If you’ve ever wanted to hear all 17 of Beethoven’s string quartets performed in Napa Valley wineries, the 13th season of Music in the Vineyards offers the perfect opportunity.

Festival del Sole featured more than music, art and food in its second season.

The Wine Country Film Festival continues this week in Napa opening with a culinary doubleheader at Frazier Winery Thursday night.

The 27th Napa Valley Writers’ Conference begins this weekend and continues through Aug. 2.

The art of song became part of the rich musical mix at this year’s Festival del Sole, and never more so than at Saturday afternoon’s concert at the Napa Valley Opera House starring soprano Danielle de Niese.

Ashley Wheater, ballet master and assistant to the artistic director of the San Francisco Ballet, will be on hand into introduce this week’s Friday Night Flick at Copia.

As if audiences hadn’t been thoroughly challenged and dazzled a-plenty by a week of exceptional concerts, Festival del Sole served up a double-barreled musical blast at Yountville’s Lincoln Theater Sunday night.

The Napa Valley College Glade was transformed this weekend into the Forest of Ardenne. That is, the Forest of Ardenne complete with lawn chairs and the crinkling of baguette wrappers.

Artists from around the valley gathered last Friday to celebrate the opening of the new Artists of the Valley gallery on First Street in Napa.

It’s not so much what they do, it’s how they do it. That’s the mantra for a Los Lobos concert.

If emergency situations send you into a panic, you'd benefit from befriending 13-year-old Napan Priscilla Schmitt.

Robert Clark of Napa sent in these photos of the mystery vegetable, top, he found growing near the rose bushes in his front yard, bottom.

STRASBURG, Va. — Janet Heishman spends a great deal of time in a steamy kitchen in midsummer, processing the harvest from her garden. She does it for the economy, the unmatched flavors it provides, a sense of accomplishment and because she feels driven by history.

When it gets blazing hot outside, besides going for a swim or taking in a movie, there are only a few ways to stay cool.

I recently received a phone call from a Napa resident asking me, “What do I do with all my greetings cards I receive?”

For many vegetable growers, the real fun begins in midsummer as they shift their focus from the garden to the kitchen.

Highly hyped kitchen products often disappoint. That’s the message in Consumer Reports’ 2007 August issue, in its annual kitchen package. The magazine’s tests found shortcomings in many highly promoted, costly items. Often an old standard proved the better choice.

There is something I love about autumn, a season that is compelling, golden and such a respite from the harsh glare of summer.

Pepper-Smith

Van Prooyen-Hackwell

Orr-Dussault

Pieper

Cramer

Waitschies-Wilcox

Fullner-Barker

Gibson

DUNTON -- Nancy vs. Gregory, July 23, 2007.

QUEEN OF THE VALLEY

Nickname: Coconut

Nickname: Miss Pie or Hellen (Keller) — at 17, she is almost deaf and blind.

I was eating dinner with several wine writers from around the country, and the unanimous choice for the first bottle of wine was a dry rosé from Spain.

Longtime wine drinkers remember what passed in the U.S. as rosé wines in the 1960s and 1970s — Mateus and Lancers, imports which were somewhat sweet and slightly sparkling pink wines.

Although Americans probably associate Italy more with red wines than any other — at least until pinot grigio became so popular — many regions of Italy produced mostly whites, and at least two traditionally made and drank a lot of rosé.

The silver anniversary edition of the Home Winemakers Classic was not only well attended, it also featured a number of outstanding wines from dedicated northern California garagistas.

The wine folks in Sonoma County sure know how to throw a party.

Gary Galleron has been appointed full-time winemaker for Bourassa Vineyards in Napa Valley. Galleron has been a consulting winemaker for Bourassa since 2004 and has worked in the past for such wineries as Grgich Hills, Whitehall Lane, Grace Family, Hartwell, Vineyard 29 and Seavey.

With twice the amount of property required by county regulations, Dr. Marc Cohen thought building a winery on Howell Mountain would be a snap.