Labor Day is almost upon us and as for me I am still firming up my plans. A college football game on television is at the top of my husband's list but not me. If I lived on the same coast as Sonoma County I would be at their event in a heartbeat! Ever tried to cover the wide array of wineries that make up Sonoma wine country? I haven't either but from what I hear it takes a lot more driving and time than most visitors can cover in a weekend. No problem because the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend will bring it all to you in a relatively small area -- no driving required once you arrive.

Tickets range from $50 to $650 depending on how long you can stay and your specific interests. There are Winemaker Dinners, the Grand Tasting, and even an Auction for those of you with deeper pockets. Enjoy wine from Alexander Valley to the Russian River Valley and everything in between. This is the inaugural year for this event and you don't want to miss it! Be there or be...me, with my little football party.

No...not their cool team-duds, something potentially more hurtful...their advertising sponsors. I doubt many Olympians dream of making a few extra bucks from excelling in their chosen sport but certainly not many would turn it down. With advertising companies looking to capitalize on predicted winners they created commercials, billboards, and cereal boxes in their image. Now, with some hopefuls coming home without medals and in some cases bruised bodies and futures, they may lose their marketability. On the other hand if an athlete has connected with the fans in such a profound way that their medal standing has no effect, they may be able to salvage their market connections. Liu Xiang of China and Asafa Powell of Jamaica are just a couple of those unfortunate souls. (There are American disappointments as well but it just feels unpatriotic to disparage them...I'm a softy when it comes to my own country.)

Luxury Italian watchmaker Panerai is debuting four new models in its Ferrari branded collection in London at the British International Motor Show (BIMS) this week. Panerai began producing the collection for Ferrari in 2006; the entire range is on display to the public for the first time at the show, which began Wednesday and runs through Aug. 3rd.

The four new models are: the Ferrari 10 Days GMT, approx. $18,000, from the Scuderia Collection; the Ferrari 8 Days Chrono Monopulsante GMT Classic, approx. $21,000, from the Granturismo collection; the Ferrari 1/8th Second, approx. $21,000, a Special Edition; and the Ferrari Chronograph, approx. $57,000, a Special Edition. The entire collection now comprises 19 models.

[via Automotoportal]

One of the hottest accessories around just went hot pink! Alexander McQueen's scarves have been dipped in pink and scattered with paisley to benefit Breast Cancer Care through Selfridges & Co's charitable Pinkridges event. The event runs from the end of August and the scarf will only cost £140 -- a small price to support one of the common diseases among women. Wear something beautiful with a message and you'll find that fashion has a fabulously pink lining. Who doesn't love pink?

You know gas is expensive when it can substitute for a monetary prize in the Florida State Lottery. I'm not sure when exactly this started or how long it will last but the current winner will receive free gas for life...with a catch. Not knowing how high gas prices will continue to climb and not wanting to over commit themselves, the Florida State Lottery has decided to offer twenty-six prepaid gas cards of $100 each to the winner each year for the rest of their life. (I bet they are hoping that the winner is a grandparent and not an eighteen-year-old). Although I'm sure it is a great deal I have to say I would be more excited about winning a quarter of a million dollars...you?

To celebrate its 20th anniversary this fall, the San Diego Automotive Museum (SDAM) is staging a a $75 million Ferrari exhibition. Ferrari: Cavallino Rampante will run from October 1st through the end of the year. Over 30 classic Ferraris will be on display, some for the very first time, during the exhibit which is being mounted in partnership with the Ferrari Owners Club of America.

SDAM will host a variety of events during the three-month show, including a two day Autostrada dei Deserto (From Shore to Sands) rally on Oct. 10-11 complete with a lavish party at the chic W Hotel San Diego. The first half of the exhibit will feature historic racing Ferraris, and the second half will focus on classic touring vehicles including a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT/L "Lusso", valued at over $2.5 million, and the beautiful 1965 275 GTB pictured above. See the gallery for more.

Deliciousness comes to Seattle on July 13th in the form of the Seattle Luxury Chocolate Salon. The show takes place at the Bell Harbor International Conference Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66 from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The show will include a variety of chocolatiers and confectioners include Amano Artisan Chocolate, Kekau Chocolatier, Cocoa Chai Chocolates, Petit Noirs, Guittard Chocolate, Theo Chocolate,Alma Chocolate, Lula's Chocolates, Dilettante Chocolates, Posh Chocolat and more. The event will also include chocolate demos by local talent. The salon will also hold the Luxury Chocolate Salon Awards and members of the tasting panel include Seattle food and city journalists Molly Wizenberg (Orangette, Bon Appetit), Eric Scigliano (Seattle Metropolitan Magazine), Viv (Seattle Bon Vivant), Ritzy Ryciak (Conscious Choice Magazine) and Dana Cree (TastingMenu.com, Pastry Chef - Veil Restaurant). Tickets are $20 for adults at the door or $17.50 in advance.

A magician, mixologist and chef Mario Batali are combining for a new type of event. The Magic, Martinis and Mario event the first of which is taking place on September 18 at Del Posto, Batali's restaurant in New York, offers more than just a dinner. Mixologist and Fine Living Network star, Tony Abou-Ganim will design custom cocktails for this special evening and teach diners how to recreate them at home. Also during the cocktail hour, entertainer Billy Harris will show sleight-of-hand magic tricks.

Each of the four courses of the Italian meal will be introduced by Batali and the dishes will be paired with wines from LaMozza, Mario's own vineyard in Tuscany, as well as the Friuli Bastianich vineyard. After the meal Billy Harris will perform his stage show.

