Did someone say ‘virtual Winery Walkabout’?

Posted on 27 April, 2020

That’s right—Winemakers of Rutherglen has announced that in 2020, its iconic Winery Walkabout will transform into a virtual ‘Winery Walkabout the House’.

Rutherglen’s iconic celebration of all things wine, Winery Walkabout, will return on Saturday 6 June with a special social-distancing twist—it will be held completely online.

Normally held over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in the picturesque Victorian wine town of Rutherglen, this year, things will be a little different.

Instead of hosting thousands of wine enthusiasts, Winery Walkabout the House will see Rutherglen wineries come together to virtually showcase the very best of North-East Victoria’s celebrated wines at your place, with online masterclasses, wine discussion and live entertainment.

Winery Walkabout is usually held in a guided wine tour format, with groups of friends hopping designated buses between wineries—usually with plenty of dress ups and wine-themed activities. Luckily, these are two of the things you can count on at Winery Walkabout the House.

So how will it work?

Well, first of all, just like buying a ticket to the festival, you have to be a bit organised.

Instead of purchasing a ticket, participants will purchase a wine pack for $85—a delivery of four bottles of Rutherglen wines to be enjoyed over time with free delivery until 15 May.

Then, on Saturday 6 June from 12 pm to 6 pm, participants will be hosted online by wine enthusiast and TV personality Tim Campbell and invited to take part in a series of activities, challenges and games to win points for their team.

At the end of the day, the team with the most points will be crowned the Winery Walkabout the House 2020 ‘Team of the Year’ and will receive a Rutherglen prize pack.

But that’s not all. This year, entertainment will come in the form of Hot Dub Time Machine, blues musician Ash Grunwald and folk-rock duo the Pierce Brothers, with more performers to be announced soon.

How to organise your Winery Walkabout the House

Pre-event:

• Rally family and friends and organise a Winery Walkabout the House group/team.
• Decide on a team theme and start creating costumes.
• Register the team via the online booking platform and ensure everyone in the group purchases a wine pack (ticket) at www.winemakers.com.au/winery-walkabout.
• Request access to the private Winery Walkabout the House Facebook group.
• Set-up a group Houseparty, Zoom, Google Hangout etc.
• Be ready on Saturday 6 June 2020 at 12 pm.

On Saturday 6 June

• Launch your group Houseparty, Zoom, Google Hangout and kick-off with a virtual cheers.
• Tune into the private Facebook group for the official welcome by host Tim Campbell, and download the festival activity checklist.
• Enjoy your Rutherglen wines and the line-up of live entertainment.
• Get creative and have fun! Complete and submit activities and challenges to win points.
• Find out if your team won Winery Walkabout the House 2020.

And if we can get serious for just a moment…

For the second year in a row, Winemakers of Rutherglen will partner with DrinkWise to remind participants about the importance of enjoying Rutherglen wines in moderation.

Want to know more about DrinkWise’s important work? See drinkwise.org.au.

Photography: Georgie James Photography