There is a wealth of wonderful winery experiences in the Victorian Rutherglen wine region this year at the annual Tastes of Rutherglen event starting on Friday 7 March through to Sunday 9 March 2025.
Cleverly planned, you can select a two-day festival admission ticket for $45 per person for Saturday and Sunday, single day festival admission for $25 each, and a hop-on-hop-off shuttle bus service on Saturday or Sunday for $40 per day, or a night bus shuttle service on any of the Friday, Saturday or Sunday nights for $10 per night.
Friday 7 March
Cofield Wines is putting on Flaming Friday from 6.00pm-10.00pm with a gourmet flame-grilled barbecue and live music for $20 per person.
Lake Moodemere Estate will treat you to its Summer Nights event, where you enjoy a three-course seasonal menu on their deck with live music from Tony Gardner Jazz Band from 7.00pm-10.30pm, $100 per member, $110 per non-member.
Saturday 8 March
For the early birds, Pfeiffer Wines offers a Sunday Creek Vineyard Walk where you'll taste a variety of grapes at harvest time plus a well-earned wake-up coffee from 8.00am-10.00am from $15 per person.
Stanton & Killeen Wines' Portuguese Masterclass will introduce you to its range of Portuguese varieties originally planted by Chris Killeen for his vintage fortified wines from 11.00am-12.00pm for $40 per person. At the same time (11.00am-12.00pm), the winery is holding its Fourth Annual S&K Dog Athletics at 11.00am where you can test their agility with the Doggy High Jump. A free event, all donations will be made to Albury Wodonga Animal Rescue.
Lake Moodemere Estate offers the Grape to Glass hands-on-winemaking amongst the wines where you pick and crush the grapes to make them into a micro batch and taste a glass of wine sourced from the same vines from 11.00am-12.00pm, free for members, $25 for non-members.
Just eight tickets remain at time of writing for All Saints Estate's Taste The Icons exclusive tasting of four premium wines in their private dining room, from 11.00am-12.00pm for $35 per person.
Pfeiffer Wines has the Sunset Wine Down from 5.00pm-8.00pm with food stalls and live music, BYO picnic rug. Free entry.
Morris of Rutherglen has An Evening With the Chief Winemaker and Head Distiller from 6.00pm-9.00pm, a set menu paired with whisky and wine plus cocktail on arrival for $99 per person.
De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate has its Best of the Blends Winemakers Dinner from 6.00pm-10.00pm featuring its acclaimed white and red wine matched with a four-course gourmet meal for $135 for Cellar Club members, $145 for non-members.
Saturday 8 March and Sunday 9 March
At 11.00am and 12.00pm, Jones Winery & Vineyard offers the Winery Tour & Tasting for $25 per person.
Also at 11.00am is Cofield Wines' Into the Darkness experiential blindfolded wine tasting event with matched food for $50 for members, $60 for non-members.
At Olive Hills Estate at 11.00am and 2.00pm is Vintage Behind the Scenes where you hand-plunge the grapes and taste the wine mid-ferment for $30 per person.
At 11.00am is De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate's Best of the Blends Masterclass (Muscat Blending) and three hours later at 2.00pm is its Best of the Blends Masterclass (Red Wine), where you'll learn to craft and take home your own blend to suit you, both masterclasses from $45 per person.
At 12.00pm and 3.00pm, is Warrabilla Wines' Smithys Vintage Tour where you join fifth generation winemaker Andrew Sutherland Smith on a winery walk and talk. Free.
Fourth generation winemaker Alex Buller of Andrew Buller Wines will host its Vintage Insight tasting current wines as well as previous vintages still in the barrel at 2.00pm. $30 per person.
Anderson Winery is holding its Vintage Sample Tasting at 3.00pm where you sample vintage 2024 in the form of grapes, fermenting juice and/or newly fermented wine, for $25 per person, refundable on purchase.
Sunday 9 March
Golfers will love The Great Lake Moodemere Hole in One Challenge at Lake Moodemere Estate where you attempt to land the ball on the floating green from 10.30am-11.30am, $5 for 3 shots.
Learn Stanton & Killeen Wines' Secrets of a Winemaker with a guided tour and tasting plus a special taste of 2024 reserve reds straight from the barrel from 11.00am-12.00pm for $40 per person.
Chambers Rosewood Winery rounds out the day with Live and Free In the Winery Gardens from 5.00pm-8.00pm, serving wine, beer and food with classic hits from the 60s to 80s. Free entry but bookings required.
The final event from 6.00pm-10.00pm is at the stately All Saints Estate's Gather By Kin. An exclusive six-course dinner for just 100 guests is paired by wines from from the Brown sibling owners' personal selection. $280 for Wine Royalty members, $310 per non-member.
Book your tickets here
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