Regardless of price, it seems that high-end wine dinners are all the rage. Even if $200 per person for a Rhone wine dinner seems steep, wine geeks will love this lineup at Winesellar & Brasserie’s June 5th event. Four courses and six spectacular wines that include 2006 Yves Cuilleron, Les Chaillets, Condrieu, 1996 Chapoutier, Le Pavillon, Ermitage and many others. For reservations and information call 858-450-9557.

And by the way, another well attended $200 dinner took place at Blanca where Caymus wines were paired with seven courses from chef Wade Hageman.  Buzz heard about this dinner from an attendee who raved about it….

Rather spend your money for a good cause? Then check out the Wine & Roses charity event on Sunday, June 8 at the Westgate Hotel. $65 per ticket before June 5 and $75 at the door. It’s a terrific outdoor event (Buzz has been to a couple) with food and wine from many of San Diego’s best restaurants and wine purveyors.

Encinitas wine lovers now have Ed Moore’s second The 3rd Corner location in the Lumberyard shopping center. Buzz loves the original spot in Ocean Beach–great wine selection with an educated staff to help you choose your favorites. 897 South Coast Highway, Encinitas, 760-942-2104.

Taste tequila from Herradura at The Palm restaurant on June 12. The dinner is $95 plus tax and tip. For reservations: Cathy DeLeon, 619-702-6500.

A recent story in The Wall Street Journal addressed in depth the popularity of tasting menus paired with wines.  The paper’s wine writers, Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher dined anonymously at four of New York’s top restaurants (Le Bernardin, Jean George, Per Se and Daniel) to report on tasting menus and their pairings with wine.  The results were startling.  Not only did the writers have day-0ld, sometimes uninspired and pre-chosen pairings, the cost was over the top at $280 for two at Le Bernardin (separate from the the $180 per person for the food tasting menu).  Per Se and Daniel came out the best of the bunch, for service, wines and food pairings. While San Diego isn’t quite as pricey, tasting menus can be found at some of our top restaurants.  How good are they?

What do you think about tasting menus?  Are they worth ordering or are they passé ?  Do you order the wines suggested or do you order by the glass or bottle?  Does the service feel rushed because you’re ordering a set menu? Well, Buzz would like to hear from you.  Let’s see how San Diego’s chefs and sommeliers show their stuff. 

Bread & Cie’s owners Charles and Dori Kaufman plan to expand the hours of their well-known Hillcrest bakery to offer specialty pizzas, salads, signature desserts and a small selection of wines.  Look for things to be in place by the end of the month.  Bread ovens make perfect pizzas and Kaufman spent months experimenting with doughs and toppings for the new menu additions.  Pizza available from 5:30pm to 9pm.  350 University Avenue, at Fourth Avenue.

Venissimo’s cheese loving customers can now get their chocolate fix with Jack Fisher’s  fabulous bon bons.   Don’t forget Valentine’s Day!

You’ll find more wine and chocolate down at the Hotel Del Coronado’s newest addition, Eno.  Buzz is partial to the property (a hotel on the ocean is pretty special) and to what Eno and its director, Ted Glennon want to achieve.  Whether it’s just a glass or one of many flights of interesting wines that go far beyond chardonnay and cabernet, this is the place to go.  Glennon’s expertise shows with the training he gives his staff as well as his desire to share his knowledge with patrons.  To pair with the wine, there are flights of cheeses, charcouterie and chocolates.  There are more than 30 wines by the glass and some of Jack Fisher’s chocolates are featured here as well.