Guests will receive gift bag that includes a copy of Mario's latest cookbook, Italian Grill, Tony Aboau-Ganim's most recent DVD, Cocktail 101, samples of 10 Cane Run, playing cards and a ticket to the raffle to win an Ernst Benz Mario Batali wristwatch. Both Mario and Tony will be available to sign books and DVDs at the end of the festivities.

The tickets are $1,500 per seat and limited to 130 guests. $100 of the price will go to the EarthLab Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization providing functional outreach and reverse research and educational efforts in part through EarthLab.com. A new online segment at EarthLab.com entitled Food & Mario Batali shows how to make better food related choices for the environment.

The annual Mercedes-Benz Polo Challenge will kick off at the JetOne Jets Field at the Bridgehampton Polo Club on Saturday, July 19 this year. This season's partners include Coca-Cola, Fiji Water, T-Mobile, Pernod Ricard, Ralph Lauren, Hpnotiq and Zino Platinum Cigars, and the MVP Player Award will be presented by Westin Rinehart. The matches, which will run for six consecutive Saturdays through August 23 this year, are the social mainstay of the Hamptons season and feature some of the world's best polo players competing for one of the sport's most treasured prizes. Anyone can watch from the stands, but the invitation-only V.I.P. tent is the real scene. Celebs in attendance in years previous have included Anne Hathaway, Elizabeth Hurley, Heather Graham, Howard Stern, Jared Leto, Jay Z, Jessica Alba, Mischa Barton, Natalie Portman and Prince Albert of Monaco, to name a few. All proceeds will go to a good cause, the South Fork Breast Health Coalition.

The other day we mentioned that Sean Connery's 1961 Bentley is being auctioned off this weekend at a Rolls-Royce rally. The event is the annual gathering of the Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts' Club (RREC), which takes place at a stately manor house named Kelmarsh Hall near Northampton, England through Sunday. Prizes are given for the best in class. The Club was formed in 1957 by a small group of Rolls-Royce and Bentley enthusiasts and now boasts a membership of over 10,000 people in 52 countries worldwide. Some snobs sniff over the fact that ownership of either car is no longer a requirement, but we find it to be a very democratic attitude. The Club's one-time entrance fee is £30 (or about $60) and a year's membership for overseas enthusiasts costs £54 (or about $108). Membership confers unrivaled access to events such as the Rally, technical information, historic records, workshop manuals, a special automotive insurance policy and more. You can apply here.

Since it was founded by Queen Anne in 1711, the annual Royal Ascot races have become the highlight of the English social season. Ostensibly a five-day sporting event, it's also evolved into something of an immense fashion show, marked by the arrival of the Royal Family in ceremonial horse-drawn carriages every day. It has become the style for ladies to sport increasingly outrageous hats, and lately the traditional rules about "formal day dress" in the coveted Royal Enclosure have been rather loosely interpreted, much to the Queen's dismay.

This year officials have cracked down, declaring that "Off the shoulder, halter neck, spaghetti straps and dresses with a strap of less than one inch and/or miniskirts are considered unsuitable," while "Midriffs must be covered and trouser suits must be full length and of matching material and color." Those not in compliance will be asked to leave the Royal Enclosure. Gentlemen have always been required to wear full morning dress with top hats. Lest all the pageantry detract from the business at hand, it's worth noting that prize money at this year's event, which runs through Saturday, has reached an unprecedented $7.8 million.

The economic news may be dismal but Auction Napa Valley still managed to do quite well, coming in 5% over last year and raising $10.35 million for local charities. The weekend event in Napa Valley, California drew guests from around the world to bid on barrel futures, one-of-a-kind wines, winery vertical collections and rare bottlings of Napa Valley wines that were often partnered with vintner-hosted events, luxury items and travel. Jay Leno served as the host of the Live Auction and guests included Congressman Mike Thompson and first time attendee, Oprah Winfrey. Check out some of the fun in the gallery below.

Jim Carrey and Jenny McCarthy are hoping they can use their combined star power to help raise awareness this week for the Green Our Vaccines march and rally. Jenny's son Evan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2005, and Jenny has been trying to help him and others by raising awareness of the possible link between autism and childhood vaccinations. The actors have joined with other national autism advocacy groups to press for the elimination of toxins from children's vaccines and to change children's vaccination schedules. It's always a heated debate, with facts and studies being presented on both sides, but a growing number of parents of autistic children believe that vaccines, especially those containing the mercury-based preservatives, are to blame for bringing on their children's autistic symptoms. Learn more about this weeks fund raising efforts here, and if you want to get involved in this movement now is the time!

Yesterday Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, paid a visit to the home of his favorite Scotch whisky, the Laphroaig distillery on Islay. Laphroaig, established in 1815, is one of the richest, smokiest single malts and one of the very best Scotches ever produced. It holds a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales, which he confirmed while there, and bears his heraldic three-feather badge on its label. The kilt-clad Charles and Camilla - who are known as by their local title, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, while traveling in Scotland - toured the distillery, learned about (and leant a hand in) its production and nosed whiskies of different ages. The Prince also signed two barrels of maturing spirit and an ultra-rare 40-year-old bottle of Laphroaig, one of only a handful left in the world, all to be auctioned off for charity. The 40-year-old was worth about $5,000 before he applied the royal signature. The proceeds from the auctions will go to the charities of Charles' choice.

Ready or not, it's bathing suit season. If you haven't gotten yourself in perfect form and you have the money you can study with one of the toughest trainers around, the lovely Tracy Anderson, who works with Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. Anderson is holding a two week boot camp Monday – Friday, 6:30-9:30 starting on June 16th at the Reebok Sports Club in New York City. Anderson's Method workout is dance-based but there is also a strength-training component for creating those sculpted arms. Those who sign up also have to commit for two week's to Anderson's nutritional principles but when you are paying $3,000 ($2,500 for members) you may as well get the most out of it.