Summer Restaurant Week means the usual drill: crowded restaurants serving B-menu items at fixed costs to diners they’ll probably never see again. And yet, even for the most seasoned Manhattan gastronome, Restaurant Week is a terrific opportunity to go places you would never hit otherwise. All the restaurants will take reservations on Thursday for the periods of July 21 to July 25 and July 28 to August 1.

Normally, we couldn’t be roused from our Saturday torpor to attend a wine event like the one being held on the 1st at the W Hotel. But this one, with the participation of Alto sommelier Eric Zillier, has a lot going for it. There’s a chance to sample wines that would usually be beyond our grasp: 1989 Château Montrose, 1996 Château Léoville-Poyferré, and 2004 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine de Marcoux. (A far cry from our usual Richard’s Wild Irish Rose, enjoyed sitting on the floor of the Port Authority.) Other highfalutin features include a caviar station from Petrossian (paired with 1990 Dom), Todd English tidbits, and hand-rolled cigars. There’s also a well-lubricated wine trivia game hosted by wine guru Grae Verlin. The prize: You get to be drunk and prove that you know a lot about wine. Is it worth leaving the house on a Saturday? And the $150 price tag? It depends on how committed you are to spending your weekend inside a bottle. Call Marc Smoler at 312-482-9766 to reserve your berth.