Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout, Australia’s longest-running wine festival, is set to make a grand return on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 June 2023, coinciding with the King’s Birthday long weekend. Celebrating its 50th birthday, this iconic festival, previously known as Winery Walkabout, promises a reimagined format that showcases the creative winemakers, progressive varietals, and picturesque locations of the Rutherglen wine region.
With a more contemporary feel, the new iteration of Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout aims to provide festivalgoers with a chance to truly discover and connect with the region. Annalee Nolan, the Winemakers of Rutherglen Executive Officer, expressed excitement about the evolving festival, stating, “I like to think it’s 50 years young! In that vein, we wanted to inject a more contemporary feel. Today’s wine explorers appreciate getting under the skin of a winery and its wines, so to speak. We wanted to slow the festival down and make sure that attendees have a chance to get to know us all and really discover what speaks to them. Stay longer, spend longer at each winery, roam our wonderful region.”
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The program for Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout will feature premium tastings, live entertainment, and unique sensory cellar door experiences from 15 of the region’s wineries. Festivalgoers can expect to sip on Muscat cocktails, dance to live music, and connect with wine lovers and winemakers through new varietals and unexpected winemaking techniques. Rutherglen, known for its reds and Muscats, is now emerging as Victoria’s most progressive artisans, offering new style Muscats, gins, Fianos, Malbecs, aperitifs, Ilberian wines, and more. The festival provides the perfect opportunity to meet these pioneering winemakers and experience the blend of tradition and creativity that defines Rutherglen’s wine scene.
This year, Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout introduces some exciting changes to enhance the festival experience. Previously offering access to only one day of festivities, the Festival Lovers ticket now includes two days of Festival entry for only $65 (early bird pricing). This exceptional value ticket also includes a wine glass, 15 free tastings per day, a food voucher to be spent at any of the participating wineries, and non-alcoholic offerings. For those looking for a more premium experience, a Wine Lovers ticket has also been added to the program, offering unlimited tastings and even more food and drink value. These are just two of the various ticket options available, with the full suite of options available at explorerutherglen.com.au.
Another notable change in the festival format is the introduction of one continuous hop-on, hop-off bus loop that covers all participating wineries, replacing the multiple smaller loops in the past. With over 20 buses operating and driving in both directions, this reinvigorated format allows festivalgoers to taste the region at their own pace and in their own way. Jump on any Festival Shuttle Bus, and it will take you where you need to go. Regional bus services will also be available from Corowa, Howlong, Yarrawonga, Wangaratta, Chiltern, Beechworth, Albury, and Wodonga for those traveling from elsewhere in the region. All regional bus tickets are inclusive of the Festival Shuttle Bus, providing even more value to festival attendees.
Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout also encourages responsible self-driving, and designated drivers can enjoy free festival access. The Designated Drivers ticket provides non-alcoholic options across all participating wineries, including mocktails, cordial bars, and non-alcoholic options.
For tickets, and more information, head to the Explore Rutherglen website.
