Despite less than savory weather, Chicagoans were out in full force last weekend (September 23-25, 2011) to celebrate the foodie city's crown jewel, Chicago Gourmet, one of the elite food and wine festivals in the country. Showcasing more than 100 of Chicago's finest restaurants and chefs, all the heavy hitters were out with demonstrations and speakers from the likes of Emmy Award-winner Ted Allen, international sensation Rick Bayless, Top Chef alumni Stephanie Izard, Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto) and Mary Sue Milliken (Border Grill) and Alpana Singh, Sommelier of Lettuce Entertain You. Bigger and better than ever, the 4^th annual Chicago Gourmet festival was a smashing success, so we advise you to start saving your pennies for next year as the tickets go fast and aren't cheap $175 for a one-day pass or $250 for the weekend.

Fun Facts About the Event:

-6580 oz. of French Fries were served in the Hamburger Hop, the Friday night kickoff event in which had 17 entrants (Winners: Judge's Pick Bandera and Palmer Place People's Choice).

- Over 300 wineries and 65 spirits producers were present, meaning you could get your money's worth on alcohol alone

-1700 lbs. of Charcuterie (meats and cheeses) used in the entire event

-10,500 oz. of gazpacho was served in the Bon Appétit Magazine tent

-8,000 tickets to the sold-out event were distributed

-Most common bite? A surplus of pork sliders

-Coolest presentation? Tru's chilled soup, served in a hallowed out turnip with dry ice.

-At least one engagement took place over the weekend (aka my dream honeymoon to be surrounded by food)

-Chicago darling and Top Chef Winner Stephanie Izard showed guests how to cook neckbone in her slot "Beast Feast"

-7 hours, the time it took for my stomach to settle after the amount indulged.

Standout dishes:

-Truffled short-rib po' boy- the juiciest and most extravagant Southern sandwich gets classed up, served personally by Rick Tramonto

-Crab and avocado ceviche- Gibson's, creamy and heavenly, whose seafood dish was a welcome break from the mountains of meat

-The whole pig up for butchering in the Stella tent (we were even given the cheek!)

The air's a little crisper, the wind a little chillier, fall's a coming and 'tis the season for football and beer. In anticipation of Oktoberfest (which actually starts in September), here are some of the best brewery tours in America and the best breweries the World. From lessons in beer making to tastings, food pairings and pouring lessons galore, you may want to leave the kiddos at home to experience all these beer trips have to offer. Bottom's up, prost and cheers.

The Best Brewery Tours in America

New Belgium Brewery- Fort Collins, CO

Offered Tuesday through Saturday (Colorado is a religious state- no drinking on Sundays), the home of Fat Tire, Sunshine Wheat, and 1554 the New Belgium factory is a whimsical place started by a home brewer and his bike.  The tour includes live story-telling, beer-sampling, art-gazing and general merriment. The crew also hosts other epic events throughout the year including a charity ski scavenger hunt where you'll search for big foot and chase chickens up the mountain and the Tour de Fat, a cross country bike ride promoting sustainable cycling.

Anheuser-Busch- St. Louis, MO

One of the premier powerhouse breweries in the country, the Budweiser family of Anheuser-Busch offers tours in five different locations, Fairfield, CA, Fort Collins, CO, Jacksonville, FL and Merrimack, NH, but their original home in St. Louis is the preferred venue. Visit the Budweiser Clydesdale Stable, Beechwood Lager Cellars, historic Brew House and Bevo Packaging Facility. For $10, they also offer Beer School, a half-hour class which takes you through pouring techniques, food pairings, and the different ingredients used for brewing.

Magic Hat Brewery, South Burlington, Vt.

Experience the joy of cranking out 400 bottles of beer every minute via a DIY or guided tour. Make sure to slot in time for the Growler Bar, which has 30 ever changing beers on tap, including Magic Hat's year-round offerings, the current seasonal and even some experimental brews. Play beer critic and tell them what works, what doesn't and maybe your opinion will end up on a shelf near you.


The Best Brewery Tours in the World

Guinness- Dublin

Ireland's #1 tourist attraction (can you blame them?), the Guinness Storehouse is a self-guided tour, which allows you to run straight through to the bar or meander as long as you like. Experience the World's Largest Pint Glass holding 14.3 million pints of beer, the Gravity Bar with 360 views of the city, and get certified to pour the perfect pint. And yes, it tastes even better overseas as a result of the local ingredients.

