It was Central Otago at its finest.

Four thousand people dancing in the sun to music fromNew Zealand band The Black Seeds set against a backdrop of Glendhu Bay, all while showcasing the best wine and produce the region had to offer.

Organisers of Ripe — The Wānaka Food and Wine Festival are hailing its success after the third festival sold out at the weekend.

Queenstown band Mojo perform at Ripe — The Wānaka Wine and Food Festival in Glendhu Bay on Saturday. PHOTO: SHANNON THOMSON

Ripe principal director Nathan White said organisers had made improvements to this year’s festival including a layout change to create more of a "marketplace vibe".

The event had hit its stride, he said.

"This is, as I was hoping, at least 100, 200 times better than previous years — we just keep improving to get it better and better.

"It's never perfect but we're getting very close.

"We finally got to a place where we're at 4000 people — that's our capacity for the next five years."