Kim Hartleroad is a walking encyclopedia of wine knowledge! In fact, he was one of the first wine professionals I met when I first moved here to Arizona. His latest gig is hosting tastings the first Monday of each month at Bomberos Café & Wine Bar. If you haven't been there, you need to check this place out! Housed in an old firehouse on Central, it's comfortable inside, and even better outside in the courtyard (especially next to a fire pit).

Member Patrick Hamilton suggested we do a tequila tasting, so he met with the owners at Camarones (formerly Garduno's) in Gainey Village, and set up this great deal:

The Sonoran Desert Chapter February AIWF Tasting Event is Pairing Wine & Chocolate - just in Time for Valentine's Day! Want to buy your sweetheart a gift that touches the heart and palate? Join us for a pairing of wine and chocolates at one of Scottsdale's nicest wine bars. Meet new friends while you learn about matching a variety of wines with samples of chocolates.

SWB, a southwest bistro, at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale holds “Wine Me, Dine Me” nights, where guests are seated at the counter adjoining the open kitchen and enjoy a 4-course meal while watching the chefs prepare dishes in the wood-fired ovens. Chef's dinners and exposition kitchens are popular for two reasons: they create a sense of intimacy between chef and diner and they give the diner a chance to see what goes on behind the scenes.