10 reasons to go Walkabout

Posted on 17 March, 2016

Looking for the perfect weekend road trip? This year’s Rutherglen Winery Walkabout Festival could be your best bet.

Held on the Queen’s birthday weekend (11 and 12 June) in the picturesque Victorian town of Rutherglen – about a four-hour drive from Canberra – the festival has grown to be one of the ultimate wine events on the Australian calendar. With a jam-packed event guide including grape stomping, the Flying Fruit Fly circus, the Rutherglen Rotary country fair as well as live music, entertainment and tours at over 17 wineries, there’s something for everyone, even if you don’t love a good drop. To get you started, we pick ten highlights…

1. Breakfast with a side of sparkling

It’s going to be a huge weekend of wine, music and entertainment, so a hearty breakfast will be in order. Cofield Wines, Jones Winery and Vineyard and John Gehrig Wines will all be putting on great gourmet breaky options throughout the weekend, matched to a selection of sparkling and table wines.

2. Get stomping

Get down and dirty with the festival’s famous Grape Stomp event. Grab a partner and try to squash the most grapes with your bare feet – the team with the most juice down the hole wins. If you don’t feel up to entering, this event is great fun to watch – even local politicians will get involved!

3. Be snap happy

Get your photo printed on a label for your own personalised bottle of wine at Pfeiffer Wines to take home as a souvenir of the weekend.

4. Discover your flexible side

Check out the Flying Fruit Fly circus at Jones Winery & Vineyard – there’s nothing like some backflips and crazy tricks to inspire us all to get a bit more flexible!

5. Visit a piece of history

Visit the stunning All Saints Estate castle and learn about Rutherglen’s famous fortified wines at their Fortified Masterclass.

6. Get swinging

Consider yourself a bit of a golf pro? Try your hand at Stanton & Killeen wines at their hole-in-one competition where you could win some great prizes.

7. Try one-on-one tastings

If you’re keen to escape the crowds and get one-on-one with some Rutherglen winemakers, Anderson Winery and Scion Winery keep things low-key during Walkabout so they can give you a great experience tasting and learning about their wines. Try the Anderson’s famous sparkling red wines, or visit Scion for some crisp and modern white drops.

8. Grab a sneak preview

Want to be the first to try some of the newest wines in Rutherglen? Head to Rutherglen Estates where they’ll be debuting their 2014 Limited Release Shiraz and 2014 Limited Release Durif.

9. Find foodie heaven

Pop over to the beautiful Lake Moodemere Estate to indulge in their estate-raised lamb paninis or some homemade Durif chocolate cake, all while overlooking the stunning Lake Moodemere from their century old gardens, or grab a meal at Tuileries (pictured below).

10. Indulge in some retail therapy

Take a break and dive into the crowds at the Rutherglen Rotary Country Fair. With over 300 market stalls, thousands of people and the entire main street closed to traffic, you won’t have seen a country market quite like this anywhere else in Australia. Bring cash – it will be hard to resist the hot donuts, fairy floss and crafty goods!

Travel safe

The Winery Walkabout Shuttle Bus gives you unlimited hop on/hop off access to the buses servicing participating wineries. You can jump on any bus and visit your favourite wineries without needing to worry about a designated driver! For more information on bus services, click here or you can register a bus here.

the essentials

What: The Annual Rutherglen Winery Walkabout
Where: Various wineries around Rutherglen, Victoria
When: 11 – 12 June 2016
How much: Early bird general admission starts from $25 and runs until March 30. People are encouraged to book early!
Web: View the full event guide at winerywalkabout.com.au

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