Surprisingly, even after a long day of eating and drinking, I was able to wake up this morning with no problems. And, believe it or not, I got back into the swing of the Kapalua Wine Festival and attended the first session this morning at 11 a.m.

The theme was "Wine Idol," where various sommeliers and vintners presented wines to three judges and were ceremonially roasted. The highlight of the event for many was Michael Jordan--most people don't know that he's a Kalani boy, since only the last sentence of his extensive bio mentions his Hawaii roots--who busted out an entire presentation in pidgin. "Dis bugga was dry! Wen suck all da moisture from my mout!"

Chuck Furuya even attended, since he was part of the team coordinating the lunch by D.K. Kodama following the workshop. He gave some pretty informative answers during the event, too! One thing that laymen like me need to remember, there's a lot of hijinks that goes on during the presentations, but that's to keep it lively. Make no mistake, you do learn a lot in these workshops, and the wine industry people know how to make learning fun.

After the workshop (and more hobnobbing with the vintners), we went next door to experience "DK's Secrets," where DK and his team presented an interactive cooking demo with many local ingredients.

New wave Hawaiian Ono sashimi with spicy cilantro-ginger oil. Fabulous!

Kona cold sous vide lobster "farm to table" salad with Waipoli hydroponic greens, Big Island hearts of palm, citrus gelee, sherry shallot vinaigrette (on fried won ton chips). This was so rich and refreshing!

Asian spice crusted Meyer natural angus New York steak with a potato & Hamakua alii mushroom & spinach potato risotto, and a Ho Farms tomato umeboshi lomi. This was pretty peppery, but the risotto mellowed it out.

Upcountry fresh fruit & sweet sticky rice nigiri sushi. This wasn't what it sounded like (as you can see), but it was still good. It was supposed to be coconut milk-infused sweet sticky rice topped with seasonal fresh fruits, wrapped with mamenori strips and served with coconut cream and caramel dipping sauces. The spoons were topped with puff rice (aka Toong Mai).

Our favorite wine was the Penfolds Grandfather Old Liqueur Tawny Shiraz/Mourvedre. I went around to the untouched glasses after to drink the rest of them, it was so good!

After a nice post-lunch nap, we were ready to go! The big Seafood Festival that ends the Kapalua Wine Festival is so good, it's popular with Maui locals as well.

There were about 12-15 food stations, each offering two creative dishes. Each of the chefs were making innovative items to vie for an annual award. If you want to eat some of the best that these chefs' imaginations have to offer, this is the place to be. I'm just going to show you some of my highlights:

My fave: Merriman's corn custard with onaga, potatoes, and bacon. It was like a custardized (is that even a word?) corn chowder, in an egg bowl. I had two and would have gone back for thirds, but they ran out!

Capische? made a fabulous salmon krudo with tomato sorbet. This was salty, sweet, tart, and...cold! Really wonderful--I would have eaten more, but by the time I got to it, I was full.

Bev Gannon's crab cannoli. Candy Suiso & I must have eaten four of these last year.

Kai Sushi's hamachi tartare with a toasted won ton chip. The hamachi needed salt, but once you bit into the chip, everything balanced out.

I can't remember who made this fish on garlic/pesto toasts, but it was delish!

Croissant bread pudding. Genius!

Salted caramel mini-cheesecakes. This was so rich! I'm glad it was only a mini.

And of course, the finale to the Kapalua Wine Festival wouldn't be complete without hundreds (yes, hundreds) of wines! Tip: If you buy a four-day pass, take notes on all the wines you try during the events, especially the wine tour. Many of the wines show up at the Seafood Festival, so you can pair the foods with your favorites. (By the way, if you work for Southern Wine & Spirits and read this blog, please contact me.)

I must say, last year was fun, but this year was a little more fun on different levels! I made a lot of new Maui friends, especially Pat & Karen Saka, the couple on the right. They introduced themselves at the welcome reception and were super nice to hang out with at the festival. It was also nice to meet David Hao and Stephanie Im (on the left) of Lick My Spoon, who must be reveling in this, their first trip to Hawaii.

I also want to give a big shout out to Elizabeth Ferrer, who made this adventure possible.

You can check out my Facebook and Twitpic stream to see some of the other photos and people!

I hope I make it back next year...but if I do, I hope I see you! It's always more fun with more people!

One last blog entry, coming tomorrow: My lunch at Star Noodle.

We sure did a lot today! I keep forgetting what a gorgeous place Kapalua is, and every time I've come back, it leaves a huge impression on me. We started the day taking a quick tour of some of the property at the Kapalua Club & Residences. The buildings are finished, and the landscaping has filled in since last year.

Lookit this pool! It's actually a series of pools and jacuzzis, cascading from the top. There are various nooks so you can have your own area with your family.

The Kapalua Resort walks the talk when it comes to eating local, organic, and sustainable. They have their own garden for the chefs to use, but they even made this little herb garden for guests to cook with!

Switching gears, right after that, I had lunch with some Maui twitter friends (blog to come on Tuesday). Switching gears yet again, I ran in from lunch to a seminar on the "Cab Franc perspective." We tasted nine--count them, nine--different Cab Franc wines and were briefed on everything from the land, the vines, the grape blends, and the people who make them, from the people who make them.

The wine festival kicks off to the masses with the "Grand Tasting," an event that boasts more than 200 different wines and a fantastic selection of food created by local chefs (and incorporating local ingredents).

