Noe Valley Wine Walk Wed/14, 4 p.m.- 8 p.m., $30 for tasting pass. 24th Street between Diamond and Chatanooga, SF. noevalleywinewalk.eventbrite.com, Facebook: Noe Valley Wine Walk. Wine walk — or wine stumble gracefully — along a bounteous stretch of 24th Street at this first annual great grape affair. Restaurants and merchants will be offering tastings, treats, and specials, plus some entertainment surprises.
SF Cocktail Week Mon/19-Sun/25, various times, locations, and prices. www.sfcocktailweek.com. This one’s the biggie! A whole week of cocktailgating in one of the world’s capitals of the new mixology: events, recipes, panels, entertainment, parties, gourmet food — and, of course, tipple, tipple, tipple for (seven) days. We’re especially fans of the neighborhood bar crawls. After which we literally crawl. But with an amazing assortment of stylish people, and a new knowledge of our fair cocktails of the city.
Oktoberfest by the Bay Fri/30-Sun/2, various times, $25–$65. Pier 48, SF. www.oktoberfestbythebay.com. Bavaria much? Ja, ja, oompah-pah! Hoist your stein aplenty at this almost overwhelming fest at Pier 48, which brings a tall draught of Munich to the Bay for this three-day party. Musical entertainment by the Chico Bavarian Band, the Internationals, and dancing from the Deutscher Musikverei — plus a giant German buffet! Lederhosen not required, but obviously encouraged.
Oaktoberfest in the Dimond Saturday, October 1, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., free. MacArthur Blvd. at Fruitvale Ave., Oakl. www.oaktoberfest.org, Facebook: Oaktoberfest. Oakland’s going (more) beerlicious with this free, neato-sounding, nonprofit, family friendly outdoor event, including trucked-in food from the Oakland Mobile Food Group, three R&B-meets-Bavaria music stages, a kids “rootbier garden,” a “HopTech homebrewers alley,” and tasty beers from more than 30 breweries, restaurants, and associations. Time to get crafty!
Napa Valley Wine Train “Trick or Train” Halloween Bash 1275 McKinstry St., Napa. Friday, October 28, 10:30 p.m., $30. (800) 427-4124, www.winetrain.com. That wine whistle will blow, “Boo! Boo!” at this spirited party for adults only ($30) that includes a costume party (wear something vino-proof, maybe) and dancing until 1a.m. in Wine Country. More adventurous souls can haunt a special gourmet train journey beforehand for $150 starting at 5:30 p.m. — dining by rail, romantically, spookily. You can bet some great wines will be included in all this, as well as the natural fall beauty of Napa Valley.