Wine & Chocolate Festival

Our annual Wine & CHOCOLATE FESTIVAL IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF OUR MOST POPULAR FESTIVALS OF THE YEAR. There aren't too many things that pair together better than Wine and CHOCOLATE, especially during this seasonal time of year. Local Chocolatiers will be on hand with their delicious treats, as well as local Artists and Crafters displaying their work. Enjoy live music by incredible bands on our outdoor stage, and at our Wine & Cheese Bar throughout the entire weekend. Lakeridge wine, beer, soft drinks, and a variety of food will be available for purchase.A portion of the proceeds go to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Florida [https://www.rmhccf.org/]. December 13, 2019 10:00 am - 5:00 pm December 14, 2019 10:00 am - 5:00 pm December 15, 2019 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Adult Admission - $10 per day Children 12 and under - FREE FASTLANE CHECK-IN WITH EVENTBRITE! Purchase your tickets through Eventbrite and you get to skip the cash and credit lines, and check-in through our FastLane Eventbrite Lane! THE CHOCOLATIERS & THE CHOCOLATE WONDERLAND The holiday season is upon us which means it's time for our Wine & Chocolate Festival. Once again we've invited some of the areas top Chocolatiers to participate in the event including our outdoor Chocolate Wonderland! You can start off by taking our free wine tasting tour where you'll get to taste a perfectly paired taste of chocolate with one of our featured Lakeridge wines. After that you can get the full chocolate experience by visiting our new Chocolate Wonderland located outdoors on our festival grounds. We'll be setting up a huge air conditioned (or heated) tent out on our festival grounds we've named "The Chocolate Wonderland" (for obvious reasons) and inside you'll find all of our chocolatiers and their delicious creations. We'll also have a wine bar inside and music so you can immerse yourself in Wine & Chocolate! PETERBROOKE CHOCOLATIER Peterbrooke Chocolates features the finest in European styled handmade chocolates. The second you taste their chocolate you'll fall in love, and you'll be amazed at the huge variety of products they offer.  If you've never had quality handmade chocolates with your favorite Lakeridge wine, then doing so during our free wine tasting with Peterbrooke Chocolate is the perfect way to get started. If you fall in love, and we know you will, be sure to visit our Outdoor Chocolate Wonderland on during the festival and get the full Peterbrooke Experience! Wine & Chocolate, it doesn't get better than this! MAITLAND CHOCOLATE FACTORY What could be better than a chocolate factory? The Maitland Chocolate Factory of course! One look at their hand made chocolate products and you'll see exactly what we mean.  We'll be featuring their perfectly matched chocolates with some of our Lakeridge wines and you'll get a free taste as you go through our free wine tasting. Visit our Outdoor Chocolate Wonderland to see their full display of products and watch them in action. Come check them out and be amazed! SIMPLY SWEETS CHOCOLATES AND PASTRIES Simply Sweets Chocolates and Pastries is a family owned custom chocolate and pastry shop in Clermont, Florida, that caters to making something special for you. As one of the featured local chocolatiers you'll be able to sample their chocolates during the free winery tastings. Shop for their products and see them in action in our Outdoor Chocolate Wonderland. So come out and let them put a smile on your face! MUSIC ON THE OUTDOOR STAGE We feature some of the areas top bands on our outdoor stage in a variety of genres such as pop, rock, blues and jazz. Our outdoor stage is surrounded by large Oak trees with beautiful views of our vineyard and rolling hills. So bring your lawn chairs and blankets and come enjoy the great music. OUTDOOR STAGE ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE Friday - December 13, 2019 10am - 1:30pm - Gypsy Elyse & The Royal Blues 2pm - 5pm - The Smokin Torpedoes Saturday - December 14, 2019 10am - 1:30pm - The Lady & The Boyz 2pm - 5pm - Buddy Blues Band Sunday - December 15, 2019 11am - 1:30pm - The Mike Quick Band 2pm - 5pm - David Julia WINE & CHEESE BAR Our popular Wine & Cheese Bar is located upstairs in the wine shop and will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm during the festival. The Wine & Cheese Bar features all of our famous Lakeridge wines by the glass, a variety of beers, and of course our cheese plates made from high quality Boars Head cheese! WINE & CHEESE BAR ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE Friday - December 13, 2019 Noon - 4:00pm - Joe Hand Saturday - December 14, 2019 Noon - 4:00pm - Bobby Blackmon Sunday - December 15, 2019 Noon - 4:00pm - Ronnie Duncan ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW Come explore a wide variety of fine art and hand-crafted items on display from some of the area’s finest artisans. Our wide-open crafter area allows you to explore the unique items on display while still being able to hear the live entertainment and enjoy the beautiful views of the vineyards and rolling hills. CRAFT VENDOR HOURS Friday - 10:00am to 5:00pm Saturday - 10:00am to 5:00pm Sunday - 11:00am to 5:00pm LARGE FOOD COURT We offer a large variety of wine, beer, soft drinks and food for purchase at the event. Our food pavilion features a huge selection of quality food options such as American, Greek, Mexican, Seafood, BBQ, plus wraps and salads. You can also enjoy hot mulled wine, Twistee Treat ice cream, and kettle corn. COMPLIMENTARY WINERY TOURS & TASTING WINERY TOURS Tours usually run every 15-20 minutes during the FESTIVALS AND START WITH A VIDEO PRESENTATION WHICH SHOWS THE GROWING OF THE FLORIDA GRAPES TO THE WINE MAKING PROCESS, and the finishing with the bottling and labeling. Your personal Tour Guide will then show you the production area and the spectacular view of the vineyards where the grapes are grown and harvested. WINE TASTING Enjoy a sample of up to 6-8 different wines as you walk through our production area and stop at each wine station. You will taste our award winning wines from dry to sweet including reds, whites, sparkling, and dessert style wines. ID REQUIREMENTS FOR TASTINGS US citizens: state issued drivers license, military ID, or state ID card. International guests: Original passport preferred, or valid government issued photo ID with birthdate. Original passport will be required if government ID cannot be validated. TOUR & TASTING HOURS Friday 10:00 am - 05:00 pm Saturday 10:00 am - 05:00 pm Sunday 11:00 am - 05:00 pm (The last winery tours start at 4:00 pm) SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Florida finds, creates, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and families. Our cornerstone program, the Ronald McDonald House®, provides a home away from home for families with children receiving treatment at hospitals and medical facilities in Orlando. Before the Ronald McDonald Houses, parents were sleeping in their cars or in chairs in the waiting room, eating out of vending machines, or bearing the expense of impersonal hotel rooms. There are three Ronald McDonald Houses in Orlando - one on the campus of Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, one on the campus of Florida Hospital for Children and one on the campus of Nemours Children's Hospital. Each year, about 2,000 families stay with us to be close to their critically ill children. For more information on ways to help, please call (407) 206-0957 or visit www.ronaldmcdonaldhouseorlando.org [https://www.rmhccf.org/]. We are happy to support the Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Central Florida and the work they do in our community by donating a portion of the gate proceeds to their great organization.