Blackberry harvest time means another batch of blackberry wine at Chateau du Vieux Corbeau Farm and Winery in Danville.
Winemaker Dominique Brousseau uses fruit supplied by grower Mike Lay to make the wine, which is 100 percent blackberry; no grapes or other fruit are added.
"We grow some of the blackberries here on the farm, but Lay brings me his best blackberries each year, and I store them until the season is over," Brousseau said. "Once harvest is complete, I take the fruit and make our award-winning blackberry wine. I leave it off-dry, so you can really taste the berries, and not just sugar."
The winery is offering a discount on the blackberry wine through September. With each wine purchase, customers will receive a copy of the winery's recipe for blackberry wine sauce to go on baked brie or pancakes. Call (859) 236-1808 or (859) 236-1775. The winery is at 471 Stanford Avenue.
Events
■ Housewarmings, 2312 Palumbo Drive, will have its fourth annual Lexington EggFest from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Professional and amateur grillers will prepare ribs, pulled pork, beef briskets, chicken wings and peach cobbler on the Big Green Egg cooker. The String Syndicate will entertain. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Call (859) 231-0005.
■ The Hilary J. Boone Center, 510 Rose Street, will have its third annual ale tasting from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Aug. 26 on the terrace. A buffet of ale-inspired foods includes sushi, bourbon-brined wings and homemade pretzels. The cost is $20 for members, $25 for non- members, and $30 at the door. Call (859) 257-1133.
■ Thai Orchid Café, 1030 South Broadway, is celebrating its fifth anniversary with a grill buffet from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday. It's $15.95. Call (859) 288-2170 or go to Thaiorchidcafe.net.
■ Wilson Nurseries, 3690 East West Connector Road in Frankfort, will celebrate the tomato Saturday. The Great Tomato Taste-Off will feature recipe and salsa contests. Make your favorite tomato dish or salsa recipe and bring it to the garden center for judging. If you have a giant tomato growing in your yard, take it to Wilson's on Friday or Saturday to have it weighed. Prizes will be awarded.
If you just like to eat tomatoes, stop by the nursery's Sage Garden Café to try its best tomato dishes. You can vote for your favorite by making a donation to the Charles E. Wilson Memorial Scholarship Fund. Call (502) 223-1488 or go to Wilsonnurseriesky.com.
Specials
■ The chefs at The Julep Cup, 111 Woodland Avenue, are taking advantage of the fresh fruit and vegetables at the farmers market and are planning their menus around what's available. Weekend specials include grilled peach salad with baby arugula, blackened Caribbean red snapper on black-eyed pea pirlou, and braised Kentucky lamb shank on summer vegetable ragout. Call (859) 226-0300.
Farmers market report
■ Bluegrass Farmers Market has corn, tomatoes, peaches and melons. Hours and locations are: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at 3450 Richmond Road, in the parking lot of Pedal the Planet and Fast Signs; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Mill Pond Shopping Center. Go to Localharvest.org/blog/29529/.
■ East End Community Farmers Market will have corn, green beans, melons, tomatoes, honey and peppers. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 560 East Third Street in the Pavilion at Midland Avenue.
■ Woodford County Farmers Market will have a kids' scavenger hunt at 10 a.m. Saturday at Courthouse Square in Versailles. It's an opportunity for youngsters to learn about the farmers and the products they bring to the market. Market locations and hours are: 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays at Courthouse Square, 3 to 6 p.m. Mondays in downtown Midway and 3 to 6 p.m. Wednesdays at Versailles Presbyterian Church.
■ Lexington Farmers Market is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday in Cheapside Park in the Fifth Third Bank Pavilion, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday on Southland Drive near Sav-a-Lot, and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at South Broadway and Maxwell Street.
■ The Kentucky Proud Farmers Market at the Kentucky State Fair is outside the West Hall at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. Kentucky Proud vendors are offering samples of their products in the West Hall, and commodity organizations are selling their products at the Great Kentucky Cook-Out Tent. The fair continues through Aug. 28.
Announcement
■ Saul Good Restaurant and LexArts have selected the winning design for a mural that will be painted on an outside wall at the restaurant at 1808 Alysheba Way, in Hamburg.
Artist Jeff Schaller was chosen to complete the mural, which will depict the history, personality and progression of the city of Lexington and the historic Hamburg Place area.
"It was extremely important to us that the mural should reflect Hamburg and the city of Lexington as a whole," owner Rob Perez said.
Saul Good also is at 3801 Mall Road in The Plaza at Fayette Mall. Go to Saulgoodpub.com or Lexarts.org.