Westvleteren 12- Belgium

Westvleteren 12 is a Belgian Trappist Ale that has consistently been voted the single best tasting beer in the world by all leading magazines. The Brewery was founded in 1838 and is owned and operated by the monks of the St Sixus Abbey.  They feature only three beers, with proofs of 5.8%, 8% and 10.2% respectively and many say they taste better with age, much like a fine wine. Pinkies up.

Weihenstephan- Germany

The  oldest brewing place in the world in Freising, the Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan Brewery was founded in 1040 so the tour literally takes you to the origin of beer with almost 1,000 years of history. Originally operated by Benedictine monks, their corporate philosophy is "class not mass" so expect quality over production scale.

Wells and Young's- UK

The tour from grain to grass is more than just a drinking tour; it includes a full English supper of Bangers and Mash (or a vegetarian option), tastings of the award winning range of beers and a goody bag at the end of the evening. Learn how the barley malts and creates hops in traditional English pub style.

What do all-you-can-eat pancakes, an international crate race and over 20,000 pounds of lobster have in common? They are just a few of the many attractions that will be part of the 64^th Annual Maine Lobster Festival that will be taking place in Rockland, Maine on August 3-7. Over 1,000 volunteers get together every year to throw one of the biggest parties in the state, which also includes top notch music acts, fine art, talented crafts people and vendors, US Coast Guard Station tours, US Navy Ship tours and professional and amateur cooking contests. Touted as "five days of feasting and fun on the fabulous coast of Maine," the Maine Lobster Festival is a one-of-a-kind experience for anyone that wants to witness Maine's culture at its finest. One of the biggest draws is the exceptional music line-up with something for every taste, so look for jazz, comedy, oldies, Celtic, reggae, folk, or a dash of the blues scattered throughout the festival grounds. 

Headliners for this year's event include Changes in Latitude, a tribute band to the music of Jimmy Buffet, country stars Emerson Drive and American rock, country, and rap rock musician Uncle Kracker. If these chart toppers aren't enough, the festival also offers tons of other activities for the whole family. In the fine art tent, you will enjoy the incredible artwork of many local artists, encompassing oil paints, watercolors, photography and more. Once you are done taking in the best artwork the area has to offer, head over to the craft tent to view local Maine crafters displaying their treasures of exceptional Maine craftsmanship. From pottery to hand-woven baskets to delicious homemade fudge, if you are looking for something with the quality of "Made in Maine" handiwork, this is the tent for you.

Foodies will love taking in the sights and talent at the Maine Lobster Festival Seafood Cooking Contest, which is open to anyone 18 or older, with the exception of professional food experts. Festival attendees can watch the cooks in action as they compete for the top $200 cash prize.. Enjoy a lobster dinner served with award-winning Cabot butter under the main eating tent while enjoying a breathtaking view of Penobscot Bay for the perfect warm, summer night experience. During the 2010 festival, over 20,000 pounds of fresh lobster was prepared in the event's brand new cooker on the show, which is an attraction in itself. In addition to lobster, attendees can choose from steamed and fried clams, fried Maine shrimp, shrimp cocktail, steamed mussels in wine and vegetable sauce and many varieties of summer fair food all prepared in the traditional Maine way.

While the food may be the main attraction of the festival, there are still many other events to look forward to, including the coronation of the "Sea Goddess," which is a highlight of the festival that involves 18 young women from the local mid-coast area vying for the Sea Goddess crown, scholarships and prizes. The winner represents the Maine Lobster Festival, the lobster industry and Rockland, Maine for the year with appearances at other events and associations throughout New England. After you're done taking in the Sea Goddess pageant, another stop on the festival highlight tour would be the infamous lobster crate race. The race is a very popular and fun event that has contestants from all over the world taking a shot at navigating a string of 50 partially submerged lobster crates. The winner is the person who runs over the most crates before falling into the chilly Atlantic Ocean and it's always one of the most memorable events of the festival. Another notable event is the Big Parade down Rockland's Main Street, which draws more than 25,000 fans each year. The theme for the 2011 parade is "Lobster-palooza" and will feature the newly crowned Sea Goddess, all of the Sea Princesses and their Naval escorts and King Neptune and his Court, along with a variety of bands, marching units, colorful floats, drill teams, vehicles and much more. The entire festival is also very family-friendly and boasts a kid's tent, which offers activities like lobster eating, the codfish carry, the diaper derby and a costume parade that the family can all enjoy together.

Whether you're a lobster lover or are just looking for a fun event to immerse yourself in east coast life, the Maine Lobster Festival is a perfect mixture, of food, fun and fantastic entertainment.

