Bringing an appreciation for the finer things in life to the region, the Geelong Heritage Wine Walk is your chance to get classy and taste some of the best produce in the area. Held on February 13 in the Geelong CBD, the event benefits the APCO Foundation.
“We’ve got a different food culture now,” Steve Paul, director of Oakdene Wineries says. “People want to know where things are grown, people want to eat seasonally, and I think it then comes down to them wanting more local produce for people – produce that reflects their meal. So wine sort of fits the bill.”
The beauty of the Wine Walk is that it’s all about leisure. Once you’ve paid for your ticket you’re given a wristband, a city map and a glass. You choose which of the seven venues in the Geelong CBD to start with before venturing to the next, allowing you to enjoy the experience at your own pace.
Oakdene Wineries is one of many local wineries participating in the day, pouring samples of some of their finest wines at Denny’s Kitchen on Brougham Street.
“We make sparkling wine, white wine and red wine so I’ve chosen one from each category,” shares Steve. “The sparkling wine is a Chardonnay-Pinot, so the wine is the best known in the region. It’s made in the traditional method, so sort of channelling Champagne.”
If bubbles don’t take your fancy, then Oakdene also have a red and white for you to try. “The second one is a brand new release of a Complex Bouquet, with notes of oatmeal, stonefruit, apple and spicy oak, a bit of chardonnay. Again probably the second most sought in the region…and that’s the 2013 edition grown at our place in Wallington. And then thirdly we have an early drinking style of Shiraz from the 2014 edition.”
Providing canapés chosen to compliment the wine, the event gives you the opportunity to truly appreciate the depth of the flavours home grown in the Geelong area.
“Having finger picked wine gives you that point of difference,” explains Steve. “So we just sort of say: ‘This is from our dirt, we nurture the vineyard. We grow what we think is best wine possible from that particular year, and the wine reflects the variety, the site and the vintage’.”
Saying that our regions appreciation of wine stems from immigration in the ’70s and ’80s, Steve is passionate about tasting, drinking and making wine because it reminds him of family values.
“The best time in my week is sitting down at the table with family and having something to eat and drink. And that’s what we work hard for,” says the affable wine maker. “I love inventing new styles from new regions, so I’m always trying to drink and taste as far and as wide as I can to improve what we do at Oakdene.”
The Geelong Heritage Wine Walk is more than just a wine tasting; it is a fabulous way to enjoy the city while spending time with your friends, and all for a good cause. What’s not to love?
Written by Jessica Morris
What: Geelong Heritage Wine Walk, February 13, 11am-5pm
Where: Baveras, Cunningham Pier, Costa Hall Deakin, Gordon Gallery, Denny’s, Geelong Club, and Customs House
Tickets: www.trybooking.com/JQFS
