This weekend brings the culmination of the second annual Wilmington Wine and Food Festival. This year’s festival has been a week-long celebration of food and wine, a portion of whose proceeds benefits Nourish NC and the Bellamy Mansion.

While festival activities have been taking place throughout the week, the main events begin May 1 with a Kentucky Derby Cocktail Party on the grounds of Bellamy Mansion. Eastern North Carolina pork barbecue will be served while three local mixologists compete for the best cocktail of the evening. The bar will feature high-end wines from the festival, a special batch of Iron Clad Brewery beer and signature drinks prepared with Trey Herring Bourbon and Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka. Tickets are $35 apiece or $60 a couple and include the barbecue, samples of each of the three mix-off cocktails and two drink tickets per person.

The Corks and Forks Grand Tasting event takes place the afternoon of May 2 and will feature food from the following restaurants: Rx Restaurant & Bar, Pembroke’s, The Fortunate Glass, Blue Surf Café, San Juan Café, CAM Café, The Basics, 9 Bakery & Lounge, The Little Dipper, The Melting Pot, Sunny Sushi, PT’s Grill, Vittles Food Truck and Coastal Cupcakes.

Winemakers, importers and wine industry representatives will offer samples of more than 150 wines from around the world and attendees can vote on their favorite dishes and wines, with medals to be awarded to the winners. Attendees will also be able to order the wines at significant discounts. Tickets are $45 each.

The festival closes May 3 with Bubbles, Brews and Street Eats, a celebration of local breweries and food trucks with a dash of champagne thrown in. Admission is $10 and includes five beer and bubbly samples. Additional beer and wine sampling tickets will be available for $1 each. Guests can also sip creative cocktails from the mimosa bar while visiting the food trucks.

All three weekend events take place on the grounds of Bellamy Mansion. Click for more. 

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