Flavors of April

• Don't miss Mark Oldman's return to Aus­tin. He's one of the most affable, unpretentious people in the wine business. His presentations are generally hilarious and filled with useful information. Check his freely offered 47 Quick Nuggets To Outsmart Wine (www.markoldman.com) for a preview. I highly recommend both his session on Rosé and the one on sparkling wines.

• Anyone who reads Food & Wine will know Ray Isle's name. He's a brilliant writer and puts on a great presentation. His superstar wine sessions should be standing room only.

• Anthony Giglio has written five editions of Mr. Boston Official Bartender's Guide, as well as the amazingly useful Cocktails in New York, but he also knows his vino. All three of his wine sessions should be fun, especially Chardonnay vs. Burgundy.

• When it comes to hard liquors, last Christ­mas, I went out on a limb and wrote "The PDT Cocktail Book is now the best cocktail book you can own." I still stand by that assessment, and Jim Meehan, author of that book, will be here to do a Tequila workshop with La Condesa's Nate Wales. Bring a bottle of aspirin.

• Finally, as befits the festival's roots, there's a Sunday tasting of Texas wines attended by master sommeliers Craig Col­lins and Devon Broglie, as well as Russell Kane, the author of a fine new book on Texas wines. Also on the panel is one of Aus­tin's treasures, June Rodil. She's the sommelier at Congress, and one of the most charming and down-to-earth wine folks we have in Aus­tin. As if winning the 2009 Texas Best Som­mel­ier wasn't enough, she recently snapped up Wine & Spirits magazine's 2011 Best New Sommelier. It goes without saying she is smart as a whip and will bring intriguing insights to the tasting.