Favorite August Finds

Exciting eating and drinking of the season

Too often in the food and drink world, August is spent in frenetic anticipation of the fall: The promise of new restaurants, cookbooks and ingredients seizes the imaginations of eaters while the last days of summer swelter on. But they are missing out;here to give summer its due are five reasons that September can wait.

Color Wheel Our love affair with crisp Vinho Verde is a longstanding one. And it's been enlivened this season thanks to the arrival of Vinho Verde rosé: Ready to drink now, this bottle will take you through your last summer paces.

Secret Stash The lamb from farmer Keith Martin is some of the best we've had–which is why it's been sold only at the country's top restaurants. Now Martin has a website, so you and Thomas Keller can duke it out for prime cuts.

Zine and Heard Add food publication to the growing list of culinary DIY pursuits. Food lovers have traded forks for pens to launch a series of homespun periodicals that serve up unique accounts of the culture around the table.

Instant Gratification In the dessert wars, ice pops are usually nixed for a quicker choice. The Zoku Quick Pop maker has changed all that, transforming the frozen treats from "high maintenance" to "magic weapon."

To Go Get an insider route of food purveyors, shops and restaurants for your next vacation: These travel outfits offer trips tailored to your culinary pursuits.