5 Virtual Food and Wine Events In Greater Phoenix This August

Several Phoenix-area institutions and establishments are bringing some much-needed food-and-drink entertainment to our home screens this month. Here's five.

Rosé Tasting

All August Long
GenuWine Arizona Wine Bar
888 North First Avenue, #101

Swing by GenuWine Arizona to pick up your rosé tasting kit, which includes 4-ounce samples of four rosés, a palate cleanser, a wine tasting worksheet, and access to the online course, all for $50. Or you can spring for the bottle package for $115, which includes a bottle of each rosé (so, four of them), plus two palate cleansers and multiple worksheets. The online course is available any time, so participants are free to sip and learn at their own pace. It's happening all this month. For more information, see the Facebook event.

Webinar: Prickly Pear Harvesting

Tuesday, August 4
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
37615 East Arboretum Way, Superior

You're an Arizonan, but have you actually picked prickly pear? Do you know how to remove those pesky cactus needles? Boyce Thompson Arboretum can act as your guide with an online course showcasing how to safely pick, de-spine, juice, and prepare this cactus fruit. Horticulturist and specialist Preston Cox will lead the virtual audience through some demonstrations. Register on the website for the two-hour, $10 course.

Cooking and Wine Pairing Series

Thursdays, August 6, 13, 20
LDV Winery Tasting Room
7134 East Stetson Drive, #B110, Scottsdale

Winemakers Curt Dunham and Peggy Fiandaca have brought back the popular “From the LDV Winery Vineyard Kitchen” series for August. See how to make a special dish with three online classes that allow you to shelter in place — or SIP — while learning. Participants may also purchase the featured wines, and those who order the entire series get a 10 percent discount. August's recipes are filet with cognac mushroom sauce, Chinese eggrolls, and risotto with roasted shallots, portobellos, and radishes. Complimentary classes start at 4 p.m. and can be accessed on the winery's Facebook page.

Virtual Farmers Market

Saturday, August 8
The Farm at South Mountain
6106 South 32nd Street

You need not even leave your living room to score locally grown vegetables, fruit, other grocery items, and wine this month. Instead, hit The Farm at South Mountain's online shop, where you can browse produce photos and select how much you want. Simply add your choices to your cart, and it will be waiting for you to snag in person at the farm in south Phoenix. The next pickup date is August 8 after 11 a.m.

Virtual Cooking Decorating

Saturdays, August 8, 22, 29
The Art House Gilbert
36 North Gilbert Road, Gilbert

Learn how to make and decorate those royal icing sugar cookies with step-by-step instructions from Honey & Heart Cookie Co. To participate, pick up supplies from the Art House Gilbert between 3 and 5 p.m. the Friday before class. You'll get six vanilla sugar cookies, six piping bags of royal icing, a piping practice worksheet, a scribe tool, and cookie and icing recipes. The course link and password will be emailed a week before class.