Feeling spicy? Check this contest out

If you think your homemade barbecue sauce or rub is something special, here is a contest for you: NCBBQ.com is sponsoring a "Pitmaster's Choice Awards" sauce and rub competition. Any North Carolina resident is eligible to compete. All entries must be received by Sept. 27. The judging will occur Oct. 11 in Morrisville. For details, go to www.ncbbq.com/Pitmaster. You now have 192 days to come up with a winner.

Dry? Or sweet?

On April 19, Cary becomes wine country at the fifth annual Great Grapes! Wines, Arts & Food Festival at the Koka Booth Amphitheatre in Regency Park. Fifteen wineries will be offering tastes of more than 150 wines to go along with the live music, cooking demonstrations and gourmet food tastings. Tickets are $20 at the door or $18 if bought in advance. Kids under 12 get in free. For more information, call (800) 830-3976 or visit www.uncorkthefun.com

Royal feast for pairing

Angus Barn chef Walter Royal will serve up a "deluxe Sunday dinner like Mama used to make" on March 29. For $150, you can enjoy Royal's "Taste of the South" dinner in the Angus Barn's wine cellar. Each course will be paired with wine. The menu includes black-eyed peas and ham hock soup, macaroni souffle and shad roe with country ham, persimmon sorbet, braised short ribs and fried chicken. For the complete menu or to make reservations, call the restaurant at (919) 787-3505 or (800) 277-2270.

Durham site in spotlight

Durham's Wine Authorities is featured in April's issue of Food & Wine. The brief story highlights the store's Web site, which helps customers' track their wine purchases and post tasting notes, and the store's Enomatic, a wine vending machine that dispenses one-ounce samples of wines so customers can try before they buy or sip while shopping. For more information, visit the store at 2501 University Drive or online at wineauthorities.com.

Call it Moose Madness

News & Observer food columnist Debbie Moose will be serving up food to feed basketball fans during March Madness. At noon Saturday, Moose will cook dishes from her cookbook, "Fan Fare" at The Garden Hut, 1004 Old Honeycutt Road, Fuquay-Varina. For more information, call (919) 552-0590 or go to www.nelsasgardenhut.com.