Tastes of Rutherglen is back for 2023 showcasing the best of the Rutherglen Region.
The Winemakers of Rutherglen’s annual Tastes of Rutherglen festival will return on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March 2023 (Labour Day long weekend) to showcase the region’s award-winning wines, produce and cuisine.
The rustic carpet will be rolled out as 17 Rutherglen wineries open their cellar doors and invite visitors to the tasting table; to sip and savour their way around the entire region all weekend long. With more than 200 wines to taste, curated menus at each winery, 11 masterclasses to attend, plus a series of special events, Tastes of Rutherglen offers visitors the unique chance to speak to the region’s winemakers directly; connecting wine lovers’ curiosity with winemakers’ craft.
Tastes of Rutherglen: The ultimate long weekend escape
- When: Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 March
- Time: 10am – 4pm daily, with additional dinners and evening events
- Tickets: Festival Admission – $40 | Winery Shuffle Bus – $30 per day | Regional bus – $40 per day (includes access to Winery Shuttle Bus)
Keep up with the latest food and booze news across the region here.
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Here are some of the daily highlights on the 2023 program:
Friday 10 March
• Sundowners at Scion – 4pm to 8pm: Kickstart the festival weekend with cocktails and handmade wines among the gums at one of Rutherglen’s most innovative and contemporary wineries. Enjoy Spanish tapas boxes ($40) by Beechworth taste-trekker and chef Sally Lynch.
• Three Chain Road Prohibition Degustation at Buller Wines – from 6pm: Be transported to the roaring 1920s with a gin and botanical-inspired five course degustation at The Pavilion Restaurant that overlooks a 100-year-old vineyard. The degustation features the critically acclaimed Three Chain Road Gin thoughtfully paired with local seasonal produce. Prohibition dress optional. Tickets: $120 per person.
• Harvest Celebration Dinner at Campbells Wines – 6pm to 10pm: Join the Campbell family for an evening of indulgent dining and live music, highlighted by an incredible menu from Grace Bar + Eatery paired with a carefully curated selection of Campbells wines. Tickets: $165 per person.
Saturday 11 March – Day
• Sustainable Winemaking Masterclass at Lake Moodemere Estate – 10:30am & 3pm (also on Sunday): Take a seat at the Vigneron’s table with Lake Moodemere’s father/son team. Sixth generation winemaker Michael Chambers along with Joel Chambers (seventh generation) will share their passion for shaping the future of winemaking in Rutherglen. Taste multiple vintages and explore how their unique terroir, seasonal changes and sustainable management practices take the wines from soil; to vine; to glass. Tickets: $25 per person.
• Into the Darkness Masterclass at Cofield Wines – 11am (also on Sunday): Heighten your senses and experience a wine tasting like never before. Use all your senses (besides sight) in this sensory blindfolded wine tasting. Enjoy multiple wines with matched food. Tickets: $50 per person.
• du Cluse Masterclass at Olive Hills Estate – 2pm, 3pm & 4pm (also on Sunday): Let winemaker Ross Perry guide you through three different vintages of Olive Hill Estate’s renowned du Cluse wine style and compare the difference. As a non-irrigated vineyard, each year produces a unique and interesting wine.
Saturday 11 March – Night
• Sunset Wine Down at Pfeiffer Wines – 5pm to 8pm: Bring a picnic rug and find a spot within Pfeiffer Wines’ picturesque grounds to relax and unwind. Listen to live music while feasting on lamb barbacoa tacos and sipping on wine cocktails or wines by the glass or bottle. Free entry.
• Dinner at Jones Winery & Vineyard – 5:45pm & 8pm: Savour the French flair and fare with dinner at Jones Winery Restaurant. Enjoy chef Briony Bradford’s a la carte menu (from $90 – food only) with a selection of Jones wines. Bookings essential.
• The Riches of Rutherglen Winemakers Dinner at De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate – from 6pm: Allow the masterful chefs at Tuileries Rutherglen and winemakers at De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate take your taste buds on a guided tour of the beloved Rutherglen region. Enjoy their textural whites and world renowned bold reds alongside a decadent four course menu. Tickets: $145 per person.
Sunday 12 March
• Wine & Macaron Masterclass at John Gehrig Wines – all day (also on Saturday): Taste, devour, debate and savour a series of sweet meringue macarons to discover which flavour profiles matches which John Gehrig wine. Tickets: $35 per person.
• The Second Annual Dog Athletics at Stanton & Killeen Wines – 2pm (also on Saturday): Bring your furry friend and test their skills in a series of tasks to suit dogs of all sizes. On Saturday, test your pooch in the highly anticipated ‘Doggy High Jump’ competition. Then come Sunday, pooches will strut their stuff in ‘Poochy Fashion in the Vines.’ There will be prizes for the winners and all money raised will go to Albury Wodonga Animal Rescue.
• Dinner in the Vines at All Saints Estate – 7pm: A spectacular, yearly, must-do event on the Tastes of Rutherglen calendar. Dinner in the Vines sees guests dine under starry festoon-lit tables nestled between the vineyards and the Estate’s iconic castle. The menu will be presented by All Saints’ new destination restaurant KIN with matched wines from winemaker Nick Brown’s personal cellar. Tickets: $160 per person.
Tastes of Rutherglen festival admission tickets are $40 per person, which includes access to all 17 wineries for the two days, a tasting glass to keep and on-site entertainment at each winery. Not a big drinker? Designated drivers receive free entry as well as tea, coffee and soft drink vouchers.
Find out more here.
