Did you know…? (Or, how much of this did you know?)

• You shouldn’t store wine in your refrigerator unless you’re going to have it in a day or two. (The humidity’s too low, the temp’s too cold, and vibration is bad for wine.)
• If you want a dry Riesling, look for Kabinett or Spätlese on the label.
• Smoky goes with oaky. Grilled foods pair up nicely with oaky wines — fish with oaky chardonnay or a steak with a hearty Cabernet.
• Morning after headaches can come from dehydration, too. Drink lots of water, including a big glass before bed.
  

Pick up Laurie Forster’s new book, The Sipping Point, and pick up a pointer. We first got our hands on The Wine Coach’s new handbook at the St. Michaels Food and Wine Festival. Maybe you’ve already met Laurie at wine events around the region. If not, get to know her at her website.

The Sipping Point’s descriptor: “A Crash Course in Wine” is a great definition. It’s 100-some pages of easy to skim, easy to remember tips and information. Like how to work with a sommelier at a restaurant. What’s the deal with decanting? An overview of common grapes. The right glasses. How to store. And more and more.

Here’s my favorite tip so far: www.stratsplace.com has audio files of how to pronounce hundreds of wines. I tried it out for Viognier, a name that I was embarrassingly corrected about — a traumatic incident. And Grüner Veltliner. Anyway, love finding that handy little tool.

It’s a great book to give to a friend (with a good bottle of wine!). Or, to keep in the kitchen for pairing tips and when friends are hanging out. I wanted the book to go on; it’s a quick read. Hope #2 is in the works!

You can find out places to pick up your copy (including Amazon, $16.95) at www.thesippingpoint.com.

Ladies and Gentlemen, start your calendars!

Foodie news and events abound around the Chesapeake. So fire up the Blackberry, take note of the news, and save these dates/newsbites:

• Friday, May 23rd, Hair O' The Dog, Easton. LOVE this one! Jason Hopwood, recently from the sorely missed Kennedyville Inn, has resurfaced as an associate of the Henry Wine Group. But from 4 to 7 p.m., he revisits his past, dons his BBQ apron, and takes on Philip Bernot, Wine Guy at Hair O' The Dog, in a grill-off. Even better, Kevin McClarren of Choptank Sweets, throws in 100 farm-raised oysters for the event. In the words of Homer Simpson, "Ohhh, donuts." Hair O' The Dog Wine & Spirits in Easton, the Marlboro Street Store.

• Sat. and Sun., May 31 and June 1. The first Chesapeake Bay Wine Festival, Stevensville. For two sweet summer days, Maryland Wines meet on the shore. More than a dozen wineries, including Boordy, Fiore, St. Michaels and more. Terrapin Nature Park, $20 at the door, a portion of that proceeds benefit charities.

• Saturday, June 7. The Wine Cellars of Annapolis 6th annual Food and Wine Feastival. 12 - 4 p.m. This is always an elegant celebration of food and wine. Local Annapolis restaurants and culinary icons pair appetizing small plates with at tasting of perfect WCA wines. $50/person. Benefits the Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts. Only 500 tickets sold, and they sell out early.

• June 1 through 8, Ocean City Restaurant Week. Nearly 20 restaurants are currently signed up, including Jules and Reflections. Restaurant Week prices are $30 for a 3-course meal and $20 for two courses, excluding tax, bev and gratuity. Check out the website for chef bios and more.

• It's Strawberry Season!! Lockbriar Farms, one of our favorite u-pick places, is reporting that the season is officially open. For a list of strawberry sources and farmers markets around Maryland — even a printable 10% off coupon — check out Maryland'sBest.net. Recipes? The California Strawberry Commission has about a bazillion recipes at www.calstrawberry.com

What a weekend! First, the sixth return of the annual St. Michaels Food and Wine Festival, Thursday through Sunday. With wine dinners, guest chefs, hundreds of wines and assorted other spirits to taste, it was a four-day bacchanalia. At left, chef Cedric Maupillier of Central Michel Richard prepared a crabcake with -- gasp! -- gelatin and scallop as its binder. With a heavy French accent, he apologized for this. Driving from D.C. to the far off land of St. Michaels, he realized when he saw nothing but crab signs along the way, that he had the equivalent of coals to Newcastle in his car. But hey, it's always good to learn something new about crabcakes, oui?

There's much more to share, and we will on the website. About 2,000 to 3,000 were expected to attend, according to the festival's NYC public relations agency (!). As for exhibitors, the wines by far outnumbered the foods, but we were glad to see Md.'s Firefly Farms there with their elegant goat cheeses, along with Laurie Forster, The Wine Coach, St. Michaels Winery, and a new contributor, Dragonfly Farms vinegars out of Mt. Airy.

Then, on Sunday, we attended the first annual Taste of the Town event in Chestertown, about an hour and a world away from St. Michaels. Wow, what a crush! About 800 people descended on one tent in which a dozen local eateries gamely served up a whopping number of samples. Many ran out, others rushed back to their stores to make more. It was an overwhelming combination of demand,  food, inexperience, a Sunday afternoon with nothing else to do, a  small tent, and a small price...$10 per person. Bet next year, we'll see the return of the event, with major changes.  So who won? Depends on whether you favor the food or the wine part of your food and wine weekend. Us? We'll be at both. At right, duck confit on a bed of shredded brussels sprouts with orange marmalade  from the Imperial Hotel.