Contest: What's Your Michigan Wine CRUSH?

Want a chance to win tickets to a swanky, wine- and food-soaked charity event in metro Detroit, plus access to the exclusive after-hours party? It's easy: All you have to do is tell us your "Michigan wine CRUSH" — that is, your Michigan wine infatuation, the one wine that's your ultimate weakness, the one you have a soft spot for, the one that you just can't pass up buying if you see it on the shelf, even if your cellar's already stocked to the brim with it.

Email your Michigan wine CRUSH to cort@michiganbythebottle.com, identifying the wine and telling us why you so adore it, and you'll be entered in a random drawing for two tickets to CRUSH Birmingham 2012 Wine and Food Classic at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham on Sept. 22, along with two tickets to CRUSH After Hours. Together, these tickets are valued at $500 (!!!) and were graciously offered to us to give away by the event organizers (and we thank them profusely for that!).

Please include your first and last name and city of residence and "CRUSH Contest" as the subject line. The deadline for entering is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 5. The winner will be announced Thursday, Sept. 6. (Fair warning: Your responses may be posted on MichiganByTheBottle.com!) You must be at least 21 years old to enter.

CRUSH brings world-class regional wine and amazing food together under a single roof for a great cause: Supporting the Children's Leukemia Foundation of Michigan. Please read on to learn more about CRUSH and its important mission, and how you can obtain tickets of your own if you don't happen to be our winner.

The scoop:

The Sept. 22 event represents the fifth annual installment of CRUSH Birmingham, with proceeds benefitting CLF, a statewide nonprofit organization that supplies information, financial assistance, emotional support and various services, to patients and families impacted by leukemia, lymphoma and related blood disorders in Michigan. Fundraising is critical to perpetuating the organization's mission, and all money raised in Michigan stays in Michigan.

During CRUSH, attendees have a chance to stroll through a series of wine and food pairing stations featuring fare prepared by highly acclaimed chefs from well-known restaurants, along with wine that complements the flavors.

This year's featured guests include:

Honorary Wine Personality: Bartholomew Broadbent of Broadbent Selections in San Francisco, Calif.
Honorary Executive Chef: Brian Polcyn, chef and proprietor of Cinco Lagos in Milford and Forest Grill in Birmingham
Honorary Pastry Chef: Michael Laiskonis, chef at The Institute of Culinary Education in New York

Guest culinary masters include:

Myles Anton, executive chef at Trattoria Stella in Traverse City
Jim Barnett, executive chef at Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit
Jim Bologna, executive chef at The Rugby Grill at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham
Dave Campbell, executive chef at Tallulah in Birmingham
Michael Connery, executive chef at Capital Grille in Troy
Luciano del Signore, executive chef at Bacco Ristorante in Southfield
Steven Grostick, executive chef at Toasted Oak Grill in Novi
Paul Grosz, executive chef at Cuisine in Detroit
Guillame Hazael-Massieux, executive chef
John Korycki, executive chef at La Becasse in Maple City
Matt Millar, executive chef at Reserve in Grand Rapids
James Rigato, executive chef at The Root Restaurant and Bar in White Lake

On the wine side, master sommelier Ron Edwards is the event's honorary wine director, and master sommeliers Madeline Triffon and Claudia Tyagi are serving as wine ambassadors.

Besides the main pairing event, there's also a private preceding champagne reception, sponsored by Brooks Brothers, and the After Hours post-party, sponsored by Rémy Cointreau USA, which will feature music, "luxury spirits" by Rémy and "midnight bites."

The goods:

Patron admission tickets — which include the private champagne reception, the main wine/food pairing event and After Hours — are $350 apiece. General admission for the food/wine pairing event and After Hours is $250. There's a reduced general admission price for young adults, ages 21-30, of $125.