There are no registration fees associated with Forks & Corks. We do require all product for the Grand Tasting and the Trade Tasting to be supplied (at no cost to the Sarasota-Manatee Originals.) In addition, if your winery participates in Forks & Corks University, that product is also donated. Should your winery participate in Winemaker Events/Dinners and Retail Tastings, your local distributor representative will work with the host restaurant/retailer to supply appropriate product. All travel and lodging is the financial responsibility of the participating winery.

Registration is an easy online form, that you can find below. All completed forms are reviewed by our Event Co-Chairs. Once your registration has been approved, you will receive a welcome e-mail with more information on how to register the wines you will show, how to sign up for wine judging, the discounted hotel rates we have available, the various events you may be interested in participating in and all other details needed to prepare for Forks & Corks.

Registration Form > https://forms.gle/LSpwnUWjBCaADn829

Yes! We'd love to have you join us for the 2023 event. Please note that registration priority is given to Winemakers and Winery Principals, but we will accept importers and supplies as well. We encourage you to register quickly as non-winery placement is limited!

Registration > https://forms.gle/LSpwnUWjBCaADn829

For The Grand Tasting on Sunday, April 23, there is a strict policy that ONLY 2 BADGE CREDENTIALS will be provided for each winery station (due to tight capacity limits in The Ringling Museum of Art Courtyard.) You may only bring 2 individuals per station. We will also provide Distributors with badge credentials so that they may provide you with support on event day separately.

Tickets may be purchased if you wish to bring additional representatives or guests. Please inquire about purchasing tickets by January 16, 2023. Please note, this event sells out within minutes after the sale launches. If you do not let us know that you would like tickets before this time, we cannot guarantee tickets will be available for you to purchase.

There is no restriction on number of guests for the Trade Tasting event on Monday, April 24, the Retail Tasting Events and other Winemaker Events on Thursday April 20, Friday April 21 & Saturday April 22. Tickets for the University Master Classes can be determined based on participation.  

The Grand Tasting & The Trade Tasting are required events. When registering to participate in Forks & Corks, these events are mandatory for participation.

Once all of the wineries have registered, we work on programming with our wine committee (made up of representatives from each distributor).

When planning the University Master Class sessions, we look for trends in wineries registered (ex. If we have 6 Italian Winemakers attending the festival, it is likely that we would opt to have an Italian themed Forks & Corks University Master Class session).

When planning Winemaker Dinners, we often pair Winemakers to co-host dinners at the best local restaurants. Please note, only wineries providing a Winemaker or Principal will be eligible to participate in winemaker events/dinners and as panelists for sessions at Forks & Corks University. We do our best to accommodate all requests. However, we do not guarantee placement. When you register to participate you will be asked to indicate the events that you would like to participate.

Yes! Your wine will be available for guests to purchase at ALL of the Forks & Corks events. The Festival weekend produces over $150,000 in retail wine sales annually! 

We are one of the few festivals in the Southeast that has a retail focus throughout the weekend of Forks & Corks events, showcasing your products to consumers, retailers, restaurants and hoteliers.

We started the Wine Judging Event in 2013 in order to boost retail sales and increase wine knowledge of event attendees. We found that the judging increased retail sales by 50% at The Grand Tasting.

Only wines showcased at The Grand Tasting and Trade Tasting are eligible to be entered into the blind judging. Each winemaker can enter up to 6 different wines. We do ask that you provide 2 bottles of each wine entered into the judging. Samples can be shipped directly to the Sarasota-Manatee Originals office or delivered to our office by your Florida distributor. 

Once we have received all the submissions, we then group the wines in like categories and arrange the flight order for the Judges to blind taste. 20 Wine Judges - chosen for their extensive experience with and knowledge of wine -  are put into 5 groups. Each Wine Judge group tastes an average of 60 wines over the all-day event. Scores are tabulated using a 20-point scale. When judging ends, we designate the 10 highest-scoring reds and 10 highest-scoring whites. Based on numerical scores, wines are awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze awards. Medalists and Best in Show winning wines are announced prior to the event and designated in our event program wine guide. 

For 2024, the Forks & Corks Wine Judging will take place in November.  

Each participating winery is asked to donate an auction item valued at $250 or more. Popular auction items are large format bottles or a collection of wine from participating wineries. 

Additionally, please consider unique and experiential Auction Packages featuring one-of-a-kind opportunities, domestic or international travel, lodging and entertainment, special dining and party experiences and more!

Auction donations must be received (either shipped directly or hand delivered by your distributor) to the Originals office by December 1, 2024. 

Your Florida distributor will work to advise you on this.

Best in Show, Medal winners, and aggressively-priced wine do tend to sell out. To adequately stock the Grand Tasting Wine Retail Tent, we suggest 3 cases of each wine from your distributor. Included with each purchased VIP Grand Tasting ticket is a $150 wine voucher for the guest to use in the Retail Tent during the Grand Tasting.

Note,: When deciding what wines to enter into the judging, please keep in mind that you will want the wine to be available for purchase in the state of Florida at the time of the event.

Please contact Marne Gaston at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Our office number is (941) 365-2800.