Maybe you made a New Year's resolution to watch what you eat. But, gee, that was nearly a month ago, and by now you might be looking forward to a splurge. If so, you will have a lot of food and wine events to choose from.
Some examples:
The refurbished Louisiana Superdome will be the site for the Grand Tastings of the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience, May 21-25. More than 3,500 corks will be popped on the dome floor and around New Orleans during the event. The full program will be listed on the festival Web site in early spring, along with a link to purchase tickets, with vintner dinners expected to cost $85 to $125 a person. Go to nowfe.com.
Spanish Journeys has a vacation that combines a food experience, fitness vacation and Pilates retreat at a villa in the Catalan countryside, May 26-31. In addition to five nights in the restored 14th-century villa, the $3,450 vacation includes six Pilates classes, a guided half-day cycling trip, classes on cooking healthful Catalan dishes, a tasting and picnic at a vineyard, other tastings and excursions, five breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners, gratuities at restaurant meals and medical insurance, but not airfare. Go to spanishjourneys.com or call 508-349-9769.
More than 40 restaurants will participate in Massachusetts' Cape Cod Life Food & Wine Festival, June 1-4. Joining the restaurants in dinners at varying prices will be local and international winemakers who will offer pairings of wines from around the world. There will also be $15 Cultural Happy Hours during which guests can sample hors d'oeuvres and wines while enjoying art and music in the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater in Wellfleet (June 2), Highland Hall in Falmouth (June 3) and the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster (June 4). The Grand Opening Tasting will be June 8 at the Rectrix Aerodrome in Hyannis and cost $50. Go to festival.capecodlife.com.
Peter Deilmann Cruises' 140-passenger MV Princesse de Provence will sail round trip from Lyon, France, on a nine-day wine-themed cruise-tour this spring, summer, and fall, sailing on the Rhone and Saone rivers, with visits to French cities, vineyards, and wineries hosted by local wine specialists. The cruise goes to Arles, Avignon, Chalon-sur-Saone, Macon, Trevoux, Tournon, Tournus, and Vienne. Six departures from May to October have fares of $2,370 to $3,215 per person, plus airfare. The price includes all meals, daily excursions and sightseeing, wine tastings and lessons. Go to deilmann-cruises.com/tours or call 800-348-8287.