Here are events we think are worth checking out this week:

• California
  • Sonoma
    • Russian River Wine Road 30th Annual Barrel Tasting: March 1 - 2 & 8 - 9, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.; see list of participating wineries at the event’s web site by clicking here; $20 at the door of the first winery you visit gets you free unlimited tastings at all others for the entire weekend, plus a wine glass.  Over 100 wineries from the Dry Creek, Alexander, and Russian River Valleys are participating in this year’s event.  Some wineries to highlight include Balletto, Bella, Dry Creek, Ridge, Stryker and Unti, but there are a lot of other lesser-known, but excellent, wineries up there whose wines you may never see on the store shelves due to limited case production.  We recommend doing some research before you head out, since it’s unlikely you’ll be able to visit them all.  Visit the event’s Web site by clicking here. 
  • Mendocino
    • 26th Annual Mendocino Whale and Wine Festival: March 1, 12 - 4 p.m. scattered throughout Mendocino’s shops; pay $30 registration fee at one of two welcome centers (the link is to the event’s web site).  Mendocino is a scenic and historic town located just over three hours north of San Francisco on a cliffy wedge of California coastline that juts out into the rough waters of the Pacific.  It’s also tiny and easily walkable, making it a great destination for an overnight visit year-round.  This weekend, however, a visit to Mendocino is made even more enticing than usual: Mendocino County wineries (which include those from the highly regarded Anderson Valley) will be offering samples of their wines in shops throughout town, so visitors can wander the streets while taking advantage of the opportunity to taste regional wines, and then hop on one of the free shuttle buses to Point Cabrillo Lighthouse to witness gray whales making their annual migration from Alaska to Mexico.  It looks pretty cool.  
• Washington, D.C.
  • The 9th Annual Washington, D.C. International Wine & Food Festival: February 29, 7 - 10 p.m., and March 1 and 2, 2 - 6 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center; tickets are $95 - $175 each.  We’re kind of on the fence on this one.  After having scanned the list of participating wineries (click here to visit the event’s web site), we can’t say that we would recommend dropping so much cash on tickets… but then again, the high cost might very well be justified by the opportunity to witness the spectacle of nearly 1,000 wines being poured in one room.  Maybe a better case could be made for the Grand Cru Tasting Lounge on Friday, February 29, which offers folks an opportunity to taste “extraordinary vintages” paired with food from well known restaurants.  On the whole, if you love wine and you have $$$ burning a hole in your pocket, it may be worth your while to attend.  If you do attend, leave a comment below, and let us know what you think. 
• New York City
  • Northern Stars at Vino Italian Wines and Spirits: February 29, 5 - 7 p.m. at 121 E. 27th Street, between Park and Lexington; no tasting fee.  Vino Italian Wines and Spirits, New York’s top-rated Italian wine shop with an overall rating of 27 by Zagat’s, is hosting a tasting of 15 wines with three different Italian producers: Ronco dei Tassi, Castel Sallegg, and Conti Sertoli Salis.  Check out the shop’s Web site (www.vinosite.com) for general information.