Your day in the Cabernet sun has arrived (for the third time) - It's the 3rd Annual #CabernetDay and we've got a rich, dark-berry-laden, intense cocoa-nose, plush mouth-feel of an evening planned for the Cabernet enthusiast in you.

(Wind Chimes)

: THE CATHY ERWAY FACTOR :

You may know her from that blog, "Not Eating Out In New York," or that book she wrote, "The Art of Eating In," whatever the case, Ms. Cathy Erway (picturesquely pictured above) will be dishing up pairings to compliment the Cabernet varietals we'll be tasting, with support from Omaha Steaks. This will mark the first Noble Rot soiree back in NYC since my move to LA. So, won't you join us in an elegant, dual-balconied flat [somewhere] in Manhattan on Thursday, August 30th for an evening of wine and "socializing" where you'll:

DRINK: Five serious wines of impressive Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc stature + Bubble Hour (avg retail value $50-$100 per bottle). Jonny Cigar, Wine Evangelist to the Stars, will taste you through the trials and tribulations of being Cabernet. You may learn, you may stain your teeth, you will above all be swirling, sipping and savoring.

BE SOCIAL: Come prepared to sip in one hand while "engaging" with the other via your favorite social networks from Instagram and Twitter to Facebook and Pinterest. Throughout the evening designated posting moments will find us socializing through our mobile devices utilizing the hashtag "#CabernetDay." Together we'll comment on each other's Cabernet-stained shoes as the evening unfolds and our hearts and minds become heavy with the fruits of fermented delights.

EAT IN: Cathy has planned a series of Asian-inspired pairings to underscore and articulate the wines we'll be tasting. You can expect dishes like: Tingly-Spiced Cucumber Salad with Bacon-Wrapped Scallops; Cumin-Crusted Steak Buns with Pickled Lotus Root; Red-Braised Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps; Chilled Glass Noodles Hong Kong-Style with Summer Vegetables; Coconut & Cashew Crème Brulee.