The Placer County Vintners Association and Placer County Wine Trail members invite the community to “Grape Days of Summer,” from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 6 and 7 featuring wines of the Mediterranean. Experience collaborative open-house style wine tours, food, wine education, and live music during this weekend celebration.

Meet winemakers, wine grape growers and other wine enthusiasts while tasting award-winning artisan wines in the down-to-earth atmosphere of the Sierra Foothills. They say that with wine, it's “all about the grapes.” Placer County's warm, dry summers and mild to cool, wet winters mixed with rich decomposed granite soils make for a “Mediterranean-like” terroir where an abundance of wine grape varietals thrive. Along with the usual tasting room line-up, each winery will feature a different Mediterranean wine, along with food and music to take you on a “sojourn” you won't soon forget.

About the seven participating wineries (www.placerwine.com):

Casque & Wise Villa (one location) - Experience the Rhône Valley of France. Casque will school you on all things Rousanne, while Wise Villa focuses on Syrah, paired with food from Loomis restaurant, Cafe Zorro and live music from Fuse-A-Nova.

Dono dal Cielo - Be transported to the Croatian side of the Mediterranean, the origin of Zinfandel and enjoy live music and food pairings from Rocklin's favorite restaurant, The Chef's Table.

Fawnridge Winery - It's all about Italia — the classic italian wine, Barbera, paired with Italian food.

Lone Buffalo Vineyards - Learn to say Rioja ("ree-OH-ha") and enjoy Spain's “noble grape,” Tempranillo, with a special sensory tasting experience and food pairings from Chef Irie of Granite Bay favorite, Source Global Tapas.

Mt. Vernon Winery - Learn about dessert wines and their region of origin - it's only "Port" if it's produced in Portugal nowadays - paired with what else but delicious desserts from Chef Brian Reed from The Rustic Table. Winemaker Ryan Taylor will also teach a seminar on how port is made and describe the flavors derived from the pairing.

Vina Castellano - Mix up a little Spain and a little France and you get “Abuelita,” a Rhône and Spanish blended wine, paired with Gazpacho and other culinary delights of the region.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. They include wine tastes at all participating wineries, food, music, and educational activities, raffle prizes, plus a special event wine glass good for both days. Designated driver tickets are also available. www.placerwine.com.

Davis authors Kami McBride and Spring Warren will be speaking about their books, “The Herbal Kitchen” and “The Quarter Acre Farm,” respectively, at the Winters Community Library, 708 Railroad Ave., Winters beginning at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 17. The two will also be signing book copies.

Kami McBride, author of “The Herbal Kitchen,” will discuss the many things that can easily be grown in the Yolo County area to ease coughs and allergies, soothe skin rashes and be sipped as relaxing teas. An expert on herbal medicine, Kami teaches classes on topics ranging from making lotions to a full-year course on herbal medicine. She has led numerous hikes at Stebbins Cold Canyon to teach participants about the many healthful plants that are native to the area.

Spring Warren, author of “The Quarter Acre Farm,” will talk about her experience in growing 75 percent of her food on her own quarter-acre residential lot in Davis. Not one inch of her front or back yard is wasted, all filled with a bounty from fresh greens to fruit trees, as well as a backyard chicken coop. Spring will talk about how she learned about residential farming, all on her own, one step at a time.

What is there to gardening beyond tending roses or just growing parsley? Ever wonder what it would be like to grow your own food rather than a lawn? Or what sort of things to grow to spice up your life or cure what ails you? Find out from the Garden Goddesses! The book presentations and signings is sponsored by the Yolo County Library.

“This is a great opportunity to learn what you can do in your own backyard from experts right here in Yolo County’s backyard,” said Yolo County Librarian Patty Wong.

For more information, call the Winters Community Library (530) 795-4955 or Debra DeAngelo at (530) 795-4551.

Join Sacramento’s Casa Garden Restaurant beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 2 for a Wine Social and Lunch to help benefit the Sacramento Children’s Home. Sample wine from Avio Winery & Vineyards, hors d’oeurves and a lunch entrée selection of smoked beef brisket with pea and pecan slaw or dilled shrimp and pasta salad. Enjoy chocolate cream cake royale for dessert!

Since 1973, the Casa Garden Restaurant has held a reputation for excellent food, superb service and an elegant atmosphere, offering guests a truly unique dining experience with views of the garden. The Casa Garden Restaurant is run by volunteers of the Los Niños Service League. All gratuities benefit the Sacramento Children's Home.

