Venture to Oregon’s Wine Country this Memorial Day weekend where hundreds of Oregon wineries are opening their tasting room doors (even some that aren’t usually open to the public!). Enjoy a gorgeous drive and special winery tastings and events.

Festivities include tasting of new releases and older vintages, barrel tastings, specialty foods and sales of limited quantity wines. Not to mention live music, local artists’ creations and winery keepsakes.

(Photo courtesy of Travel Oregon)

If you’re going to be in the south of France on May 27, 2012, consider joining a gourmet walk in six stages designed by Chef Pascal Borell.

The third edition of Les Amorioles de Maury is a 5 km walk accompanied by local wine growers at the foot of the last Cathar stronghold, Quéribus Castle.

Each participant/walker will be given a small bag to put over their shoulders containing a wine glass, cutlery, a tasting booklet and a straw hat. At six gastronomic halts along the way, the walker can sample combinations of different foods and wines.

More than 40 different wines including Maury, Côtes du Roussillon Villages, Côtes du Roussillon, Vins de Pays, will be presented by the local wine growers.

The menu for the gourmet walk has been developed around the wines of Maury and prepared by Chef Pascal Borell from the Michelin-starred restaurant La Maison du Terroir.

The cost? €39 for adults; a child’s picnic is available for €10 for ages 10 and younger. There’s more information online.

More than 200 wineries will converge upon Nantucket, Massachusetts, from May 17 to 20, 2012, for the annual Nantucket Wine Festival.

Marquee event is a May 19, 2012, dinner at the White Elephant Hotel (map), followed by an auction of rare wines, large-bottle formats, and lifestyle packages. Featured will be the cuisine of Executive Chef Bernard Guillas of The Marine Room in San Diego and Executive Chef Frederick Bisaillon of the Brant Point Grill, paired with the wines of Veuve Clicquot and Numanthia. The auction benefits the Nantucket Historical Association.

At the Harbor Gala, guests will sample food from Nantucket restaurants and the culinary offerings of special guest celebrity chefs and artisan food producers plus wines presented and served by their winemakers. The gala begins at 6 p.m. May 17, 2012, in the White Elephant Hotel.

Three wine symposium/luncheon events will be held May 18, 2012.

The Grand Tasting will be held in the Nantucket Yacht Club (map). There will be three sessions of the Grand Tasting: two on May 19 and one on May 20.

Wine and food seminars will include suggested pairings, cooking demonstrations and a discussion of the evolution of rosé wines.

The event benefits Nantucket Combined Charities, Inc.

For each of the past ten years, Indiana’s vintners have descended upon the little town of Story, Indiana, on the last Saturday of April to dole out one-ounce pours of their finest reislings, malbecs and cabernets to an appreciative audience.

This year’s edition of the Indiana Wine Fair (said to be the largest event featuring Hoosier wines) takes place April 28, 2012, at the Story Inn, 6404 South State Road 135 – Nashville, Indiana (map).

Admission is limited to persons at least 21 years of age. The price is $20 at the gate if you intend to imbibe ($10 if you are a designated driver). Gates (and food court) open at noon. The wineries will pour from 12:30 to 7 p.m.

The fourth annual Five Senses Walk takes place April 29, 2012, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France.

This wine tasting and gastronomic walk journeys between the villages of Bages and Peyriac de Mer, not far from Narbonne. .

With seven gastronomic stopping-off points along the route, the Wine growers of Peyriac de Mer and Bages will introduce participants to their wines (and accompany them with various local delicacies).

Between vineyards, the garrigue and views over the old salt pans at Estarac, the lakes and their islands, guides from the Narbonnaise en Méditerranée Regional Nature Park and the French Forestry Commission will help you discover the fauna and flora, heritage and local history of the area.

The Société de Chasse Peyriacoise (Hunting Association) will visit to talk about managing wildlife and present its different activities to safeguard this natural heritage.

Multilingual informational panels have been erected at regular intervals along the walk providing you with information about the extraordinary spots along the route.

Note: pack sensible shoes for the walk and plan to take some water with you.

