When conversing about the finer points of wine, the discussion usually focuses on color, bouquet and taste, but rarely does it delve into how the shape of the wine glass can affect the experience of wine. Thursday (March 13), Maximilian Riedel, CEO of Riedel Crystal of America, will show us why the glass is as important as the wine itself.

The event, which starts at 6:30 p.m., will be at the Tucson Museum of Art. The cost is $150 per person and includes a set of four wine glasses from Riedel’s Vitis collection, a $170 value.

Riedel’s visit is a preliminary event to the Museum of Art’s Crush Wine Festival, April 4 and 5, which is being billed as Southern Arizona’s largest outdoor fine art and rare wine festival.

• Crush Wine Festival at the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. - http://www.tucsonarts.com/crush/index.html - (520) 624-2333 ext. 111.

And the award goes to ...

The Grill at Hacienda del Sol has received the Award of Ultimate Distinction by Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The magazine’s highest honor, the Grill is one of only 30 restaurants across the country - and the only one in Arizona - to receive the award. It is given to restaurants where wine takes prominence with cuisine.

The Grill has two professional sommeliers on staff and a wine list of nearly 2,000 labels.

• The Grill at Hacienda del Sol, 5601 N. Hacienda Del Sol Road - http://www.haciendadelsol.com/grill/index.cfm - (520) 529-3500.

More wine, but this time with dinner

The Gold Room’s March winemaker’s dinner takes guests on a journey through California wine country. Executive Chef Jamie West has paired his selection of that state’s best wines with a four-course meal celebrating the relationship between fine food and wine.

The dinner is Tuesday (March 11) at 6 p.m. with a reception and appetizers.

As of this month, the Gold Room is adding a local "celebrity" guest to the monthly winemaker’s dinners. I’m not sure what the attraction is to inviting a celebrity guest unless they’re a wine aficianado and can add something to the evening, but I’ll let others be the judge of that. If you’re interested, Tuesday night’s "celebrity" is Kristi Tedesco, who anchors the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. news on KVOA 4.

Reservations are required for the winemaker’s dinners.

• The Gold Room at Westward Look Resort, 245 E. Ina Road - http://www.westwardlook.com/restaurants.aspx?nav=goldroom - (520) 297-1151.

Got a tip or some advice you would like to send my way, drop me an e-mail at news@azbiz.com. Remember I’m still on the lookout for little-known specials. If you’re a restaurant that has one, I’d love to hear from you. Meals & Entertainment appears weekly.