After the year that was, the coming June long weekend – for those who get the public holiday – offers a brilliant opportunity to get out and about, sample top wine, food and a range of other drinks, and meet the producers behind them.
While wineries around the country are rebuilding their own events calendars with dinners, masterclasses and more, the following festivals offer a chance to discover multiple producers all in the one place.
Set aside Friday, June 11 to Monday, June 14, and get excited about a long weekend of indulgence at the following events.
1. Noosa Eat & Drink Festival, Noosa, Queensland
A great excuse to spend time in a spectacular destination, the Noosa Eat & Drink Festival is also an excellent opportunity to enjoy some of the state’s best food and drinks. Covid restrictions mean this year’s event will happen without its usual festival village hub, but enticing individual events are being staged across town and in the hinterland. Expect live cooking destinations, a Burgundy lunch, a beachside brunch, and much more.
2. Sip & Sounds, Adelaide, South Australia
Discover a selection of South Australia’s best wine, beer, cider and gin all under the one roof at Sip & Sounds, held at Adelaide’s National Wine Centre on the Sunday. Served up alongside a range of great food that celebrates produce from across the state, live music acts will also provide entertainment on the day. With spaces set out for a gin lounge and gallery room, the big day offers an array of options.
3. Glenworth Grazing Food & Wine Festival, Glenworth Valley, New South Wales
As part of the wider Harvest Central Coast food and wine festival, Glenworth Valley is hosting a range of stalls where boutique food, wine, beer and spirits producers will be serving their goods over the Saturday and Sunday on the long weekend. Just 20 minutes from Gosford, and about an hour's drive from Sydney, this event brings live music and stacks of kids’ entertainment, including petting farms and pony rides, with onsite camping and glamping also available.
4. Rutherglen Walkabout Weekend, Rutherglen, Victoria
This long-running festival has been drawing wine- and food-lovers to northeast Victoria’s Rutherglen since 1974. Visitors can make their own way between participating wineries, or hop on and off the official shuttle bus that moves between locations. Running over the long weekend’s Saturday and Sunday, this is a great way to get to know the diverse producers across this historic region and indulge along the way.
5. Creative Juices: Arts, Food & Wine Festival, Canberra
Contentious Character in the Canberra District is hosting this inaugural festival over the long weekend, with a range of cultural, dance and music acts. The winery will also host a number of other local producers at its estate, as seen with the Monday long lunch, Sparkling Perfect. Here, Lark Hill Winery, Enotria Wines and Affleck Wines will join Contentious Character in a showcase of food and sparkling wines.
Stay on top of events with the Halliday calendar.
Top image: a scene from Noosa Eat and Drink.
