The Wilmington Wine & Food Festival will take place this weekend, showcasing a global collection of wines and regional culinary delights.
 
Here’s a rundown of the festival events:
 
Festivities kick off Thursday evening with A Toast of the Town – New Southern Eats. This event begins with a complimentary cocktail at 5:15 p.m. at Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Guests will then head down the street to Rumcow, WTF’s sister restaurant, for chef Joseph Sena's five-course paired tasting menu featuring wines from Tryon Distributing. Tickets are $65 per person.
 
Friday’s lunch event hosted by Wilmington Water Tours is sold out, but tickets are still available for the Friday evening's Southern Smoke BBQ Cocktail Party, held on the grounds of Bellamy Mansion and featuring Matthew Register of Southern Smoke. Register, who recently released his first cookbook, will be serving up his acclaimed traditional Southern barbecue while local mixologists serve signature drinks featuring several North Carolina craft spirit distilleries. Guests will vote for their favorite cocktails and enjoy live music provided by David Dixon. General admission tickets are $70 per person and include BBQ and sides along with samples of each of the mix-off cocktails. VIP tickets, available for $85, include early admission at 6 p.m. and a signed copy of Register's Southern Smoke cookbook. 
 
The festival’s feature event, The Corks and Forks Grand Tasting, takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Bellamy Mansion and will showcase the talents of locally owned restaurants. More than 150 wines from around the world will be served by winemakers, importers, and industry representatives. Guests will be asked to cast their votes for the best dishes and will also have the opportunity to place wine orders at significant discounts. Music will be provided by DJ Professor Dub. General admission tickets are $70; VIP tickets with access to the grounds at 1 p.m. are $90.
 
The final event of the weekend, Bubbles, Brews & Street Eats, will take place at 1 p.m. Sunday, also on the grounds of the Bellamy. The closing event brings together local breweries and food trucks along with champagne and mimosas. Several Wilmington and North Carolina breweries and wineries will be pouring samples, and entertainment will be provided by The Jared Show. The $40 admission includes all wine and beer sampling and a $5 food voucher. Food will be on sale by individual trucks. The event is family-friendly, but children over 5 must have a $5 kids ticket.
 
Links for tickets to all events can be found online.
 
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