A very good year

As vintages go, wine lovers will have to wait a while to decide what 2007 will bring. But oenophiles can start the year off right at the 18th annual Boston Wine Festival at the Boston Harbor Hotel. It begins Friday, Jan. 12, and continues through Friday, April 6. Among the highlights is a wine dinner prepared by James Beard Award-winning chef Daniel Bruce. But don’t worry if you can’t make it – the festival includes more than 50 wine and food pairing events. For a full schedule of events, visit www.bostonwinefestival.net or call (888) 660-WINE.

Berry cool

Your menu over the past several weeks has included Chex mix, chips, dip, cookies, pie, roast beef, gravy, more pie, more gravy, three trips to the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet for various parties, and way too much champagne. So you overindulged. What are you gonna do about it? You could start with an antioxidant-rich – and refreshing – Cranberry Earl Grey Granita. To prepare, place three Earl Grey tea bags in a medium bowl and cover with 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Steep for 5 minutes. remove tea bags and pour one 12-ounce can cranberry juice concentrate into tea. Stir until blended. Pour mixture into a 9-by-5-by-4-inch loaf pan. Cover and freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Scrape granita into flakes with a fork and spoon into chilled serving dishes. Garnish with a sugared frozen cranberry.

A winter feast

Sit back, relax and let someone else do the cooking – a true luxury after the holidays – during a wine dinner at Pairings in Winterport. The next dinner will take place at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 13. Chef Robert Waldron will prepare and discuss the meal in Pairings’ large, open kitchen. The menu includes Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup with a Red Pepper Coulis paired with Winterport Winery Apple Wine; Grilled Pears and Pistachio Crusted Goat Cheese over Mixed Greens with a Raspberry Vinaigrette, paired with Winterport Winery Dry Pear Wine; an intermezzo of Cranberry Wine Sorbet; Roasted Cornish Game Hen with Wild Rice Risotto, Mushrooms, Acorn Squash and an Orange and Pomegranate Demi-Glace, paired with Winterport Winery Dry Blueberry Wine; and for dessert, Vanilla Bean and White Chocolate Bread Pudding, paired with Winterport Winery Berry Chocolate Wine. For more information or reservations, which are required, call 223-0990. Also, visit www.pairingsinmaine.com for a full schedule of cooking classes.

Tidbits is hungry for news about local food products and events. Send your Tidbits by mail to: Bangor Daily News, attn: Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor ME 04402-1329; by fax to 941-9476; or by e-mail to kandresen@bangordailynews.net.