Nantucket to Aruba to Auckland: Cheers!

Rob and Jackie Ralston, left, winemaker Robert Sinskey, whose Robert Sinskey Vineyards are in Napa, Calif., and Frank Neer, executive director of the festival, at last spring's Nantucket Wine Festival.

MAY 13-17

NANTUCKET ISLAND

Nantucket Wine Festival: This event just keeps growing and in this, its ninth year, ranges from gala dinners featuring chef Lydia Shire of Locke-Ober and Scampo ($600 and sold out) to seminars on cheese with Ihsan Gurdal of Formaggio's Kitchen ($60) to a Harbor Gala with 30 tables and unlimited food and wine tastings ($175). Lunch symposiums, tastings, and seminars, including "The Lost Art of Butchery" with Ron Savenor of Savenor Markets, crowd the schedule. An auction dinner benefiting the Nantucket Historical Society will feature chef Daniel Bruce of Meritage in the Boston Harbor Hotel ($250). Other events include house tours and after-hours vodka parties. 508-228-1128; www.nantucketwinefestival.com.

APRIL 19-MAY 2

SINGAPORE

World Gourmet Summit: New World, European, and California vintages are a focus and participating chefs include Heinz Beck of La Pergola, Rome; Arnaud Guerpillon of Le Cordon Bleu, Mexico; Masayasu Yonemura of Yonemura, Kyoto and Tokyo; and Wiley Dufresne of WD-50, New York. Many restaurants and hotels in Singapore will host chef dinners and the schedule includes wine and food workshops and wine symposiums. Costs range from about $58 for seminars to $416 for the gala dinner with Beck. 011-65-6270-1254; www.worldgourmetsummit.com.

MAY 21-23

PALM BEACH, ARUBA

Aruba Wine, Food & Art Festival: This Caribbean paradise has a laid-back approach to wine festivals. The three days of events in the fest's fifth year include a Best Chefs competition and a Wine and Food Pairing. Prices range from $35 to $85 for most of the activities. Participating restaurants include the Westin Resort, Papiamento Restaurant, Waterfront Crabhouse, and the Flying Fishbone. The main dinner, called "Capturing the Champagne Sparkle," will be a showcase for chef Harry Sasson Tchira, who owns H. Sasson Wok & Satay Bar and other restaurants in Colombia. Cost of the dinner is $140. 297-586-4466; http://www.aruba.com/news/happenings/2009-aruba-wine-food-art-festival/.

MAY 7-9

WASHINGTON

Heart's Delight Wine Tasting & Auction: Robert Parker, the wine guru, will rate wines and dinners will be held at homes, embassies, and restaurants in this 10th annual event. A formal seated tasting of more than 20 Bordeaux from 2006 will allow an in-depth comparison of the region's wines. Tickets from $50 to $700 will benefit the American Heart Association. 703-248-1720; www.heartsdelightwineauction.org.

JUNE 6-7, 13-14

SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS, CALIF.

Vintners' Festival 2009: Called "A Taste of the Mountains," this two-weekend event ranges over the western slope on the first weekend and the eastern on the second. For $30-$35, participants can roam vineyards such as Beauregard, Bonny Doon, and Glenwood Oaks, tasting new releases, barreled wines, and other vintages. Chefs will offer food samples and demonstrations, and there will be special prices on wine purchases. 831-685-8463; www.scmwa.com.

PLAN AHEAD

JULY 7-9

CHRISTCHURCH, WELLINGTON, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Hot Red Hawke's Bay Wine Expo: More than 20 wineries will present their top 100 red wines over this three-day extravaganza. The tastings are $35. 011-64-6-876-3418; www.winehawkes bay.co.nz.

ALISON ARNETT

Events are sometimes canceled, rescheduled, or sold out; check online to confirm. Alison Arnett can be reached at alacarte59@aol.com.