Lunch is served from 11:30 to 1:30 Monday through Friday. Choose a hot entrée, salad entrée, or à la carte entrée from the menu which changes weekly, priced between $7 and $9.25. The restaurant also has the capacity to host wedding receptions, business breakfasts and other events.

Tickets are $20 per person and include food, beverage, tax and gratuity. Food selection and pre-payment are required. For reservations, call (916) 452-2809. Visit www.casagardenrestaurant.org for more information, including how to become a volunteer. The restaurant is located at 2760 Sutterville Road in Sacramento.

Got fruit? Do your fruit trees yield too much bounty at times, going unharvested with fruit falling to the ground? With the help of volunteers from Harvest Sacramento, via Soil Born Farms, the bounty will no longer be wasted!

Harvest Sacramento will send volunteers to your home to harvest your tree (leaving you a portion if desired) and will then take the remaining bounty to local food assistance agencies. Or you can harvest the fruit yourself and Harvest Sacramento will pick it up from your house and deliver it directly to local food assistance agencies.

If you (or anyone you know) has a fruit tree that goes fully or partially unharvested, please contact Soil Born Farms’ Harvest Sacramento at rstannard@soilborn.org or (530) 204-8082 and offer to donate the fruit for local food assistance agencies.

Other ways to support Harvest Sacramento include volunteering your time and skills, in-kind donations of harvesting supplies (ladders, picker poles, 5-gallon buckets, pruning shears) and financial donations.

For more information, visit www.soilborn.org/harvestsacramento or contact Randy Stannard, rstannard@soilborn.org or (530) 204-8082 (cell phone).

The community is invited to attend Slow Food Sacramento’s Salt-Themed mixer from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, July 28 hosted by the Crocker Café, 216 O Street in Sacramento.

Enjoy salts from around the world and the things people love that go with them … mozzarella and heirloom tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, salted caramel and, of course, margaritas!

The $25 ticket price includes a variety of exotic salt-themed appetizers and a margarita. Reservations are required. Call the Crocker Café at (916) 808-1289 for tickets.

Slow Food Sacramento is the Sacramento region's convivium, or chapter, of Slow Food USA. The active chapter hosts a wide range of educational and convivial events throughout the year to introduce locals to the producers and creators of some of the region's outstanding foods, farms and restaurants. Participants will meet the leaders who champion locally and sustainably produced vegetables, fruits, wines, meats, and cheeses. Become part of a network to improve access to good, clean, and fair food for all in the Sacramento region!

For more information, visit www.slowfoodsacramento.com.

After the success of last year’s Sacramento Tomatofest, Town & Country Village is once again holding the event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 30. Complete with a tomato contest, Chef’s Challenge, entertainment, wine tasting, art and a children’s area, there will be activities for everyone to enjoy.

Community members are encouraged to enter their own tomatoes in one of three categories: largest, smallest or ugliest! Compete to win $500 in each category. Register on the day of the event or online at www.theterracecuisine.com.

Local restaurant chefs will also compete in three categories, including salsa, bruschetta and tomato soup (cold or hot).

Sacramento Tomatofest is in conjunction with Town & Country Village’s Annual Center-Wide Sidewalk Sale, Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31. Visitors are welcome to enjoy the ambiance and stroll through the center’s garden setting, as well as indulge in special savings at the one a year sale.

Town & Country Village is located at the corner of Fulton and Marconi Avenues in Sacramento. The center is filled with restaurants, food shops, gifts and specialty boutiques, grocery centers, home goods, furnishings, services and women’s apparel.

The Placer County Vintners Association and Fountains at Roseville are pairing together to present “Summer Wine Stroll,” a wine tasting and jazz concert event, featuring top Placer County wineries and local artisans from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 16. The event is also part of the Fountains Summer Concert series and live music will be provided by Shadia.

Fifteen Placer County wineries will be on hand for vintner’s tastings, from 6 to 8 p.m. , followed by the concert and wine bar from 8 to 10 p.m. All tickets include the wine tasting from 6 to 8 p.m., a souvenir wine glass and the concert. VIP tickets include the addition of “preferred concert seating” and one complimentary glass of wine from the PCVA Wine Bar.

Participating wineries include: Bonitata, Casque, Cristaldi, Dono del Cielo, Fawnridge, Lone Buffalo, Mt. Vernon, Pescatore, Popie, Secret Ravine, Rancho Roble, Vina Castellano and Wise Villa.

