Last Wednesday, the New York Times ran a story about a study that suggests that drinking red wine could help you live longer.

A day later, more than 400 people showed up to sip not just red wine but also chardonnay during the debut of the Ventura County Wine Trail map at the California Welcome Center in Oxnard.

Coincidence?

Carmel Whitman, co-owner of Old Creek Ranch Winery in Oak View, wasn't so sure.

"Gas prices being what they are, people are really interested in tasting wine locally," she said as she addressed the overflow crowd of people milling about with plastic cups in their hands. "That, or you all just came for the free food and wine," Whitman added with a laugh.

The map, a 7-inch square that extends to about 21 inches via a series of flaps, lists area hotels and shuttle services in addition to seven wineries and four wine-friendly restaurants. Most were on hand during the map launch party to offer samples of their respective wares.

At the Cantara Cellars table, Mike and Chris Brown poured a tempranillo and petit sirah made at their Camarillo winery, which has an on-site tasting room.

At a nearby table, Jason Monahan, winemaker for the Bella Victorian Vineyard, used a wine thief to draw tastes of a 2006 Napa Valley chardonnay from a small wooden cask. The winery's tasting room remains a work in progress in Old Town Camarillo, so the map launch gave an all-too-rare chance for people to taste its vintages, Monahan said.

Meanwhile, until they find an appropriate tasting room location of their own, George Gilpatrick and Faye Hawes of Rancho Ventavo Cellars in Moorpark are limited to pouring their pinot noirs and mourvedres at events like the Wine & Moonlight fundraiser taking place June 21 at Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks, Hawes said.

And, perhaps, at another party celebrating publication of the map, which was underwritten by Herzog Wine Cellars of Oxnard. Given the turnout for the first event, organizers are contemplating a second. For updates, and for an online version of the map plus links to the Web sites of participating wineries, click on http://www.venturacountywinetrail.com.

IT'S ALL ABOUT DAD: For years, Mother's Day has been the undisputed champ when it came to dining out. According to the National Restaurant Association, more Americans visit a restaurant on that day than any other, including Valentine's Day. But Father's Day is about to give its maternal counterpart a run for the money, judging by the number of restaurants that have announced Dad-friendly brunches, dinners and, lest we forget, cocktails for service this Sunday.

At Jar in Los Angeles, chef Suzanne Tracht will serve lobster benedict with poached eggs and a Sunday brunch favorite, Holy Water (a cocktail made with Hangar One Buddha's Hand Citron), from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (prices vary; 323-655-6566).

And at Saddle Peak Lodge in Calabasas, newly named chef de cuisine Adam Horton (formerly of Mélisse in Santa Monica and Gordon Ramsay's Royal Hospital Road restaurant in London) is the mastermind behind a Father's Day brunch menu that from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will offer tomato-olive puff pastry tart, brioche French toast, sliced leg-of-lamb sandwiches with sweet potato fries and brownie marshmallow s'mores ($50, or $25 for two-course meals for kids; 818-22888).

Border Grill Santa Monica is offering Father's Day menus for both brunch ($32) and dinner ($39). The former starts at 11:30 a.m. and includes French toast made with cinnamon-anise bread and Meyer lemon glaze. Dinner service starts at 5 p.m. and features adobo pork tamales wrapped in banana leaves, espresso-rubbed rib eyes and cherry brioche cupcakes (310-451-1655).

Closer to home, chef Alberto Vazquez will spend his Father's Day overseeing brunch service from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mediterraneo at the Westlake Village Inn. In addition to "culinary stations" stocked with salads and seafood on ice, he plans to have plenty of cigars and cold beer on hand ($35, or $19 for kids; 818-889-9105).

Then there's Brooks, which opened in downtown Ventura just in time for Mother's Day 2007. This year, the restaurant enters the Father's Day fray with a three-course tasting dinner menu from 5 to 9 p.m., when selections include cornmeal fried West Coast oysters, Kansas City strip with goat cheese glazed potatoes and, for dessert, your choice of cinnamon roll bread pudding, chocolate buttermilk cupcake with cappuccino ice cream or an IBC root beer float ($50; 652-7070).

REALITY CHECK: Could the fourth time be the charm? When it debuts at 10 tonight on Bravo, the season finale of "Top Chef 4: Chicago" will feature the dueling knives (and personalities) of Lisa, Stephanie and Richard — which means that we have a two-out-of-three chance of (finally!) seeing a woman take the title. Judging the culinary throw-down will be Eric Ripert and usual suspects Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Ted Allen. A reality show vet, Allen next will star in "Food Detectives," a food-science series debuting July 29 on the Food Network.

VARIETY IS THE (FREE) SPICE OF LIFE: The deadline to enter my drawing for a big ol' box of McCormick Grill Mates spice rubs and seasonings is 4 p.m. Thursday.

What's the rush? Well, I want the winner to have the box in time for use as a Father's Day present, if need be. But there are two stipulations: First, all entries must be received via e-mail sent to the address at the end of this column (no phone calls, please). Second, the winner of the drawing must come to The Star's office in Camarillo to pick up the box. To speed things along, include a daytime phone number.

— E-mail Lisa McKinnon at lmckinnon@VenturaCountyStar.com.