(Photo courtesy of Sud de France)

Driving through southern Indiana next weekend? Enjoy the “Toast to Spring” weekend on the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail April 21 and 22, 2012.

Each winery on the trail will offer suggested pairings of Uplands wines with savory cheeses (consider aged Gouda, Merlot Cheddar, Chocolate Cheese and Morel & Leek Jack)

Comprised of nine wineries – Winzerwald, Turtle Run, Oliver, Huber, French Lick, Carousel, Butler, Brown County and Best Vineyards – the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail was the first wine trail formed in Indiana in 2003. Each of the wineries offer wine tasting, and many also offer gourmet picnic foods, wine-related gifts and cellar tours.

While enjoying Toast to Spring, participants may also complete the Indiana Uplands Wine Trail passport program and receive a pair of wine trail logo buffet plates.

Information on Visit www.indianauplands.com for winery hours and more is online.

What began as a small, intimate, one-day gathering of wineries and chefs 20 years ago has grown into a grand celebration of wine and food attracting more than 10,000 people each year over a five-day weekend.

The New Orleans Food & Wine Experience (NOWFE), which takes place May 22 through 26, 2012, includes Wine Dinners hosted by more than 30 New Orleans area restaurants; Vinola, NOWFE’s premium tasting event; the Royal Street Stroll, NOWFE’s signature event in the heart of the French Quarter, and Culinary Seminars. The weekend culminates with Grand Tastings with more than 175 wineries showcasing over 1000 wines plus 75 chefs serving culinary delights from our region.

New this year: an international cake competition and tasting from 8:30 to 11 p.m. May 25. Invited pastry chefs for the Big Gateaux Show include Vanessa Fiorini of Toronto, Canada; Solandie Exantus of the Royal Sonesta Hotel New Orleans; Bronwen Weber of Frosted Art Bakery & Studio in Dallas; and Vinnie and Michelle Garcia of The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago.

Each chef, assisted by a local culinary student, will create spectacularly designed cakes, to be displayed and tasted at a burlesque themed after-party following the Grand Tasting. All cake entries will be on display at the Saturday Grand Tasting in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

This year 100% of the proceeds from NOWFE will go towards two causes: fighting hunger and supporting culinary education.

(Photo courtesy of NOWFE)

More than 100 Oregon wineries will be featured at Unwine’d from 3 to 6 p.m. April 29, 2012, in the Left Bank Annex, 101 North Weidler Street, Portland, Oregon (map).

Participants (holding their very own souvenir wine glasses) will be able to learn about wine at education stations, taste Oregon wine and then purchase what they like at the wine store on site. Tickets are $50.

The International Pinot Noir Celebration (IPNC) will host Oregon on the International Stage, a chance for wine consumers to compare Oregon Pinot noir to wines produced by other regions. The Oregon White Wine Tasting Bar will allow consumers to taste an amazing array of Oregon white wine varieties from around the state.

A dozen restaurants from Oregon and Southwest Washington (all using locally sourced products) will be featured at the grand tasting. Eight of the restaurants are members of the Superior Cellar Award program that have been recognized for offering outstanding selections of Oregon wines on their menus.

Oh, and by the way, May is Oregon Wine Month — which also is sponsored by the Oregon Wine Board.

Spring in Languedoc-Roussillon region in the South of France is a special time, but wine aficionados should plan their journeys there to coincide with the Terre de Vins et Art de Vivre Fair. It takes place April 27 through 29, 2012, in the exhibition center in Nîmes, France (map).

An important date in the calendar for meetings between producers and the general public, experts or novices, the Terre de Vins Fair specializes in promoting the wines from different wine-producing regions in France with different local and regional products.

Visitors can participate in introductory workshops to wine, gather advice about food and wine combinations and learn about storing wine.

The seventh annual Dundee Hills Passport Tour is in place for the entire month of April.

More than 30 wine tasting rooms are participating this year. For $20, passport holders can get from 50 to 100% off tastings plus more special offers from area restaurants, shops, inns and B&Bs. Check out the map online.

Receive a stamp at each location and create a memorable keepsake with your passport. The tour is sponsored by the Dundee Hills Winegrowers Association.