wine and dine

I've gotten my first brochure for The Cincinnati Wine Festival, and the wine dinners listed are already largely sold out. They're Thursday, March 27, just before the big festival tasting events. There are 10: Carlo and Johnny, Honey, Jags, Jean-Robert at Pigall's and Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse are already sold out. That leaves Orchids, Daveed's, Embers, Hugo, and Morton's. If you like dinners where the wine and food have been carefully matched up, these are really good. Winemakers or reps from the wineries are there, and the chefs go to a lot of trouble to show off and create a refined feast. If I had $125, I'd snap up a ticket to the Orchids dinner. Stephanie Gallo, the honorary chair of the festival, will be there with E&J Gallo wines, and Todd Kelley, the chef at Orchids, is top-notch. Hugo, with Graziano wines, or Daveed's with Sefried Estate, would also be good bets. You can sign up at www.winefestival.com