If there’s one thing better than a wine festival, it’s a festival that fuses the brilliance of different blends with the wildness of the region and the uniqueness of its produce.
Over 10 days this October, you’re invited to celebrate the craft that has shaped the Margaret River region for over half a century and experience the ultimate in gastronomic brilliance.
Margaret River is, of course, a desirable destination in its own right, now offering a collection of unmissable, upmarket moments scattered throughout its world class wineries. Whether your skill level is ‘aficionado’ or ‘occasional drinker’, the event offering of Fine Vines Festival invites you to explore all aspects of the famed region through a blend of tastings and tours, masterclasses and exclusive museum wines.
Uncover which grape variety speaks to you the most; get to know the intricacies of blending Bordeaux-style wine or have an intimate exploration of the world’s original grape chameleon, Chardonnay. Patrons can peruse the full list of events on the festival website.
See below for this week’s decanting of featured events:
A two-wheel wine tour of Dunsborough. Guests can leave their lycra at home on this two and a half hour tour that meanders from one stunning private outdoor location to the next on Dunsborough’s pristine foreshore. They’ll get to meet-and-greet some of the region’s smaller wine producers on a private outdoor wine tasting.
A ‘guess who’ tasting of Margaret River wines. Part technical deep dive, a little bit quiz show, and imbued with a whole lot of Margaret River Region wine story. Meet Cape Mentelle’s team and the people behind their wine, while experiencing a technical tasting (and quiz!) that will expand personal wine knowledge.
Mr Barval winemaker Rob Gherardi has built a cult following producing small batch wines using a range of unusual regional varietals paired with traditional winemaking methods. His bucolic cellar door is the ideal host for a long lunch with wines straight from barrel, paired with the elegant European-style food of Michelle Forbes and Marinela Antonic, the hospitality veterans behind Dunsborough’s lauded Lady Lola.
Tickets are now on sale via the festival website www.finevinesfestival.com.au. Organisers suggest following Fine Vines Festival on Facebook and Instagram for updates and to see what events are taking place.
The Fine Vines Festival is supported by Margaret River Wine Association, Margaret River Busselton Tourism Association, City of Busselton and Shire of Augusta Margaret River.