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Need a good excuse for a foodie road trip? In partnership with Visit Victoria, the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival has launched a 10-day regional program jam-packed with eating and drinking experiences all over Victoria from November 10 to November 19, 2023. Start your engines – it’s going to be a rocking start to the summer.
If a fresh ocean breeze is calling your name, the Gippsland Seaside Weekender will keep you entertained with the ever-popular Village Feast, which rolls into the picturesque town of Inverloch on November 18 with Adam Liaw at the helm. He’s joined forces with Thi Le (Anchovy, Jeow, Ca Com), while plenty of other big hospo teams will be there on the day to partake in the flavour-filled fun. Clink glasses, enjoy the live music – that is, ARIA winner Alex Lloyd of ‘Amazing’ fame, plus several other local musicians – and break bread with old and new friends from lunch until sunset. There’ll be free drink tastings, a kids’ zone, and of course, an abundance of food. Tickets to The Village Feast are $35 for adults, with free entry for children aged 12 and under.
Perhaps the biggest signature event on the program is the World’s Longest Lunch, which will be hosted in two locations this year. More than 150 people will dine together in the Yarra Valley at Hubert Estate and in Ballarat at The Goods Shed.
“Victoria’s produce and culinary talent is world class – and what better way to celebrate this essential part of our culture than heading out to our regions to sample it,” says Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos. “We’re proud to support the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival’s Regional Edition because it showcases Victoria’s strengths, brings more people to the regions, and supports local jobs.”
A smorgasbord of once-off events will also be on the program to entice those passing through, including a gold rush-themed feast at the Sovereign Hill’s historic Quartz Mine, an epic wine party showcasing local producers and a riotous afternoon of cherry picking, beer and pizza. Seven festival bars will keep the drinks flowing, plus there’ll be free tastings at the Wine Gippsland Cellar, chats in the Wine Shack, and bands, DJs and sea-shanty singalongs. Want to bring all the deliciousness home with you? The Village Market is your one-stop shop for local produce, plants, gifts and artisanal wares.
Tickets for the 2023 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Regional Edition are available now at the website. Move quickly – tickets to popular events are selling fast! Go here for more details.