Guests of the two- and four-legged variety are invited to have a grand ol’ time at the second annual “Paws For A Cause” party, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 9 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Resort & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course.

The event for owners and their dogs will feature gourmet dog treats by Carmel Dog Parties for the canines, and appetizers from the hotel’s TusCA Ristorante for the humans. Guests also will enjoy environmentally-inspired cocktails such as Simply Pear-fect Martini and Wild Apple Martini, garnished with garden herbs and presented with tips on helping the environment, and seed packets to take home.

The SPCA for Monterey County will be on hand with adoptable dogs, too.

A $15 donation is suggested for the event, with 100 percent of proceeds going to the SPCA.

One of my favorite Cabernet Sauvignon producers will be featured at the Oct. 2 wine dinner at Seasons restaurant in the Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. The five-course tasting menu will be paired with Napa Valley’s Shafer Vineyards’ varietals. Charming and knowledgeable Doug Shafer, president of the winery, will lead guests through the tastings.

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Downtown San Francisco has a new place to unwind. It’s Press Club, as in grapes being pressed, not as in a hangout for the media (though, lord knows they like to imbibe, too).

After months of permitting delays, this glam urban tasting room finally has opened its doors to spotlight eight of California’s most celebrated, small-production wineries: Chateau Montelena, Fritz Winery, Hanna Winery, Landmark Vineyards, Miner Family Vineyards, Mount Eden Vineyards, Pahlmeyer, and Saintsbury.

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Sure, you know Domaine Chandon in Yountville for its lovely sparkling wines. But did you know you can also sip a hip cocktail there, too?

Indeed, Domain Chandon has become apparently the only winery in the country that serves cocktails in its tasting room. Being a pioneer is nothing new to the winery, which also was the first winery to establish a fine-dining restaurant on its premises. The winery worked with a London mixologist to come up with the $8 cocktails that incorporate its sparkling wines, such as the Chandon Luscious Peach, made with bubbly, fresh peach slices, mint leaves and simple syrup.

Oct. 2 is a great time to visit the winery, too, if you want to dance the night away. That night, the winery will host “Drink Pink: A Bubbly Benefit For Breast Cancer Research.”The winery’s restaurant, Etoile, will serve appetizers and small bites alongside glasses of pink sparkling wine. DJ Dukes will provide music under the stars.

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Apparently, suds rule over vino among today’s imbibers, ages 30 to 49. That, according to a recent Gallup Poll that showed beer’s lead over wine and spirits has returned to double-digits for the first time since 2002, particularly among drinkers in that age group.

The annual Consumption Habits poll shows that in combined data from Gallup ’s 2004 and 2005 surveys, drinkers between the ages of 30 and 49 were about as likely to prefer wine as beer.  Now, drinkers in this age bracket have shifted back to beer, with an average of 47 percent in the combined 2007-2008 data saying they most often drink beer.  Drinking preferences among adults ages 21-29 have remained stable in recent years, with the majority showing a wide preference for beer.

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That’s the only way to describe the luxe “Eggs and Toast” package at the Redwood Room Bar in the Clift Hotel in San Francisco.

Forget over-easy. Think Tsar Nicoulai California Estate Osetra Caviar (from sustainable farmed sturgeon). This is no time for whole-wheat, either. Think crispy potato chips instead. And coffee has given way to premium Champagne.

Ahh, that’s the kind of eggs and toast I’m talking about. It’s all part of the Redwood Room’s 75th anniversary celebration.

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