This past weekend, I attended "Wine on the Beach" in Ocean City, a two-day festival of wine, food, and music at the Inlet Park. The festival, in its 16th year, is a great opportunity to sample wines from the East Coast, with a big concentration on the Mid-Atlantic region. 

For $25, guests get a wine glass and unlimited samples for eight hours (11 a.m.-7 p.m.), which is a great value. There were about a dozen wineries giving out samples, as well as craft-brewers Fat Tire and Eastern Shore Brewing selling beer and oyster shooters.  

The best bet was to go around and sample the wineries—everything from Linganore in Mt. Airy to Brotherhood in New York—and, once you deicde what you like, buy a bottle, spread out a blanket on the beach, and watch the band. You could also purchase baguettes, cheese, or Thrasher's fries (depending on how classy you wanted to feel). Eastern Shore locals "Bird Dog and The Road Kings" provided classic Americana tunes while people danced or relaxed with an ocean view. 

"Wine on the Beach" is a great chance to give summer an appropriate send-off, while getting to relax on the beach one last time. 

[Image: courtesy of octhebeach.com]

Last night I attended a media event put on by Profiles PR at RA Sushi, to promote the restaurant's new Sushi 102 class. We were able to take part in a sample class, where we made a tuna appetizer, rainbow roll, shrimp tempura roll, and banana split maki for dessert.

All the while, the sushi chefs at RA paired each dish with a fitting sake sample. I've been to beer and wine pairings before, but never sake, so I was anxious to find out what makes a good match.

Our first course that we made, seared tuna slices with creamy wasabi dressing, was paired with Kizakura's Stars sparkling sake, pictured. This sake was especially light with a subtle fruity flavor, which worked well with the refreshing tuna appetizer. But, connoisseurs would probably miss the distinct sake flavor.

The rainbow roll was paired with RA's house sake, which had a dry flavor that countered nicely with the strong fish-taste of the tuna and salmon on top of the roll. Next, the shrimp tempura roll (with crab mix, avocado, and asparagus) was matched up with the Hananomai Katana, which had a clean, almost lemony flavor—a good complement to the fresh green vegetables.

We (somehow) made room for dessert and made our own banana split maki (bananas and chocolate chips fried in tempura batter, topped with fruit and whipped cream). This was, fittingly, paired with Nigori crème de sake, which was creamy and sweet (the dessert wine of sake) and would probably pair really well with spicy food.

While it wasn't always pretty, it was fun learning how to make our own sushi—and also gaining insight on what sake works best with what dish. If you're interested in taking a Sushi 102 class, RA is offering classes September 18, October 23, November 20, and December 18 at 2 p.m. Call the restaurant or email Baltimore@RASushi.com to reserve a space.

[Photo: courtesy of Profiles PR]

A new bar is coming to the old Whistling Oyster location in Fells Point. RYE will be celebrating its soft opening this weekend to coincide with the much anticipated Grand Prix foot traffic. 

RYE is being opened by Stuggy's owner Ryan Perlberg, among others, and will have a focus on mixology, charcuterie, and late-night breakfast on the weekends. 

Perlberg said that RYE is going to focus on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, so the more specialty cocktails will range from $7-10. Besides that, though, he hopes that the bar will be a great gathering spot for the neighborhood. 

"We are a group of people that came together to start a bar to share with our community," Perlberg wrote in an email. "From our homemade simple syrups and wild imagination, RYE is our dream bar."

RYE will be open to the public this Saturday and Sunday from 12 p.m.-2 a.m.

[Image: courtesy of RYE]

This past Sunday a few friends and I made the hour trek up to Fiore Winery in Pylesville, just south of the state line. The 25-year-old winery was throwing its annual "Wine, Art, and Jazz Festival." For $17, you got a wine glass and entry onto the grounds for live music, activities, and tours of the facility. 

Fiore bills its products as "Maryland wine with an Italian accent," which makes sense as co-owner Mike Fiore used to run a vineyard in Calabria, Italy until he moved to American in 1962. He soon met his future wife, Rose, and the two of them bought a small farm in Harford County, which ended up becoming Fiore Winery. 

On Sunday the tastings were free, so I got to sample a lot of Fiore's products. Like many Italian wines, a lot of their varieties were dryer than what Americans are used to. Besides wine, Fiore also makes limonciello and grappa on the premises.

My favorite red was the Cabernet Franc, a spicy, fruity blend. I also loved the semi-sweet Vignoles white, which had a citrus flavor to it. The Vignoles was perfect to sip in the sun with friends, which is exactly what I did until clouds opened up and it started to storm. 

The Fiore owners kindly moved us all into their indoor lodge while the rain came down and we listened to the extremely talented four-piece Carl Filipiak Jazz Band. The space inside seems ideal for weddings or other events, with its 360-views of the lush, green hills of Harford County.

Fiore has a few more events throughout the fall, if you want to get a taste of Italy without (almost!) leaving the state.

[Image: courtesy of me]