonoma Valley over the course of ten days, enjoying premier lodging, fine wine, and world class food. Along the way trekkers walk over the Golden Gate Bridge, and through Sausalito, Muir Woods, and Point Reyes National Seashore. “We were thrilled to discover that many outfitters share our vision that travel should ultimately not be acquisitive and superficial but connect us more deeply to the planet and to the people in it,” notes Norie Quintos, senior editor at National Geographic Traveler magazine. “The other wonderful thing we discovered is that one doesn’t necessarily have to rough it to travel authentically and sustainably.”

These new treks have been very well received by our customers, who have told us that they love experiencing the Wine Country on foot. Two new short treks now offered in Napa and Sonoma

The San Francisco to the Wine Country Trek, like all vacations offered by Wine Country Trekking, is a luxury, self-guided, inn-to-inn hiking vacation, a concept well known in Europe that the company introduced in the United States. Building on the success of this concept, the company has responded to customer requests for short treks exclusively in the wine country by introducing two new active luxury vacations that include three days of walking and wine tasting in the beautiful Napa and Sonoma Valleys. “These short treks give people in the San Francisco Bay Area an opportunity, without traveling far, to get out of their cars and enjoy a walking vacation with all the amenities of the wine country. In a time of high gas prices, they are the perfect getaway or a wonderful addition to a San Francisco visit,” said Mary Guerrazzi, one of the partners in the company.

The two new treks are specially designed to take advantage of the California Wine Country’s world class food and wines. The Sonoma Valley Wine Tasting Trek allows travelers the opportunity to walk through the vineyards, mountains and quaint towns of rustic Sonoma Valley with opportunities for wine tasting at private winery estates along the way. The Napa Valley Wine Tasting Trek traverses the heart of Napa Valley’s wine country, from Yountville with its unparalleled fine dining, to chic St. Helena, to quaint Calistoga. “These new treks have been very well received by our customers, who have told us that they love experiencing the Wine Country on foot,” said Mary Guerrazzi.