Organizers of Saturday's Taste of Italy might want to rename this fundraiser for the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation a "Food and Wine Extravaganza."

"At last count, eighteen area winemakers are bringing in homemade wines ... [such as] merlot, cabernet/merlot blends and zinfandel," said event chairwoman Caroline Fecek.

The Eighth Annual Taste of Italy begins at 7 p.m. Saturday at the Sons of Italy Lodge, 16 Race St., Brownsville.

Along with such lofty viniferas, the creative winemakers are also sampling lesser-known wines such as grenache, Chianti, port blends, rose blends and some made from dandelions, mangoes, kiwi, black currant, rhubarb, and lemon.

There also will be nibbles.

To complement the wines, at least 26 different homemade foods -- everything from chicken Florentine to biscotti, -- will be on a buffet.

Norma Ryan, former mayor of Brownsville, has been attending the event since its inception, preparing Northern Italian foods made from family recipes. This year, she's tapping into a tradition started by her grandmother that uses end-of-the season vegetables grown in the garden.

"Bagna calda, Italian for hot bath, is a sauce made of butter, garlic and anchovies that's good for dipping fresh vegetables," she said. "My grandmother cooked bagna calda over a coal stove, and I think the dish will go well with our wines."

The fundraiser will also give Mrs. Ryan a chance to use the gnocchi maker she picked up on a visit to Italy. It puts ridges and crimps in the potato dumplings she's bringing along. To round out her cooking chores, she's also plans to bake about 300 rice balls made from "left over rice, lemon juice, grated cheese and a little dash of crumbs to hold everything together."

In addition to doling out samples, some winemakers are vying for ribbons in the wine competition.

Judging is done in three categories: home crushed grape wines, wines made from juice and wines made from anything other than grapes.

Scott Macosta, of Daisytown, first entered the event's winemaking competition five years ago and has been an entrant every year since. This year he's hoping to take home a ribbon or two for his Concord, rose blend from Fredonia and Niagara grapes, Chianti and red raspberry wines.

"I usually grow the grapes, the berries, rhubarb and cherries that go into making my wines on my 10 acres, he said. "But, this year, I had to buy grapes in Erie County because a late frost in May wiped out my entire crop."

In the past, Mr. Macosta and his wife, Lara, have contributed a tripe dish made from an family recipe to the buffet. This year, the tripe-making duties are falling to his mother, Janet, who'll fill in for the winemaker early in the evening while he attends a school event with his daughter, Felicity.

Longtime home winemaker Richard Quarzo, of Brownsville, gets partial credit for coming up with the concept of the Taste of Italy while attending a banquet seated next to Norma Ryan.

"Norma asked me if I'd mind donating a gallon of my homemade wine for a BARC fundraiser," he said. "When I said yes, she asked if any of the other eight or nine members of my winemaking group would like to make the same donation, and the proposal just seemed to snowball from then on out."

Mr. Quarzo and friends make wine the "old-fashioned way" with grapes from California. The group meets weekly at the Brownsville Sons of Italy to taste and compare each other's wines and "kibitz."

One member of the group, Hiller resident Rich Dascenzo, has entered every competition since the event started eight years ago and has won four ribbons and the coveted Last Box Charlie Award, named after the late Charlie Britevich. The recipient is picked by the event patrons, who get to vote for their favorite wine by ballot.

"It was customary for Charlie to always empty the last box of our grapes into the crusher," Mr. Dacenzo said. "Hence, the name of the award."

Patrons will receive a souvenir wine glass on entry. There will also be a ticket auction.

Tickets are $40. For more, call 724-785-3520.

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