Bordeaux bashes: Taste forty wines or mix your own tonight

Black Pearl is teaming up with Trinchero, a Napa Valley winery, for tonight's Build Your Own Bordeaux Dinner. The event, which begins at 6:30 p.m., will also welcome new executive chef Samir Mohammad (former chef of Lala's and the Village Cork), who'll prepare a six-course dinner to pair with the Bordeaux varietals of Trinchero. But this would not be a build-your-own dinner if you didn't get to make your own wine...

See also: Samir Mohammad named new executive chef of Black Pearl

The sixth course will be interactive, and guests will get to blend a their own wines. Their creations will be Trinchero's Meritage blend; there will be a prize for the person who creates the best wine. Tickets are $95 and include wine pairings as well as the wine blending experience. Make a reservation by calling 303-777-0500.

If you prefer to simply enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor, sip on forty-plus wines at the Union Des Grands Crus de Bordeaux 2011 Vintage Wine Tasting at the McNichols Building, tonight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The stately sampling, hosted by Applejack Wine & Spirits, will feature wines from various Bordeaux châteaux, poured by their owners and winemakers. The Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux, founded in 1973, helps to develop wine-tasting programs, not only in France, but also around the globe. This wine-tasting is a benefit for the Denver Public Schools Foundation; tickets are $85 and include complimentary valet parking. Purchase them online.

For information on dozens of culinary events around town, visit our online Food & Drink listings -- and if you have information for a culinary event you'd like included in our online calendar, send it to cafe@westword.com.