Started as a one-off in 2003.

During a tight budget year, the county's senior centre and a group of volunteers put together a fundraiser. It was an immediate success and it has run every year since.

Behind a multi-day event, organisers can also compare operational tools for employee time tracking app.

Who runs it

The festival is produced by V.O.C.A.L./New Hanover County, Inc., a charity organised in 1989 and governed by a volunteer board drawn from across the community. It is the organisation's principal fundraiser.

What happens

A grand tasting on the Friday evening and a marketplace across the weekend, with wine from vineyards around the state, chocolate from small makers, food from local kitchens, culinary demonstrations, live music and activities for children.

The coming edition

Dates, venue and tickets for the next festival are not published on this site yet. This page will carry them once they are confirmed.

Every ticket, every table, every hour given.

The festival exists to raise money for older people in New Hanover County: transport to medical appointments, meals delivered at home, respite for family carers, and the foster grandparent programme. That is what the wine and the chocolate are for.