Get ready for 10 days of indulgence

Hawke's Bay Tourism's Jenna Mabey at Craggy Range where it is being decked out for a Launch Party to take place there tonight. Photo / Glenn Taylor

The wait is over for food and wine lovers, who have been counting down the days to F.A.W.C!

Tonight marks the beginning of Hawke's Bay's annual Food and Wine Classic Summer Series which runs for ten days, with plenty to get excited about.

Organisers have been run off their feet with last minute preparations for the official launch party to be held at Craggy Range in Havelock North from 7pm.

Marquees were erected and cooking stations set up in preparation for a fleet of Audi cars to complete the ultimate boot party experience.

"It will be busy but we have done it before and we are working with Craggy who are so good and so organised," Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas said.

Limited tickets were still available to tonight's party, but those interested would only have an opportunity to get their hands on them until 12pm.

MetService is forecasting plenty of sunshine, which will make for a picturesque scene as it sets over Te Mata Peak.

"We have just a few tickets left so people need to get in and buy them, we have a capacity and we want to fill that."

This year the focus falls on wine, following an incredible 2013 vintage with different varieties matched to dishes prepared by a team of Hawke's Bay chefs.

There will be some familiar faces too, as Nici Wickes, Julie Biuso, Martin Bosley and New Zealand Masterchef winners Nadia Lim, Chelsea Winter and Kasey and Karena Bird join in the fun.

"It will be pretty dazzling, people will get a glass of the new Craggy Range Rose 2013 on arrival, they will also be given a menu card for eight chefs from eight kitchens so they can work out the boot party, there will be wine matches for everything."

There were also itineraries to be finalised and goody bags prepared for a host of national and international media jetting into the region.

Of 4500 tickets available to 61 events, 28 experiences have sold out and 10 more showing fewer than 10 spaces available, so you have to get in quick.

Ms Dundas said it was fantastic to see those involved flying the F.A.W.C! flag and promoting individual events with black boards outside their businesses.

"These guys are experts, this is what they do every week, but there is a lot of extra theming many of the restaurants and venues have done."

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.

A huge coup for 2014 was the addition of free Masterchef classes, which will be held at Napier's MTG Century Theatre tomorrow making F.A.W.C! accessible to everyone.

*For more information, visit: www.fawc.co.nz.