NWA events include wine, music, wine and Fleur

The Northwest Arkansas calendar during the next few weeks features wine, chamber music, wine, Shakespeare, wine and a French-themed event in Eureka Springs. Did we mention that the event schedule includes the uncorking of wine.

ART OF WINE
The Walton Arts Center is prepping for the 13th Annual Art of Wine Festival that begins Thursday (June 13) and runs through Saturday (June 15).

This year’s festival features three days of events for wine novices and connoisseurs alike and a chance to sample cuisine from the area's finest restaurants.

The Winemaker’s Dinner is set for 6 p.m. at Baum Walker Hall Stage at the Walton Arts Center. The dinner will feature William Hill Winemaker Alex Dutzi, a five-course meal prepared by Chef William Lyle of Ella’s Restaurant served alongside an array of outstanding wine pairings, and a special dessert created by Ghirardelli’s Chocolatier Steve Genzoli. Tickets to The Winemaker’s Dinner are $200 per person.

The “Uncorked! Wine Tasting” event is set for 7 p.m. on Friday at the Walton Arts Center. Those attending may choose from a selection of more than 400 different wines from around the world and food from the area’s best restaurants – all in a festive party atmosphere in the heart of Northwest Arkansas' entertainment district. Tickets to the Friday night tasting are $80 per person.

The Premier Tasting will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday at the Walton Arts Center. The tasting is an opportunity for discerning wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs to sample many of the finest wines in the world, some of which are only available at prestigious wine festivals like this one. Featured wines may include: Opus One, Dom Perignon, Honig and Mondavi. Guests will also enjoy delectable heavy hors d'ouevres prepared by Northwest Arkansas' best chefs, and a selection of silent auction items will be up for bid, including unique art, wine and entertainment items. Tickets to the Premier Tasting are $150 per person.

ARTOSPHERE
Also on the calendar for the Walton Arts Center is the Artosphere Chamber Music Series, featuring The Dover Quartet. The quartet is Bryan Lee, violin; Joel Link, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; and Camden Shaw, cello.

This concert will be recorded live, and is set for 7 p.m., June 17 at Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. Tickets start at $10, and can be purchased at the Walton Arts Center website.

Formed at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2008, when its members were just 19 years old, the Quartet brings a youthful enthusiasm and musical conviction to the repertoire that is truly its own. The Dover Quartet has won prizes at the London International String Quartet Competition, and has taken part in festivals such as Artosphere, La Jolla SummerFest, and the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival. Recent performances include those for such influential series as the Washington Performing Arts Society, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Peoples’ Symphony, Schneider Concerts, Kneisel Hall, and the Houston Friends of Chamber Music.

The Dover Quartet will continue their close collaboration with violist Roberto Díaz on an extensive European tour in spring 2013 including performances throughout Germany, Austria, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

The Artosphere Festival includes numerous events. Link here for the complete list.

A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM WITH SHAKESPEARE
Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre presents a one-hour adaptation of Midsummer Night's Dream, Shakespeare's famous comedy, as a traveling children's production.

The production is scheduled for 7 to 8 p.m., June 17 at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville.

The performance features a bumbling troupe of traveling performers, a group of mischievous fairies, puppets, and mid-summer hijinks outdoors on the Museum's Walker Landing. Appropriate for children ages 6 and up. The event is free, and no registration required.

FLEUR DELICIOUS WEEKEND
The “Fleur Delicious Weekend” is billed as “a Celebration of all the senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch in the historic village of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.”

Organizers promote it as a French-themed weekend in which restaurants, bars, art galleries, boutiques, spas, and music venues participate with French inspired indulgences in food, wine, spirits, art, entertainment and luxe galore.

Throughout the Fleur Delicious Weekend, The Preservation Society of Eureka Springs presents its Grand Illumination, where paper lanterns will be lit around historic Eureka Springs.

The event also includes at tasting as part of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art’s weekly WOW (Wednesday Over Water). The tasting is set for 6 to 7 p.m. at Crystal Bridges.

Link here for more info on the numerous Fleur events scheduled.