Whatever your ideal vacation may be, nothing can quite compare to the pleasure of wining and dining in the world's best wine destinations.  While the routes of wine production imbedded in Europe, it has not stopped the spread of the drink's popularity. Today, great wine destinations can be found in regions of  every continent--except maybe Antarctica.

Bordeaux, France

In case you don't have enough reasons to visit France, here's one more. Bordeaux is synonymous with ideal wine destination. Almost 90 percent of the wine produced in Bordeaux is red, and made of a blend of grapes that most commonly include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Merlot.  Aside from their reputable reds, the vineyards in the Bordeaux region are also responsible for sweet and dry whites, sparkling whites, and rosé.  If wine tasting classes and vineyard tours aren't enough, the region also has several wine-related museums.  These include the Chateau Mouton-Rothschild, a museum dedicated to wine in art, and the Chateau Loudenne, which houses a museum of wine tools.  If you time your visit right, you may have the pleasure of attending the Bordeaux Wine Festival, held downtown each summer.  Aside from some of the best vineyards in the world, Bordeaux is a sight in itself, as in a UNESCO World Heritage site, as the city of 250,000 is known for its impressive 18^th century architecture.

Napa Valley, California

Flanked by the Mayacamas Mountain Range on the west and the Vaca Mountains on the east, Napa Valley is a great place for growing grapes--and the world knows it.  The foremost name in North American wine production, Napa Valley vineyards specialize in just about everything, but some of the better known varieties coming from the valley are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot.  Nearly 4.5 million visitors looking for fine wining and dining flock to Napa Valley every year, making it the most popular wine destination in the world. Aside from various touring and tasting options, there are also many highly regarded spas for those who want to make the most of their relaxing getaway.

Cape Town, South Africa

Three and a half centuries of wine production and a pleasant Mediterranean climate puts Cape Town on the map as the best wine city in Africa.  South Africa's second largest city, Cape Town's damp winters and warm, dry summers make it the perfect environment for growing a wide variety of grapes.  One of the best ways to enjoy the landscape surrounding the city is by following a "wine route" through the countryside, spotted with Dutch homesteads nestled among the foothills of breathtaking mountains.  Some of the most popular wine farms include those located in Stellenbosch and Constantia.  Cape Town's vineyards produce numerous high quality reds and whites, and an increasing number of sparkling wines.  The local sherry, port, and muscadel are also of good quality and available at budget-friendly prices. 

Mendoza, Argentina

The Mendoza region of Argentina covers a vast amount of land on the mid-west side of the country, hugging the foothills of the Andes Mountains.  The capital of the Mendoza region is a popular stop for adventure travelers on their way to hike America's tallest peak, Aconcagua.  However, the region's fine wine has an equally compelling draw for the more leisure-inclined.  The region with the largest wine production in Latin America, Mendoza is considered the heart of winemaking in Argentina, and the vineyards are located at roughly 2,000 to 3,500 feet above sea level.  The local wine industry has traditionally been known for the pink-skinned grapes of the Cereza and Criolla Grande varieties, but of late the trend has been towards premium wine varietals.  The region's emblematic grape is the Malbec, a purple grape used to produce a dark and rich red wine.

Margaret River, Australia

While Western Australia covers approximately a third of the continent, it is only responsible for about 5 percent of the nation's wine production and the top echelon of quality. Margaret River, a region in the southern part of Western Australia, is arguably home to Australia's best wine.  Its temperate climate is cooled by the Indian Ocean, and has the lowest mean annual temperature range of all Australia. They also boast a Mediterranean climate in terms of rainfall, with very little rain falling in the summer months.  Principal grape varieties are evenly divided between red and white, and many boutique sized wine producers are known for their cabernets.  Besides fine wine, Margaret River is also known for its great surfing and gourmet dining, and has a collection of stunning caves that are open to the public for exploration. 

Nashik, India

Asia has not historically been synonymous with good wine, but cities such as Nashik are beginning to turn that around.  India's wine capital, Nashik has been called the Napa Valley of India and has well-established local brands such as Sula and Zampa.  The region surrounding Nashik is known for its greenery and picturesque valleys, which are home to many orchards and vineyards.  The mild climate paired with the moderate altitude (approximately 2000 feet above sea level) combine to make ideal growing conditions for grapes, and Nashik has the highest grape productivity in the world.  Regional favorites include French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Shiraz.  Sula, the oldest vineyard, was just established in 1999 so Nashik vintages don't date very far back, but the future looks bright and primed for growth.