Autumn is normally known for Oktoberfest-type of events, so it's refreshing to see a wine festival shine a light on the best of the vineyard as well. The St. Louis Wine Festival will take place September 27-28, 2008 at scenic Forest Park, bringing together vintners with more than 200 different types of wine to sample. (You might want to pace yourself.) They'll have just about every style of wine imaginable, but you don't have to be a wine expert to appreciate the different varietals. That's because wine seminars will be offered to help you identify which styles you like the best, from Cabernet to Chianti and everything in between. Better still, since wine goes so well with food, chefs from some of the city's top restaurants will conduct cooking demonstrations that are sure to inspire a few people in the audience to attempt their own culinary masterworks. Practice makes perfect. Best of all, part of the proceeds from the festival will go to support the Flora Conservancy of Forest Park, and that makes every wine taste a little better. Add some live jazz and blues music to the mix and you've got a nice party indeed. Starwood has six properties in St. Louis, including the nearby Westin St. Louis.

[image via St. Louis Wine Festival]