The 25th Annual Harvest Wine Celebration is this weekend (Sunday and Monday from noon to 5 p.m.), pretty much the biggest visitor weekend in our local wine country, and the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Association needs volunteers. You’ll get into the event for free, check out the 35 wineries and their entertainment, and munch on yummy food. Plus you get a free recognition dinner afterwards. Not bad at all! Here’s the gig: 

Friendly, outgoing volunteers serve as Wine Country Ambassadors, riding in air-conditioned shuttle buses and talking about the Livermore Valley and winery stops on that route.  Detailed scripts will list fun facts about the winery activities, what wines are being poured, musical entertainment, vendors, etc. Customer service oriented volunteers will serve on the Logistics Team, working at the main transportation hub and transfer stations providing information to guests.  Volunteers receive a VOLUNTEER event T-shirt, free tickets to the Harvest Wine Celebration, and a Volunteer Recognition Dinner after the event. To volunteer, please call 925.447.WINE(9463).

Thank goodness, yesterday the governator vetoed Carole Migden’s bill that would have designated zinfandel the state wine. Growers of other varietals protested, and so did yours truly. How about our freakin’ cabs people? We make some of the best wines in the world, why focus on the zins? Ick, especially when so many are jammy….

Of late, I’m doing interviews for a story on the next generation of winemakers. Twenty- or thirty-somethings, like Jeff Pisoni, or Dave Phinney at Orin Swift. It’s so refreshing to hear about their winemaking process, punctuated by a lot of humility, gratitude to the Old World and too much beer (Phinney, maker of that nectar o’ gods The Prisoner, keeps it re-zeal with Bud. "Wine confuses me enough," he says. "I don’t need my beer to be confusing."). The story comes out Sept. 6.   

Dunno if it’s the weather or the kinds of foods I’m into right now (Vietnamese, Indian, Burmese), but I can’t get enough of German reislings. A great, crisp, every night one: Fritz Haag Reisling QbA. The QbA means it’s the lowest rung on the ladder of ripeness according to the German wine system. It’s low in alcohol and great for just popping open with the roomie after a long day.

Ok, so we knew about Rosenblum, but did you know there are 11 other wineries in the Berkeley-Oakland area? The East Bay Vintners are having their first event this Saturday — the Urban Wine Experience, from 1 to 4 p.m. at Rosenblum. All 12 will be pouring, plus there’ll be food and music. Check it out at www.eastbayvintners.com and let me know what you think — I’ll be at the races that day.

Funny thing I learned about cheese — they’re so salty and acidic that pairing them with wine is actually difficult. That’s why you want to serve your wine and cheese with some fruit. It balances out the flavors. My personal favorite is fresh figs openfaced with melted goat cheese on top. But you can also do sliced pears, green apples, berries or glazed nuts. Also try drizzling honey on top of any cheese, it’s fabulous.

The cover of the Business section today "Wine rating drives buzz in industry" is the same old story. Ratings are pointless marketing hooks yet we all fall for them. We needed them decades ago, when they started out, and wine drinkers in America needed more handholding. Now it seems people are addicted to them. But you have a choice in who you read: Try Hugh Johnson and his point system. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. No high school grade system, and no comparisons to cat pee and smelly socks.

If you’re going to New England, make sure to check out the fruit winery scene. Not grapes. Blackberries, raspberries, black currants and cherries. There are 27 of them in Connecticut alone, which means they’ve doubled in the past five years or so. I haven’t tried them, but I assume they’re fresh and fruity — even sour and refreshing — without being cloyingly sweet. White Silo Farm and Winery in the Litchfield Hills is supposed to be pretty good. Read an article about it on CNN.com: www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/DESTINATIONS/08/16/fruit.winery.ap/index.html

Counterfeiting clothing and music makes sense, but wine? Italy, France and Australia have had millions of bottles pop up as counterfeit in the past year or so. Lots made in China but bearing big labels like Sassicaia, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and Penfolds Grange. What struck me is that people who buy these bottles, collectors mostly, can detect the difference before the tannins even touch the tongue. That’s how it goes with $3,000 wine. Why hasn’t it hit the U.S. yet? Not sure. But winemakers there are reluctant to file suits against these frauds for fear of tampering with tradition, sometimes centuries-worth. That’s one thing we definitely wouldn’t worry about there.

Rose is the ideal wine for really garlicky dishes (like Caesar salad). Try Red Bicyclette’s from Vin de Pays d’Oc for 11 bucks. Also, if you’re trying to figure out what goes with champagne and sparkling wines, just think about what kinds of foods you’d serve with beers. Voila! It’s in the bubbles.