Australia’s longest-running wine festival will return with a reimagined format on King's Birthday weekend June 10-11, 2023. Celebrating its 50th birthday, the new Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout (previously Winery Walkabout) will showcase the region’s creative winemakers, progressive varietals and picturesque locations.
Iconic for its relaxed, fun-loving spirit, the new festival format allows festivalgoers to linger longer and explore more of the small but famous wine region.
Annalee Nolan, Winemakers of Rutherglen Executive Officer, says of the evolving festival, “I like to think it’s 50 years young! In that vein, we wanted to inject a more contemporary feel. Today’s wine explorers appreciate getting under the skin of a winery and its wines, so to speak. We wanted to slow the festival down and make sure that attendees have a chance to get to know us all and really discover what speaks to them. Stay longer, spend longer at each winery, roam our wonderful region.”
The program will feature premium tastings, live entertainment, and unique sensory cellar door experiences from 15 wineries. There will be something for everyone, from sipping on Muscat cocktails and dancing to live music to connecting wine lovers and winemakers through new varietals and unexpected winemaking techniques.
The pioneering spirit of Rutherglen is experiencing a renaissance. Initially famed for their reds and Muscats, the Winemakers of Rutherglen are now emerging as Victoria's most progressive artisans for their new style Muscats, gins, Fianos, Malbecs, aperitifs and Iberian wines. The new wave of Rutherglen vignerons and the generations before them serve the perfect blend of tradition and creativity.
Previously allowing access to only one day of festivities, the Festival Lovers ticket now includes two days of Festival entry for only $65 (early bird pricing). The price also includes a wine glass, 15 free tastings per day, a food voucher to be spent at any of the participating wineries and a non-alcoholic offering. A premium Wine Lovers ticket has also been added to the program, offering unlimited tastings, and a Rutherglen Winery Digital Passport where festival goers can purchase a bottle of wine from a participating winery to receive an entry into the giveaway draw, valued at up to $2,000 in travel vouchers.
Another new feature is one continuous hop-on, hop-off bus looptaking in all participating wineries rather than multiple smaller loops. With more than 20 buses operating and driving in both directions, this new format allows ‘roamers’ to taste the region the way they like in their own time.
Regional bus services will run from Corowa, Howlong, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, Chiltern, Beechworth, Albury and Wodonga for those travelling from elsewhere in the region. All regional bus tickets include the Festival Shuttle Bus.
Festival access is free for designated drivers. The Designated Drivers ticket provides non-alcoholic options across all participating wineries - think mocktails, cordial bars, non-alcoholic punch, tea, coffee and soft drinks. And Festival Currency entry wristbands are another innovation. You can pre-purchase and preload your Festival Currency onto your wristband, so your wallet is on your wrist.
Explore ticket options here explorerutherglen.com.au
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