That’s Italian!

A holiday celebration of things Italian--from wine to song to toothpaste--will be featured this weekend at Del Mar Plaza.

An array of wines will be offered at tastings organized by two of the Plaza’s restaurants, Il Fornaio and Pacifica Del Mar. The wines will be $1 per glass from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday on Il Fornaio’s patio.

Also on Saturday, a cooking demonstration focusing the foods of Tuscany will be held at noon, 2 and 4 p.m. on the main Plaza deck. Free samples will be available.

On Sunday, the executive chef of Pacifica Del Mar will conduct Marco Polo pasta cooking demonstrations and free tastings at 1 and 3 p.m. on the Plaza deck. Also on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Il Fornaio will observe the traditional Italian Christmas celebration by serving panettone and panforte (sweet cakes) with champagne for $3 per person on the restaurant’s outdoor patio.

Besides the speciality foods, there are 35 shops in the Plaza including several Italian art, jewelry and clothing stores. Italian music, furnishings, fashions and sports cars will be featured.

Another shop in the Plaza, Body & Soul, features for sale Italian toothpaste and other items from Casswell & Massey.

What: Arte Italiana

When: Friday through Sunday

Where: Del Mar Plaza, 1555 Camino Del Mar on corner of 15th Street and Camino Del Mar.

Cost: Admission is free, but there is a fee for wine tasting and some food celebrations. Cooking demonstrations are free.