It’s a weekend for dining-related fund-raisers, from the North Meck Rotary’s Food Truck, Beer & Wine Festival at Kenton Place to Flatiron Kitchen’s Fall Festival in downtown Davidson. Coming up Wednesday, the Community Arts Project will have a fundraising night at Birkdale Fox and Hound. Also below: news about the closing of Roxy’s Coffee & Wine in Cornelius, an anniversary at Restaurant X in Davidson, and guest chef Neela Paniz at Davidson College.

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Alton’s Kitchen and Cocktails, on North Cove Road in Cornelius, hosted its first night of live music Monday night with former Bad Company bassist Paul Cullen. He played for nearly three hours to a good crowd in the bar, and his acoustic sets included covers of songs as well as some of his own music. Read the full story

By CAMILA DOMONOSKE
DavidsonNews.net

Get ready for a packed couple of weekends as we head towards summertime. Pretty soon it will be prime strawberry-picking season and all you local foodies can take advantage of delicious local fruits and vegetables – whether you’re cooking them up at home or enjoying them at area restaurants. Between trips to the Davidson Farmer’s Market and local farm stands, check out Art on the Green (and the Concert on the Green!) this weekend, and Cinco de Mayo and Kentucky Derby parties next weekend. Music, art, mint juleps, and margaritas – for the next few weeks, this area’s got them all. Read the full story

The North Mecklenburg Rotary has partnered with the Lake Norman Wine and Food Festival this year to plan its 2nd annual event at Kenton Place in Cornelius. This year, three local charities have been selected as the beneficiaries. Also in this column, Alton’s Kitchen and Cocktails and Tenders restaurants in Cornelius host events to benefit the Cornelius Animal Shelter, Alton’s also plans a 5-course wine dinner, Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse unveils new lunch and dinner menus and a gourmet olive oil and vinegar shop, Isabella’s, opens in Mooresville. See details below. Read the full story

How big is North Carolina’s wine industry? Bigger than ever, according to a study commissioned by the N.C. Department of Commerce. The state now has 106 wineries in 49 counties, double the number in 2005. Gov. Beverly Perdue recently proclaimed September 2011 as Wine Appreciation Month in North Carolina.

The state now ranks No. 9 nationwide in wine and grape production, according to state officials. Read the full story

The Lake Norman Wine and Food Festival has landed a collaborator for its 2nd annual festival on Saturday, Oct. 22, at Kenton Place in Cornelius. The festival is partnering with Lake Norman Rotary Club for this year’s event, which will be cut back to one day. Read the full story

Flatiron Kitchen + Taphouse in Davidson has started Sunday afternoon beer or wine classes, with samples from vintners and brewers. Meanwhile, Toast Cafe is planning an autism benefit dinner on July 9. The Wine Cellar in Cornelius now has nightly specials – plus lunch. And local celebrities will be behind the bar at Alton’s Kitchen & Cocktails in Jetton Village Thursday in a fundraiser for Big Brothers, Big Sisters. Read the full story

Wine and cupcakes, together? That was the menu Wednesday afternoon at a tasting at Just Baked Cupcakes, a three-month-old bakery and coffee shop at the Oak Street Mill in Cornelius.

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Campaign battles perception that cork isn’t eco-friendly

In recent years, some winemakers have promoted the benefits of screw-top or artificial wine stoppers. Often, the pitch has been an environmental one, arguing that these materials are somehow better than cork, because they weren’t harvested from a tree.

It turns out the anti-cork pitch probably was a myth. (A money-saving measure for wineries?) And now cork growers are fighting back with a global public relations campaign of their own to promote the use of cork.

The campaign, backed by the Portuguese government, argues that cork is the more eco-friendly alternative because cork trees are a renewable resource. [To help prove the point, Portugal's pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai is made of cork.]

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Have a taste for the grape? A growing number of local eateries are hosting regular wine tastings as a way to lure customers and have a bit of fun. We twisted his arm, and DavidsonNews.net‘s Alex Gregor agreed to investigate a few.

At Campania, tasting with Ciro

Since Nancy and Vincent DiGiorgio first opened the doors to South Main Street’s Campania Café two years ago, the restaurant has become a mainstay of the Davidson restaurant scene. This trattoria quickly got local attention for the quality of its food, serving traditional dishes inspired by the cuisine of Italy’s Campania Read the full story