The red carpet for Spirits news… (No flashbulbs, please!)

The spirits portion of the 2012 Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition comes to Fairplex May 21-22. More than 200 of the world’s finest, smoothest distilled beverages will compete for top honors in a variety of categories. It’s the Academy Awards for cocktails. The award-winning entries will be displayed at the 90th anniversary of the L.A. County Fair, August 31 - September 30, 2012.

More than 3,000 wines vie for medals in the wine competition May 16-18. Complementing the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition, the Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition takes place March 27-29 (Northern Hemisphere) and July 24-26 (Southern Hemisphere) at the Sheraton Fairplex Hotel.