Folks at Ventura’s Leeward Winery will provide...

Folks at Ventura’s Leeward Winery will provide a sneak sip of their 1994 Chardonnay, Merlot and Pinot Noir this weekend, opening up their cellars for a Winter Barrel Tasting.

Visitors will get to sample the 3-month-old wine straight from the barrel and then, for comparison, take a sip of the bottled current release of the same wine.

“The (1994) wines will be a little younger in taste,” said Matt Gray, the Leeward cellar master. “Another month of aging in the barrel will make them a little richer and smoother.”

Leeward staffers will be on hand to answer questions regarding the aging process and winemaking techniques.

To add some European ambience to the experience, Gray said, natural light will be blocked out of the cellar and candlelight will illuminate a maze-like course from one wine tasting to another.

Other Leeward wines, 15 to 20 of them, will also be available for tasting, and Tugs Restaurant of Oxnard will provide food. The barrel tasting will be held Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. The winery is at 2784 Johnson Drive.

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Chef Hoss Mossayebi of the members-only restaurant at Westlake Village’s North Ranch Country Club wants to add to his staff. He’s in the market for a pastry chef, a sous chef and some cooks.

“We’re reorganizing, trying to upgrade a few things,” said Mossayebi, who has been the chef at North Ranch for 10 years. “We just want to do things a little nicer.”

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If you ate a little too much over the holidays or have resolved to shed some pounds, the folks at the Camarillo office of the American Heart Assn. may be able to help. They’ve got a free brochure, in English and Spanish, called “A Guide to Losing Weight.”

The publication offers tips on finding low-fat, low-cholesterol foods and makes recommendations for food preparation. The AHA office is located at 1367 Del Norte Road. The brochure supply is limited, so call before dropping by. The phone number is 485-4300.