Take a splash of wine, a pinch of art and a heap of food, mix together in a beautiful setting and you have created one of southern Oregon's premier cultural events: "A Taste of Ashland."

This year's event, which took place on the weekend of April 26 and 27, boasted 17 galleries spread within easy walking distance from downtown. The idea is that attendees follow their guidebook, which leads them from one gallery to the next where they sample food from local restaurants, sip wine from local vineyards and peruse art by artists from all over.

My cohort, Cathy, and I arrived on the scene promptly at noon on Sunday, guidebook in hand. We wandered through the plaza where we sampled cake and examined wonderful wooden works of art. Then down Oak Street, stopping to look at huge oil paintings and nibble chocolate. "A" Street is thick with galleries, from sculptures to digital art, and exotic cheeses to pizza we carried on valiantly. Then up to Main Street, the home stretch where we found coffee to carry us through the final stretch. Four hours after our departure, we arrived back at the plaza.

Ranking high on our list of food favorites were the cream-cheese-stuffed Tiger Rolls Thai Pepper served in Blue Heron Gallery and Gifts, also a favorite gallery because of their extensive blown glass pieces. We swooned over the cinnamon milk chocolate truffles prepared by Lillie Belle Farms, who shared space with Heritage Gallery of Ashland. The cheese of choice was divvied out by the Rouge Creamery, located in Studio A.B.

The wine selection was overwhelming: 16 southern Oregon wineries were present and each offered a wide selection of wines to taste. A person was wise to practice mild restraint and foresight to ensure they could complete the tour standing. For those looking for an alternative to wine, Standing Stone Brewery was pouring their dark, seasonal barley wine, really beer but called wine because of the high alcohol content of 11%! Grizzly Peak Roasting Company tempted tasters with a coffee blend roasted fresh Sunday morning.

In several galleries live music played in the background, providing yet another layer to the cultural strata. Inside A Street marketplace the stage was constantly in use by musicians playing Eastern European instruments to bands stringing out Grateful Dead covers.

I can attest that "A Taste of Ashland" is truly an event worth attending. Not only did we get to sample some of the finest art, food and drink that southern Oregon has to offer, it also gave us a good excuse to get out of the house and into our community. Be sure to mark your calendar for next year's event, which takes place on April 24 and 25, 2004.

Also happening:

• Rouge Valley Growers and Crafters Market
  Tuesdays 8:30am-1:30pm at the Ashland Armory located at 1420 E. Main St. The place to go for produce during summer. For more information call: (888) 826 9896.
• Lithia Artisans Market
  Saturdays and Sundays 10am-6pm along Calle Guanajuato located behind the plaza along Lithia Creek. Local artists gather along the creek to display and sell their creations. For more information call: +1 (541) 488 3118.
• Lithia Park Nature Walks
  Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays 10am-11:15am. Meet at the entrance to the park at the west end of the plaza. One hour guided jaunts through wild, duck-infested Lithia Park.
• Spring Thaw Mountain Bike Race
  Saturday and Sunday, May 3 and 4. A cross country race on Saturday and Downhill on Sunday. Click here for more info.

Questions?
If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our North America Insiders page.