Supporting our firefighters: Gino’s Pizza on Monterey Street in SLO recently donated a percentage of its daily sales to the American Red Cross in support of the men and women battling recent wildfires, of which we are all aware. What a kind gesture, Gino’s! This calls for a big cheesy slice of their famous spicy Mexican ’za and a few arcade games … Looks like being green is here to stay: Last week, Riboli Family Wine Estates—whose founding winery, San Antonio Winery was established in 1917—officially opened its new energy-efficient winery and tasting room in Paso Robles. Go check out the eco-friendly digs and give their bold cabernet sauvignon a whirl (sanantoniowinery.com) … Bring a massive smile to your kids’ faces and let ’em loose at the Brookshire Farms pumpkin patch at 4747 Los Osos Valley Road (brookshirefarms.com). And yes, I know that adults enjoy the gourds, squash, and orange orbs too. I’m one of those Halloween-obsessed weirdos ... The annual Heirloom Tomato Fest will ripen to perfection this Sept. 24 and 25 at Windrose Farm (get tickets at farmsteaded.com).

Crafty

Suds, suds, suds! SLO Beer Week is coming up, so mark your calendar and polish those steins: Brews from all over the Golden State will be absolutely overflowing at a handful of breweries, restaurants, and other venues throughout San Luis Obispo this Oct. 16 through 22. Psst! Tickets for the weeklong celebration are going fast! Get yours at SLObeerweek.com … Join the Libertine Gold Club: Get three bottles hand selected quarterly by the SLOcal sour beer producer and get your fill of wild and unruly brews that pack a punch (get all the info at Libertine at the brewery’s Facebook page) … Dunbar Brewing Co. in Santa Margarita will host a unique event featuring 14 taps filled with the freshest local, craft beer this Oct. 18. Gasp! Every local brewery will be represented by one tap each, showcasing just why SLO County has become the next big beer region to watch. (See ya at Dunbar soon, located at 2200 El Camino Real, Santa Margarita.)

Swirling on

Local wine celebs Michael and Margene Mooney are proud to announce they have officially taken over the operations of the award-winning Port-style producer Roxo Port Cellars of Paso Robles (with the holidays coming up, you could probably use a luxurious dessert wine or four, right? Go to roxocellars.com for more info and stock up on dark chocolate now) … On Sept. 24, internationally recognized cellist Steuart Pincombe will be playing some intense classical music at Kukkula Winery in Paso Robles. However, this isn’t just any concert! The “Bach & Blends” event (so cute) will feature three Bach cello suites paired with three of the winery’s selections curated to compliment the unique character of each musical experience. Mind blown. For tickets to this one-of-a-kind musical event, go to musicinfamiliarspaces.com. 

Hayley Thomas salutes our firefighters, too. She can be reached at [email protected].