The wine will be flowing once more in the Yadkin Valley in May.

The ninth annual Yadkin Valley Wine Festival, sponsored by the Yadkin Valley Chamber of Commerce, will be held Saturday, May 15, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at Elkin Municipal Park. This year’s festival promises to be even bigger and better than previous years.

“The Yadkin Valley Wine Festival Committee has been working for months in preparation for our ninth annual event,” said Laurette Leagon, festival chair. “In spite of some difficult weather conditions in the past, and the impact of the economy on tourism, we continue to enjoy growing participation year after year.”

The 2010 Festival expects to feature at least 29 wineries and vineyards pouring the Yadkin Valley’s best. Several are new for 2010 and attendees will have their first opportunity to taste these new vintages.

The festival showcases wines from the Yadkin Valley Appellation — consisting of Surry, Yadkin, Wilkes, as well as portions of Stokes, Forsyth, Davidson and Davie counties. The appellation, which was approved in 2002, allows vineyards in the region to bottle their wines under a label saying they were produced in the Yadkin Valley. Elkin is at the geographic heart of the Yadkin Valley wine-producing region.

Compared with the 2002 inaugural Yadkin Valley Wine Festival attendance of 4,500 people (some 1,200 of whom tasted wine from eight wineries), last year’s festival drew more than twice as many attendees. While most come from surrounding areas, including Charlotte, the Triangle, the Triad, Wilkesboro, Mount Airy, Boone and parts of Virginia, visitors have come from more than 30 other states, and some from as far as China, India and South Africa.

The festival allows people to sample wines made in the Yadkin Valley or produced from grapes grown in the Yadkin Valley, and to enjoy food from local catering establishments, shop among various craft vendors and listen to music throughout the day. Natty Boh Duo will perform from noon until 2 p.m., topped off with music by headliners Mixed Emotions from 3 to 6 p.m.

Anyone tasting or purchasing wine will be required to show identification with proof of age. Also, coolers and pets are prohibited on the festival grounds.

Tickets are $20 at the gate. Each ticket includes a commemorative wine glass with the festival’s logo. Admission is free for those who choose not to consume or purchase wines and for those under 21. The festival will be held rain or shine. Local hotels and bed and breakfasts offer overnight accommodations, though reservations fill up quickly for this increasingly popular annual event. Additional information is available at the festival website, www.yvwf.com.