The
Sunbury Wine Region Festival rolls out across the picturesque Sunbury landscape mainly on Saturday the 29th and Sunday the 30th of August (next weekend), and kicks off with an especially delicious launch event on the Tuesday prior.
This cool climate wine-growing region, one of Victoria's oldest wine growing regions and just 30 minutes from Melbourne, has a long history dating back to the 1860s.
While Shiraz was historically the principal grape variety, some fantastic Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Traminer, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon and Italian varietals have since been developed – and here’s your opportunity to sample some of the best.
You might like to whet the appetite in preparation for the weekend (that’s my excuse anyway!) with a sumptuous Winemakers Mediterranean dinner with matched Sunbury wines at
Escagrill, a fabulous seafood and oyster bar in Moonee Ponds on Tuesday the 25th.
Then get ready for a Saturday masterclass filled with plenty of wine wisdom at
Craiglee Vineyard. Learn all about the glorious grape and the various stages it undergoes before splashing into your wine glass. Don’t worry; it caters for all levels of wine knowledge and appreciation. Of course, you can simply go along just for the fun of it, and the odd taste – or three.
Cellar doors across the region spring open on the Sunday – which is pretty apt given it’s the penultimate (second last) day of winter. Participating wineries offer a fun-filled day of live music, great food and, of course, wine. It’s a family-friendly event so bring the littlies along.
Doors open from 11am to 5pm at Wildwood, Craiglee, Longview Creek Vineyard, Bacchus Hill Winery and, one of my personal favourites, the award-winning Rose Creek Estate, which, with its vineyard, olive trees, Mediterranean ambience, and warm, welcoming hospitality offered by Tony, Lina and Angelo, has been described as ‘Tuscany in East Keilor’. Check out a very proud Tony with his olive oil, and a plump hunk of prosciutto,
here.
