What to pair with that wine? Seville!

March 04, 2007|DESTINATIONS, Alison Arnett, Globe Staff

April is an impatient month -- not warm enough to be full spring in New England, but a time when we feel restless, ready to be on the move. So get out your travel planner and plot ways to catch some of these food and wine festivals from Auckland to Arizona. A trip might land you in spring time after all.

New Orleans Wine FestivalNEW ORLEANS, March 9-May 23

The Boston Wine Festival has become a nationwide event under chef Daniel Bruce of the Boston Harbor Hotel . Now, he is taking the festivities south for the first New Orleans Wine Festival. The event is patterned after Boston's, and the series of dinners, tastings, and lectures will go into May. Bruce is partnering with Dominique Macquet , chef and owner of Dominique's in the Maison Dupuy Hotel in the French Quarter , to create dishes for the series of dinners. Some of the wineries that will participate are Heitz Cellars, March 14; Silver Oak Cellars , April 25 ; and Miner Family Vineyards, May 23. Cost of the opening reception , March 9 , is $55 and includes a buffet and samplings of 25 wines; the sit-down dinners are $125 each.

504-522-8800,800-714-0306. neworleanswinefestival.com.

Auckland Wine & Food Festival AUCKLAND, New Zealand March 31-April 1

Mixing wine and cheese can never be a bad thing. The Auckland festival includes tastings of New Zealand's famous wines, cooking demonstrations, cheese tastings, and information on pairing wines and cheeses. Some of the wines are Thornbury , Nobilo , and Wairau River vintages. The event follows the New Zealand Cheese Awards, and winners will offer samples of their prize cheeses. Admission is $20 each day.

aucklandwineandfoodfestival.com.

Feria de Abril SEVILLE, Spain April 27-May 2

Seville goes all out for its Feria de Abril , this year April 27 to May 2. The fair, which started in 1847 as a livestock exhibition, features a wild explosion of flamenco dancing, bullfighting, elaborate costumes, music, and parties in striped canvas tents. It wouldn't be a fair without food. Besides the fare from local taverns, Spanish omelets, and fried fish, the special treat s are "buñuelos," soft doughnut-like pastries made and sold by gypsy families in the Plaza de las Buñoleras del Real .

011-34-954-22-14-04. feriadesevilla.andalunet.com.

Scottsdale Culinary Festival SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. April 10-15

If you fancy going west for wine, the Scottsdale Culinary Festival, which draws about 40,000 visitors , is slated for April 10-15. Some of the participating chefs are Todd English of Olives in Charlestown, New York, and Las Vegas; Nobu Fukuda of Sea Saw in Scottsdale; Andrew Carmellini of A Voce in New York; and Richard Sandoval of Zengo in Denver and Washington . The events include an Iron Chef-like competition; a James Beard dinner; cocktail tastings; a wine country brunch; and the Great Arizona Picnic. Besides wine and cocktails, there's a beer garden featuring more than 200 specialty beers. Costs for events range from $5 for admission to the picnic with $1 tasting tickets to $280 for the James Beard affair.

scottsdaleculinaryfestival.org.

Contact Alison Arnett at arnett@globe.com.