Tickets are $20-$30 and part of the proceeds will benefit Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Fountains at Roseville is located at 1013 Galleria Blvd. in Roseville. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.placerwine.com

The idea behind the group Sacramento Hop Heads, founded in June 2006, is to celebrate craft beer around the world … locally. An ice cold beer is especially nice during the hot summer months, but why not indulge year round?

The club hosts various activities including brewery tours, social libations, festivals and road trips. Upcoming events include a tour of Anchor Brewing Company in San Francisco (1705 Mariposa St. San Francisco) Thursday, July 14, a celebration of the release of Sutter Buttes Franklin Junior beer at Pangaea Two Brews Café (2743 Franklin Blvd. Sacramento) beginning at noon Sunday, July 17, as well as a trip to the third annual California Beer & Wine Festival in downtown Yuba City this fall, Saturday Oct. 15 beginning at 1 p.m.

“The Hop Heads is a social bunch of beer enthusiasts of all levels and tastes,” states the club’s Web site. “Along with our own events, we partner with other nonprofit beer enthusiast groups (home brewing clubs, brewers guilds, etc.), breweries and taprooms in the area to promote (and drink) craft beer.”

To join, find out more information, or to follow the blogs, visit meetup.com/hopheads.

The 33^rd Annual Gilroy Garlic Festival is set this year from Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31 with three days of incredible food, beverages, arts and crafts and live entertainment. Besides the two tons of fresh Christopher Ranch garlic on hand, there will also be 10 tons of beef, four tons of pasta two tons of scampi…and money raised for local charity.

The Festival takes place at Christmas Hill Park in Gilroy, about 30 miles south of San Jose off Highway 101. Tickets are $17 for adults, $8 for children (6 to 12), $8 for seniors and free admission for children under 6. Discount tickets are available at Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods.

“Whether a first timer or a seasoned veteran attendee, you'll want to visit Gourmet Alley - the heart and soul of the festival. What an aroma!” stated 2011 Festival President Kurt Svardal. “Enjoy the food and catch a cooking demo, or two. Check out the Cook-Off Stage with expanded seating and two big-screens for viewing ease while learning the latest culinary techniques and trends. Three stages of musical entertainment, quality hand-made arts and crafts, and an interactive children's area make this premier food festival a real family event.

“We continue our quest to be a responsible festival by using sustainable products and local vendors,” Svardal continued. “We remain committed to our recycling efforts by working with our vendors and attendees to lessen what goes into the landfill. As you enjoy the sights, sounds and aromas of the Gilroy Garlic Festival remember one thing - you are helping over 160 local nonprofit charities and organizations thrive in the community which they serve. It's their volunteers who work so hard here to make sure you have a great time in Gilroy.”

For more information, including directions and contact information, visit www.gilroygarlicfestival.com.

Enjoy live music on the patio of Ettore’s European Bakery & Restaurant each Saturday night this summer from 8 to 10 p.m. The European Bakery and Restaurant will host different bands through the season and there is no cover charge to enjoy the entertainment.

Ettore’s serves delectable dinners, with daily specials including: meat quiche, vegetable quiche, seafood dinner special and pasta special. Visit www.ettores.com for a detailed menu.

In addition to daily specials, the restaurant features dinner favorites such as: Rocky Jr. Half Rotisserie Chicken (with parsley-chive mashed potatoes, mustard-thyme jus and grilled vegetables); Grilled Flat Iron Steak (with Chimichurri sauce, roasted fingerling potatoes and sautéed organic baby spinach); and White Corn and Spinach Risotto (with Arborio rice, leeks, herbs, vegetable stock, white wine and Parmigiano Reggiano).

Pair dinner with an ice cold draught beer chilled in a European beer stein. Ettore’s is happy to offer suggestions as to which beer will best compliment the meal. The restaurant is currently pouring Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Glissade Golden Bock, Widmer Hefeweizen and Gordon Biersch Pilsner.

The restaurant also carries a selection of wines, from Cupcake Chardonnay to Wild Horse Merlot.

Late night sweet tooth? Try a specialty gourmet cupcake, like Red Velvet, cheesecake or chocolate.

Ettore’s European Bakery & Restaurant is located at 2376 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Sacramento. Opening hours are 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Call (916) 482-0708 for more information or visit www.ettores.com.