A LA CARTE : SUMMER FOOD AND WINE FESTIVALS.

Byline: Larry Lipson

Is summer really around the corner?

Promoters of food and wine festivals certainly hope so, simply because these annual outdoor events need warm days and/or balmy nights.

Several of these festivals, fund-raisers as a rule, will take place during the next few weeks.

Here they are for your consideration:

Pacific Rim Fusion Food & Wine Festival

Where: Westwood Marquis Hotel and Gardens, 930 Hilgard Ave., Westwood.

When: 1 to 4 p.m. May 2.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: Tickets $50 each, two for $80, four for $150, six for $180.

Participants: 16 restaurants including ObaChine, Maui Beach Cafe, Yujean Kang's, Fins and Xiomara, 15 premium California wineries, also noodlemakers, face painters and more.

Beneficiary: Asia Society.

Culinary Evening With the California Winemasters

Where: Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Ave., Hollywood.

When: 6 to 11 p.m. May 15.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: $225 per ticket.

Participants: 27 top chefs from around the nation include Thomas Keller, Leonard Schwartz, Roland Gibert, Celestino Drago, Yujean Kang, Jennifer Naylor, Erik Blauberg, Ben Tench and Thomas Moran. 46 wineries include Caymus, Duckhorn, Livingstone, Pahlmeyer, Rosenthal, and Williams & Selyem.

Beneficiary: Cystic Fibrosis Research.

Grande Marque Champagne Tasting

Where: Hotel Bel-Air, 701 Stone Canyon Road, Bel-Air.

When: 6:30 to 9 p.m. June 6.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: $125 per person.

Participants: Krug, Dom Perignon, Salon, Pol Roger, Roederer Cristal, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot and all the best French champagnes and California sparklers plus caviar and food from Ocean Avenue Seafood, Drago, Jozu, Hotel Bel-Air and Water Grill.

Beneficiary: City of Hope and United Cerebral Palsy.

KCRW's Summerday

Where: Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood.

When: 3 to 7 p.m. June 20.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: Tickets June 1: $70 for tasting only (add $30 for auction).

Participants: 37 major restaurants and hundreds of wines, beers and spirits.

Beneficiary: National Public Radio.

Taste of Orange County

Where: Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro.

When: 5 p.m. to midnight June 25, noon to midnight June 26, noon to 9 p.m. June 27.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: $8 admission (food and drink samples from $1 to $5 each).

Participants: 30 restaurants, 30 concerts, cooking demontrations by chefs, nightclub with music and dancing.

Great Chefs of Los Angeles

Where: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, 1700 Ocean Ave., Santa Monica.

When: 6:30 to 11 p.m. May 23.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: $185 per person, 10 for $1600.

Participants: Six-course dinner prepared by L.A.'s best including Lee Hefter, Nancy Silverton, Joe Miller, Josie LeBalch, David Fouts and Alain Giraud.

Beneficiary: National Kidney Foundation of Southern California.

An Epicurean Evening

Where: Private Malibu home and vineyard of restaurateur Michael McCarty and wife, artist Kim McCarty.

When: 6 to 11 p.m. May 22.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: $1,000 per person.

Participants: Dustin Hoffman is co-chair. Five-course dinner prepared by chefs Mark Peel, Nancy Silverton, Sang Yoon, Jeff Gimmel, Alan Wong, Fortunato Nicotra and Allen Susser.

Beneficiary: Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation.

Taste of the Nation (Share Our Strength)

Where: Hollywood Terrace, Universal Studios, Universal City.

When: 7 to 11 p.m. May 22.

Phone: [phone].

Costs: $150 per person.

Participants: Numerous top restaurants including Cicada, Border Grill, Ciudad, Belvedere, Tommy Tang's, Citronelle, Twin Palms and Chaya Venice, and wineries like Grgich Hills, Niebaum-Coppola and Ferrari-Carano. Also martini and cordial bars, cigar lounge and chocolate and port bar.

Beneficiary: Several charities for the homeless and hungry.