Salsa Taste-Off, Friday, August 12
The South Bay food scene keeps evolving and one of the many new features is downtown San Jose’s San Pedro Square Market where you can stock up on your weekly groceries, grab some fresh lunch or enjoy one of the many other cool food-related events. This Friday, the market will hold a free Salsa taste-off where you can sample salsas then vote for your favorite. Put a little more spice into your weekend!

Burgundian Extravaganza, Saturday, August 13
This Saturday enjoy an array of luscious wines, delicious foods and live music as Pleasant Valley Vineyards presents a Burgundian Extravaganza. Several options of food pairings will be available and guests can choose from a cheese station, a pizza station or both. The cheese section will include hard and soft cheeses, salamis, house made pickles, honey, flat bread and more. The hand tossed wood fired oven pizza station will include all you can eat smoked duck confit and pinot braised cherry pizza with goat cheese, Point Reyes blue cheese, pear, and apple wood smoked bacon pizza, salad and grilled artichokes. The event will take place at Lester Family Vineyards.

Grape Harvest Party, Saturday, August 13
If you’ve ever considered making your own wine don’t miss this chance to attend the 8th Annual Bacchus Harvest party held by Domenico winery in San Carlos. Mingle with fellow wine enthusiasts and winemakers, taste over 30 varietals and blends and nibble on appetizers. Once you’re done, select your grapes from the 2011harvest and commit to making your own wine this season!

Los Gatos Fiesta de Artes, Sunday, August 14
Summer is all about live music, delicious food, wine and having a great time in the great outdoors. You could pack up the car and go camping or you could skip the mosquitoes and the bears and just come to Los Gatos Fiesta de Artes at the Civic Center in downtown Los Gatos. Eat delicious food, listen to live music, drink wine and peruse art. So leave the tent at home and come enjoy the sunshine!

Rosé and Paté Week at Left Bank Brasserie, August 15
Wouldn’t it be great if we could invent our own holidays to celebrate the foods we love? We could have Ice Cream Day, Fried Chicken Day and Banana, Peanut Butter and Pickles sandwich day (well maybe not that last one). As it turns out, making up your own celebrations is part of the fun of owning a restaurant. But Left Bank Brasserie took it one step further and dedicated a whole week, Aug. 15th -21st , to rosés and patés and everyone is welcome to join the celebration. Enjoy a selection of roses paired with a selection of pates. The only thing that would make this better is getting paid time off for it!