Upcountry Farms' Makawao corn & shrimp risotto.

Maui Cattle Company's teriyaki New York steak salad, local baby spinach and wasabi vinaigrette. This meat was like buttah! I didn't need to use a knife, but if I did, it would have cut through the meat .... like buttah!

Haiku Tomato Stand's kalua pork & wonton crunch with sambal tomato Pico de Gallo. This was really tasty!

Maui Gold pineapple caramel cake with Kula lavender & coconut sorbet.

The wine festival is about the people, too! I got to meet sommelier Michael Jordan (who happens to be a Kalani boy) and winemaker Gary Pisoni. Of course, there were a lot of twitter people there tonight, but I'll show them to you in the next couple of blogs, I'm sure.

Well, it's late and I've had a lot of wine. There's so much more to have tomorrow!

I've arrived in Kapalua!...and am at the Ritz Carlton this time, not the Villas.

It's still pretty fabulous! The hotel is huge; just getting from the lobby to the room is quite a hike. The bellman said that I could get my workout between meals just walking to the room.

My Kapalua Wine Festival welcome: a cheese platter with fruit, plus a bottle of red and white wines.

They had a welcome reception tonight at Hutton's, a jewelry store next to Sansei.

Kapalua's PR queen, Elizabeth Ferrer. She's so on it!

Ahi "nachos" and one of the fabulous waitstaff.

Oyster tempura with spicy guava sauce.

Beef and asparagus skewers.

I met Hua & Stephanie from Lickmyspoon.com and Karen & Pat from the Maui News for the first time. This is Hua & Stephanie's first trip to Hawaii!

Look! Winemaker Gary Pisoni is back again.

It's really hot here, so we hung out by the white wines. It's too hot for red!

As you can see, I had more than my fill of wines today, and it's just the first day! I would post a more intresting blog entry, but I'm ready to pass out. I hear they still have tickets for the big seafood gala on Sunday, so maybe you can still join me here.

Yes, I'm returning to the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival this week, and as I always do, I'll be blogging every day from there.

This sounds weird, but now that I know how to dress (resort wear!), I'm worried about what kind of sunglasses to take. I want to look fashionable, and my running glasses aren't really going to cut it. (I can see the male readers rolling their eyes and clicking the "close" button on their browser.)

My friend owns Freaky Tiki Tropical Optical at Waikiki Beach Walk, so I went to see Ryken and Vince to get some advice. (Vince is showing me Prada shades.)

First crack: Edgy and affordable. Vince said that their line of Jee Vice glasses, which celebs like Kim Kardashian wear, is now 50% off. If I'm going to party like a rock star, should I try to look like one? Match or what?

Enamored by Vince's Pradas, I tried on a pair. Nice and sturdy, but a little out of my price range.

"The trend in sunglass fashion now is actually 'big,'" Vince said. "The size also helps shield your eyes from dust." Hmmmm.

Big glasses do seem kind of cool, but I remember these being big when my mom was trying to achieve Jackie O. style. Not that Jackie O. isn't classic, I don't know if I'm ready to take it for my own.

Vince took the size down a notch, but then I felt like Johnny Depp in Willy Wonka.

The last pair I tried on--Juicy Couture shields. The downside is that the lenses and earpieces are blue, so they don't necessarily match with everything like black does. But I think I'm leaning toward these. What do you think? Is it a match?

Now I need to figure out my wardrobe for Kapalua!

Sunday's breakfast of champions

Last year, you followed my blog as I ate and drank my way through the fabulous Kapalua Wine & Food Festival. It was an event that I had only heard about, but never knew how wonderful it was till I experienced it first hand.

Well, I'm going again this year! It's from June 24 thru 27 at the ever-growing Kapalua Resort. And hopefully, you can come, too, since they now have kama'aina rates on tickets.

Kama’aina can enjoy generous savings on all festivities by purchasing a 4-Day Festival Pass for $599 or ala carte tickets. Ala carte tickets to the big (BIG!) events like the Grand Tasting, Seafood Festival and “DK’s Secrets: Sansei-Style” are only $120 each. Kama’aina prices for individual wine seminars range from $50-55. (I'm bad at math, but you can check out the pricing here to compare the rack rates to the kama'aina discounts.)

I got a preview of the menu for “DK’s Secrets: Sansei-Style," which is on Sunday the 27th from 1 to 3 p.m. Check it out:
1. Kona Cold Sous Vide Lobster “Farm to Table” Salad
Waipoli Hydroponic Greens, Big Island Hearts of Palm, Haricot Verts, Citrus Gelee, Sherry Shallot Vinaigrette
2. Asian Spice Crusted Meyer Natural Angus New York Steak
Potato & Hamakua Alii Mushroom & Spinach Potato Risotto, Ho Farms Tomato Umeboshi Lomi
3. Warm Waialua Chocolate Ganache Bomb
With Kula Strawberry Lavender Coulis

Some of the biggest, most indulgent events happen on this last day of the festival, so you see a LOT of local people there, young and old. I'm guessing they take off from work the next day!

Remember these Maui gals, from last year?

They've actually kept in touch, and I'll probably see them at the big seafood festival on the 27th. They were hilarious, and to me, exemplified the local touch of this very international festival. (I know M, NKHEA, Ynaku, and Opso would looooooove to meet them!)

Get your tickets, and don't forget to ask for the kama'aina discount!

Kapalua Wine and Food Festival
June 24-27
Kapalua Resort, Maui