By Adrian Thomas
The country’s biggest wine celebration is back for the fourth time, with festivities spanning the month of May throughout Australia’s wine regions.
The event, which is an initiative of Wine Australia, aims to “encourage drinkers to discover the diversity, quality and regionality of our local wines and share their discoveries by including #AussieWineMonth in their social media posts”.
Aussie Wine Month is celebrated in over 65 wine regions throughout Australia with wineries and vineyards backing the event by offering tastings, dinners, winery tours and pop up cellars, while pubs, bars and restaurants will offer an Australian wine-by-the-glass list throughout all of May.
Chester Osborn of D’Arenberg Wines, McLaren Vale and Joel Pizzini of Pizzini Wines, King Valley are just some of the Australian wine makers who will be ambassadors for Aussie Wine Month.
The major cities are celebrating Aussie Wine Month with events such as a free pop up cellar at Sydney’s Square Forecourt on the evenings of May 6 and 7, bringing the vineyard to the city. Melbourne’s Zinc at Federation Square on May 17 is holding 21st Century Vino an all-day event for winemakers, sommeliers, journalists and wine drinkers to relax and explore Australia’s best wines on offer.
Ballandean Winery in Queensland is holding an Opera in the Vineyard on May 2, an event that attracted over 1,800 people last year enjoying a blend of food, wine and music with proceeds going to charity.
A great excuse for a getaway could be to visit the famous Kangaroo Island, where there will be an eight-day festival (1-8 May) to celebrate wine, food and everything else the island has to offer.
Tasmania also has some great offers such as Tastings at the Top, organised by Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, while Peter Bourne (The Wine Man) is hosting a two-day Tasmanian food and wine experience from 15 to 17 May. Weekend packages can be purchased.
Wine Australia is offering a prize of a dozen bottles of wine worth over $400 for the most passionate Aussie wine enthusiasts who best uses the hashtag #AussieWineMonth on social media.
A full list of Aussie Wine Month events can be found on aussiewinemonth.com.