SPANISH FORT, Ala. — If an evening sipping wine and sampling some of the finest cuisine the bay area has to offer while watching the sunset on the Mobile-Tensaw Delta sounds like a guilty pleasure, organizers of the third annual Catholic Social Services Wine Festival are willing to look the other way.

“We really just want anybody who’s interested to come by and help us raise these much needed funds,” said Marilyn King, executive director of Catholic Social Services, Archdiocese of Mobile.

The four-hour event begins at 5 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center. General tickets are $45 in advance and can be purchased at Cellar 43 in the Eastern Shore Centre or at the Catholic Social Services office on Dauphin Street in Mobile. Tickets purchased at the door will be $50.

All tickets entitle participants to sample more than 100 wines and the culinary delights of some 20 area restaurants.

For an additional $20, however, patrons can purchase “premium” tickets, granting them access to labels that run at least $50 per bottle.

In addition, a silent auction will feature 25 of the premium wines and artwork for purchase.

The $20,000 goal, King said, will be used for direct aid in the form of emergency assistance, whether it be toward paying rent and utilities or prescriptions, food and clothing.

“We’re seeing such an increase in those needs because we’ve got so many people coming in who have lost their jobs. Things like mortgages and utilities that they never had a problem with before are suddenly big issues when you lose your job abruptly and don’t have that paycheck you had already planned to spend,” she said.

Hank Burch, manager of Five Rivers, said the event attracted a strong crowd in 2008, and he anticipates a similar turnout this year because of the unique atmosphere.

“It really is a relaxing event with people wandering around (the complex), and for some people it’s their first trip out here,” Burch said.

King said she is expecting the event to draw as many as 250 people and that the agency could not ask for a more picturesque setting for their signature event.

“Five Rivers is just absolutely beautiful, and it’s an opportunity for wine lovers to try new varieties, but really it’s all about reaching out to those in need,” she said. “It promises to be a really nice night, and you just can’t beat the location.”

For those who cannot attend the event, King said Catholic Social Services is always accepting monetary donations as well as food and furniture, and pickup can be arranged for larger items.