Flavor! Napa Valley Festival: Nov. 17-20

There is rarely a time when you're hurting for an excuse to go to the wine-soaked food haven that is Napa Valley. But this year's Flavor! Napa Valley festival, starting Nov. 17, brings together some of the region's top producers, along with chefs from across the country, for a four-day feast for the senses.

Demonstrations, tastings, and events throughout the weekend will be held at the CIA at Greystone and the Silverado Resort and Spa, as well as in some of Napa's most acclaimed restaurants like Bouchon, the French Laundry, La Toque, Morimoto, and the FARM at Carneros Inn. And the chefs on hand for the weekend are equally as enticing, with demonstrations to be held by Richard Blais, Stephen Barber, Scott Conant, Ken Frank, and Masaharu Morimoto.

The weekend will also feature some of Napa Valley's best wines from such producers as Baldacci Vineyards, Joseph Phelps, Beringer, St. Clement Vineyards, and Lieff Wines, among many others. Ultimately, the four-day festival pairs great wines with mouthwatering cuisine prepared farm-to-table. It's like experiencing the best of Napa Valley's food and wine offerings in a weekend-long, extremely concentrated dose.