Winter Wine Fest

Overview

One could argue that the Queen's Birthday public holiday falls in June (when Her Majesty's actual birthday is actually in April) to give Aussies the chance to experience the joys of a wintery holiday. It's not entirely true, but we're running with it — and using it as an excuse to plan a cosy getaway with lots of wine. And one spot that delivers this is Winter Wine Fest. The exhibition, held on the Saturday of the June long weekend each year, marks the start of Winter Wine Weekend — a weekend-long fiesta of cellar door tastings and other vineyard events across the Mornington Peninsula.

Hosted in the no-frills locale of a large tin shed at Red Hill in the Mornington's hinterland, the Winter Wine Fest is your, one-stop vino hotspot — a meeting of winemakers and wine lovers alike. This year, there'll be over 150 premium wines from 47 of the region's winemakers to sample, matched by a special menu created by chefs from the Mornington Peninsula's top restaurants. Plus, there'll be live music.

Sip on textural, biodynamic drops from Staindl Wines, savour a classic, cool climate pinot noir or chardonnay from local winery Myrtaceae or head to one of the top winemakers in the region — Montalto — and sample some of its award-winning pinots.

Local winemakers use the event to unveil a bunch of their new release wines, making it an ideal way to work your way through Mornington Peninsula's top drops, chat to some of the winemakers and keep your vino education going.  If you wanted to make a weekend of it, continue the Winter Wine Weekend's celebrations and visit some of the peninsula's top cellar doors. For a full list of wineries and activities, visit here.

Winter Wine Fest will run from 11am–4pm on Saturday, June 8. Pre-booked tickets cost $75 ($80 on the door), which includes all tastings, a Riedel wine glass, a tasting book (which features all wines on exhibition) and two entree size dishes. To book tickets, head this way.

Image: Montalto, courtesy of Visit Victoria.