The Shortest Lunch 2024

Overview

A much-loved winter wine festival is back for 2024, with The Shortest Lunch kicking off on the winter solstice across Saturday, June 22 and Sunday, June 23.

If you haven't heard of this one before, it's basically two jam-packed days of wine tasting, live music, incredible food and beautiful scenery, spread across nine family-owned wineries in the Yarra Valley. We're talking smaller, boutique names like Billanook Estate, Steels Gate Boat O'Craigo and Sutherland Estate.

You can grab tickets for $35 for a single day, or $50 for the weekend, for access to tastings and small plates at any of the wineries on the lineup. Most of the venues are also dog-friendly too, so fur babies are more than welcome.

In terms of food, there's plenty to choose from. With a backdrop of crackling wood fires and rolling Yarra Valley views, you can tuck into freshly baked calzones, ploughman's platters, hot apple pies, hearty pastas, and plenty of kid-friendly dishes. As with the wine, the food is a showcase of the best of the region, and no dish is priced over $25.

To make things a little more fun for the kids (and competitive adults), the Shortest Lunch crew has created three wine-themed quests (with the help of an escape-room architect), so you can hunt for clues at the different wineries and potentially win a special prize. On top of that, Tokar Estate has even got a free petting zoo for the little ones.