Bites & Sips – Festival showcases culinary landscape

Published: Monday, April 14, 2014 at 12:43 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, April 14, 2014 at 12:43 p.m.

Food festivals are nothing new. Historians have found celebrations based around harvest season dating back thousands of years ago. We have more than a few in our own back yard, with tributes to oysters, strawberries, peanuts, yams and more.

But a "culinary arts" festival that's a different beast altogether.

The Wilmington Wine & Food Festival, which returns for its sophomore year May 2-4, joins a much newer tradition of rallying behind the collective creative energies that shape a region's culinary landscape. And, it's doubled in size since its debut last year, moving to the historic Bellamy Mansion Museum to accommodate the growing crowd.

This breed of bash is big business, too. Taste of Cincinnati, founded in 1979, is reported to be the nation's longest running food festival, ballooning from 5,000 to 500,000 attendees. Economic impact numbers from the Charleston Wine + Food Festival held in March were published last week, showing a nearly $10 million boon attributed to the four-day affair.

Chrissy Bonney, president of the non-profit Bacchus's Brood board that stages the Wilmington Wine & Food Festival, has more modest goals as far as numbers go. She said the event would be capped at 400 tickets for the main Saturday and Sunday happenings. Managing festival growth in a way that assures a good time for all is paramount, she said.

"If you grow too quickly, you can't keep ahead of yourself," Bonney said. "We want this to be a permanent fixture in the Wilmington food and wine scene."

The festival was founded with the objective of highlighting the Port City's dining diversity through tastings and wine pairings. About 15 restaurants and 25 wine and beer vendors will be represented, including well-known players like Rx, YoSake and The Basics joined by area newcomers MegaMaki, Canap and others. Lauded vintners Jessica and Ryan Carr of Carr Vineyards in Santa Barbara, Calif., will be among the better-known wine producers offering pours.

The Corks & Forks Grand Tasting on Saturday will be the headlining act, a $45 ticket buying access to bites and sips both inside the mansion and in a tent outside. Sunday's Bubbles, Brews & Street Eats ($10 for five samples) goes more casual, showcasing beers and food trucks in the Bellamy's parking lot.

The weekend launches with the Bourbon & BBQ Derby Cocktail Party sponsored by Trey Herring's Carolina Bourbon. The Kentucky Derby-themed party will feature custom cocktails made with the respected distiller's spirits and a "mix-off" competition between some of the area's top bartenders.

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Bites & Sips - Festival showcases culinary landscape