Food, wine tempt taste buds all over

Annie Dundas, Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager, says ticket sales for this year's Food and Wine Classic are ahead of last year.

It's not every day you get to sample the best of fine wine and delectable food, but Hawke's Bay makes it easy.

Tickets to the popular Food and Wine Classic (F.A.W.C!) summer series are flying out the door, with sales tracking ahead of the same time last year.

Running from October 31 to November 9, it offers 61 events to tantalise all taste buds.

Of 4500 tickets available, half have already gone, with 21 experiences sold out and 12 showing fewer than 10 spaces available.

Early statistics revealed strong interest from out-of-towners, predominantly in Auckland, Wellington and Manawatu, with a few as far off as the US and Australia.

Rain did not stop people from coming out in their droves for the official opening of F.A.W.C! last year. Photo / File

California-based Mike McClelland, from Best in New Zealand, will be visiting the region for his first F.A.W.C! adventure.

"We are a tour operator in the US and when we read about the Food and Wine Classic in Hawke's Bay, we decided to include [it] in our New Zealand visit to see whether it's something we could package and sell in the future," he said.

"We have booked tickets to the Black Barn Secret Location Lunch, Sacred Hill Chardonnay Indulgence and James Beck in Six Courses and can't wait to get amongst some great New Zealand food and wine."

Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas said it was positive progress and she hoped having international operators on board would continue to boost the numbers coming from overseas.

"Our overall goal for F.A.W.C! is to drive visitors to Hawke's Bay and put our food and wine tourism offering on the world stage."

Masterchef winner Nadia Lim at EIT for a motivational speech at Scholars Restaurant during last year's F.A.W.C!. Photo / File

Organisers will host international media for the duration of the event, which has already featured in national and international publications in the past two years.

"Those visits have generated some great coverage, which has enabled us to reach international markets, so it's rewarding to see international visitors buy tickets to F.A.W.C!"

It was important to get a head start on securing a spot at some of the season's hottest gatherings.

"We know that people have been disappointed to miss out in previous years and are not leaving anything to chance for 2014. There are still some fantastic events on offer but people should get in quick so they don't miss out."