2008 pebble beach

One of the wines I tried while at the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival, was Australian based Molly Dooker. The name, which is Aussie for Left Hander, is much like the wine — it's fun, and doesn't take itself too seriously.

I ended up trying their 2006 Shiraz, The Boxer, and was rather impressed. The flavor — blackcurrants mixed with chocolate undertones and a bit of spice — seems like it would cost more than $20 a bottle.

There was definitely a good bite and it wasn't as smooth as I would have liked, however it's worth the purchase — which I know you're going to do based on their cute labels alone. If nothing else, it would be a good gift for the lefty in your life.

This weekend marked the First Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine event, and let me tell you, it was definitely a lavish affair. While the full shebang would have cost you $4,750 — including lodging for the four-day affair, as well as admission to all the events, including classes, seminars, parties and tastings — a single-day Grand Tasting Pass cost only $165. Pennies in comparison.

So what exactly did $165 buy you? Try access to over 200 wineries — one of my faves was Revana, whose wines are normally only available at restaurants and cost more than I normally spend on a bottle — nibbles by some of the most famous chefs in the world, and a wildly surreal surrounding — think models doing slow motion dancing in head-to-toe stretch material and a beautiful ocean nearby. Sure it's pricey, but it was definitely a fun event for a food lover. Oh and if you plan it correctly, you may even get to hob knob with celebrities. Rumor has it that several Top Chef faves were on hand, as was Thomas Keller, Todd English, and Ted Allen.

But enough talking, what you really should do is check out the full gallery. But before you do, grab a napkin, you're gonna need it! To see all the pictures, read more