Tastes of Rutherglen 2023

Overview

Another long weekend is upon us, and what better excuse to escape the city for a couple of days spent quaffing top-notch Victorian vino as you explore one of the state's top winemaking regions?

That's exactly the situation that awaits you around three hours north, when wine-sipping festival Tastes of Rutherglen returns for its next instalment from Saturday, March 11–Sunday, March 12. Once again, the region's winemaking industry is putting on a show, with 17 of its cellar doors welcoming punters for a big weekend of tastings, masterclasses, chats, feasts and exclusive menus.

Nab a $40 ticket and you'll enjoy two-day access to all participating venues, including De Bortoli, Campbell Wines, Scion, Jones Winery & Vineyard and Lake Moodemere Estate. Each cellar door will have a stack of tastings to put your keepsake glass to good use, plus live entertainment throughout the weekend.

Many of the wineries will be putting on their own special ticketed happenings, too. Think: an evening of bubbly, beers and burgers at Cofield Wines; a vino-matched dessert degustation courtesy of Andrew Buller Wines; and a dinner among the vines helmed by All Saints Estate's new restaurant KIN.

Throw in wine-tasting masterclasses, picnic parties, sundowner sessions and a dog's day out, and you've got one wine-fuelled weekend ahead.

Keen to ditch the car? Tastes of Rutherglen is running a hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus service, with tickets at $30 per person per day.