Wine

Clifton, Va. Barrel Futures Tasting at Paradise Springs Winery Get to taste wines directly out of the barrel. The Paradise Springs Winery lets patrons taste last year's vintage, which won't be available in bottles for several years, at the Barrel Futures Tasting. Learn how certain types of oak influence taste. The Barrel Futures Tasting is noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24. Tastings are on a first-come, first-served basis. Admission is $25 and includes nine wine samplings and food pairings.

From: Eden Valley, Australia Price: $19 Serve with: Salmon, crab, poultry, ham In Australia, there's no need for wineries to label Riesling as dry. Consumers there wouldn't have it any other way. For U.S. sales they often label it as dry so it won't be confused with the sugar water many American wineries produce. This is simply a classic example of how well the world's best white wine grape performs Down Under. It's intensely flavorful and elegant, with hints of kiwi, lime, citrus peel and slate.

When they opened Eldersburg's County Cork Wine Pub in 2010, business partners Arlene Stecher and Chris McManus were thinking of their neighbors. McManus and Stecher, both Eldersburg residents, wanted to build a spot where adults could gather with their friends, enjoying good food and drinks. They succeeded - and those neighbors have noticed. On a recent Thursday night, County Cork Wine Pub was packed with couples and chatty groups of friends. We lucked into the last available spot, a high-top table in an alcove toward the back of the restaurant.

The Winter Wine Celebration ended on Sunday, but wine-lovers can still get their filll. The Wine Market in Locust Point has declared this Eclectic Wine Month. From Mondays through Thursdays in March, the restaurant is offering half-off select glasses of wine such as Gruner Veltliner, Siyvaner and Murcia. Don't know them? That's the why the Wine Market is doing it. The goal is to enlighten customers about  different, more obscure varietals of wine. And, on every Thursday in March, Wine Market beverage director will host a wine talk and tasting on a selected varietal.

Among the stainless-steel wine kegs in a chilled back room at Aida Bistro Wine Bar in Columbia, owner Joe Barbera shows off a prototype for a possible new venture: a slender dark bottle with a stopper that he likes to call the "growlier. " The term "growler" is taken by beer drinkers, of course, and that doesn't fit Barbera's niche. He hopes the growlier (it sort of rhymes with "sommelier"), which is designed for wine, will be the next big thing in the refillable container market.

From: Barossa Valley, Australia Price: $21 Serve with: Grilled meat, beef stew, lasagna This is a red wine whose flavors truly convey an image of the vines: squat, weathered old bushes with small yields of fat, ripe grapes. There's that old-vine concentration of gamy, meaty, earth flavors and dense blackberry fruit. It's a lush, intense wine with a creamy texture and a burly elegance. It's a total pleasure and well worth the above-average price. -- Michael Dresser

Candy, an arts event, a free showing of a Dr. Seuss movie and a chance to sample wine and craft beer in support of higher education are some of the high-profile things to do this weekend to brighten the winter blues in Harford County. Though the annual Bel Air Chocolate and Candy Festival isn't until next weekend, a prelude event is planned for tonight (Friday) centered around the Bel Air Reckord Armory building on Main Street. Doors open at 6 p.m. at the armory for the main event, a free showing of "The Lorax," the animated movie based on the Dr. Seuss storybook.

This is a dry white wine made from the same grape that produces the luscious Hungarian dessert wines known as Tokay. It shows the power and complexity of the grape do not depend on its sugar content. It's lush, full-bodied, herbal and a bit exotic - with a distinct touch of pine that I happen to like (maybe not for everyone). At almost four years old it shows no sign of fading. This is an excellent choice when you want the weight of a chardonnay but a different flavor. From: Hungary Price: $12 Serve with: Oyster stew, salmon

The Harford Community College Alumni and Friends organization has begun selling tickets for the planned Feb. 24, Wine Expo. On Feb. 24, from 3-6 p.m. in the new APG Federal Credit Union Arena at the college is a tasting event billed as being "sure to please the most discriminating palate. " The arena offers space for guests to sample hundreds of wines from around the world and enjoy a variety of hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Presented by the Alumni and Friends Association and Wine World Beer & Spirits, the Wine Expo draws a sell-out crowd of more than 500 people.

This wine is an exceptional value made with one of my favorite grapes for young red wine. Garnacha, the Spanish equivalent of the French grenache, may not be the most subtle of reds, but it produces full-bodied wines with up-front, exuberant flavors. This fine example offers bold flavors of blackberry, earth, herbs and black pepper. A little rustic? Yes, but delightfully so. From: Vinos de Madrid, Spain Price: $12 Serve with: Grilled meat, pizza, pasta