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India Joze’s Jozseph Schultz hosts his annual dinner in honor of Persian New Year on Sunday. Photo by Chip Scheuer.

India Joze’s Jozseph Schultz hosts his annual dinner in honor of Persian New Year on Sunday. Photo by Chip Scheuer.

In what could well be the culinary deal of the season, the inimitable Jozseph Schultz will finesse the annual India Joze Now Rooz Festival, Sunday March 23. To celebrate the Persian New Year, the master chef unleashes one-seating-only of dish after dish of flavors that launched a thousand and one nights. It starts at 5pm, $40. Move fast, because mega-foodies and fans of the former India Joze dining palace will rush to snap up the few seats. RSVP to [email protected], or call (831) 332-0255. Of all the many cuisines Schultz has mastered, it’s just possible that Persian is his all-time specialty. These intricate, spice-perfumed dishes involve some specialties we all know, such as kabobs—spit-roasted meats that have been bathed in marinades loaded with pomegranate, onions and sumac. And some we don’t: chicken in pomegranate and walnut sauce; lentils and red beans; cucumber salads strewn with cress, mint and cilantro. Stuffed grape leaves, ground meats and herbs, and endless variations on hummus. Persian cuisine is intricate and precise, punctuated with spices that those of us raised in Methodist households had to leave home to sample. Cardamom is one sensuous top note, especially in after-dinner coffee. Eggplant and yogurt like to join forces, and most entrees arrive with spiced rice and fresh, warm nan lavash bread. Imagine chickpea cassoulet! Schultz is a master of all this and much, much more. Don’t miss a chance to be carried away by sheer seasoning dazzle. India Joze Restaurant, the newer, streamlined version, is located at 418 Front St.

Pinot Paradise: Plan to indulge in some serious pinot noir tasting at the upcoming Pinot Paradise 2014, April 11-13. Think of it as a three-day learning/tasting encounter with one of our area’s most esteemed grapes, curated by our top producers. On Saturday, April 12th, come sip, sample and enjoy a self-guided tour through the many pinot-producing wineries, for a $25 ticket. And on Sunday, April 13th the Grand Cruz Tasting gets you very close to the finest pinot noirs from over 40 winemakers of the Santa Cruz Mountains, all available for copious tasting at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga. Paired with appropriately classy appetizers from local restaurants, this final day of tasting runs $85 per person, from 2-5pm. For info and tix, visit the Santa Cruz Mountains Winegrowers Association webpage.

Speaking of Wines: Check out the new 2012 Grenache bottling from Birichino, loaded with salty plums and bright cherry notes. It is entirely possible that nothing won’t go with this incredibly upbeat, accessible wine made from 100-year-old Besson Vineyard vines by Alex Krause and John Locke. In the $15 ballpark at such enlightened outposts as Shoppers and New Leaf…We’ve been enjoying a few choice Rexford Pinot Noirs ($40-ish), one from Fambrini Vineyard, loaded with currants, orange bitters, licorice with a hint of cloves and a salty mineral finish. At 14.2% alcohol, it is a dream of a local terroir bottling. Another Rexford wine, a 2010 vintage from the celebrated Regan Vineyard, carries more heft and a tasty menagerie of tones and notes, ranging from blood to leather, silver to lavender. Lemongrass center. Big enough to handle pork and lamb. Quite a lovely and unexpected version of Santa Cruz Mountains pinot noir. You can swing by the tasting room on Ingalls St. and congratulate winemakers Joe and Sam Miller on their bold achievements.

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