The Pittsburgh Wine Festival, now in it's sixth year, ranks among the top 10 public wine events in America. A week-long program of seminars and wine dinners culminates tonight at Heinz Field, where 216 wineries will present more than 600 wines for Pittsburghers to taste. And this year, they're selling tickets at the door for the Grand Tasting: $125.

Since it is virtually impossible to taste that many wines during the time allowed, I've prepared a list of the wines that shouldn't be missed.

To make efficient use of the few hours when wines are being poured, I suggest that you take the catalogue you will be given and mark the booths that you most want to visit. Wines marked "showcase" will only be poured during the VIP tasting (if you're attending that) from 5 to 6:30 p.m. They should be visited first, leaving the other wines to be covered during the Grand Tasting from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Most of the "showcase" wines sell for more than $75 a bottle. The more of them you taste, the better value a VIP ticket becomes!

My suggestions:

CHATEAU HAUT BRION is pouring its 2004 vintage which, incidentally, sells for $650.

CHATEAU MARGAUX 2004, another Grand Cru Bordeaux.

FOLIO WINE: Try the Tenuta de Ornellaia, Ornellaia 2005, a legendary Super Tuscan, as well as other Frescobaldi wines from Tuscany.

ALLEGRINI, Amarone 2003 and other Allegrini wines from the Valpolicella region of Italy.

MASI, Campolongo di Torbe 2000, another Amarone.

BERTANI, Amarone Classico 2000 and Villa Arvedi Amarone 2004. (You can see I have a special love for Amarones.)

LOUIS LATOUR, Corton-Charlemagne 2005 and Chateau Corton Grancey 2005 are both not to be missed.

M. CHARPOUTIER from the Rhone Valley will be pouring his 100-percent grenache wine, Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Bernardine 2005.

GAJA, one of the finest houses in Italy, will offer Barbaresco 2004, a powerful but elegant wine from the nebbiola grape grown in Piedmont.

PIO CESARE, another great Italian producer, will pour Barolo Ornato 2003, another nebbiola powerhouse, and Barbera d'Alba, a simpler wine made from the barbera grape.

PAUL HOBBS AND VINA CABOS, Paul Hobbs Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 and Vina Cabos Malbec 2004.

P. JABOULET, Hermitage La Petite Chapelle 2005.

REMOISSENET, a Burgundy negociant, will offer Bienvenues Batard Montrachet 2005, and two other white Burgundies from 2005 that you will not want to miss.

QUINTESSA 2005, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, carbernet franc and petit verdot.

BEAULIEU VINEYARDS, the legendary Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon 2004.

CAKEBREAD, Cabernet 2005 which is a classic blend of Bordeaux varieties with 75-percent cabernet.

CHATEAU DE BEAUCASTEL, Chateau du Pape 2005.

E. GUIGAL, Cote Rotie Brune et Blonde 2003.

BOUCHARD PERE ET FILS, Beaune du Chateau, Premiere Cru 2005.

CHATEAU MOUTON ROTHSCHILD, Chateau D'Armailhac 2005 and Chateau Mouton 2004.

CASTELLO BANFI, Brunello di Montalcino 2003 and other fine Tuscan wines.

PORTS: TAYLOR FLADGATE 20 Year Old Tawny and GRAHAM'S Vintage Port, 1997.

If there is still time, I will try to get to as many other booths as possible to taste some old favorites as well as many that I have never tried. I'll look for DOMINUS, for the 2002 Bordeaux-blend made in Napa by the Moueix family of Bordeaux. And I'll stop by P. R. GRISLEY IMPORTS for Emilio Lustau Sherries (one should taste the whole range of this too often overlooked category of wines).

As usual, I will end the evening with a glass of bubbly. KRUG Grande Cuvee NV Champagne is my first choice but there are several other worthwhile options.

The Wine Festival this year expects to raise more than $4 million for the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute and Magee-Women's Hospital Research Foundation. The proceeds come not only from tasting ticket sales but also from wine auctions and private dinners. These figures place Pittsburgh in third place for money at U.S. wine festivals after Napa and Naples, Fla.

It's an exciting day for local wine-lovers and a rare opportunity to taste more than 600 wines from all over the globe. A number of them will be for sale on site at a PLCB store at Heinz Field.