Grampians Grape Escape
Nestled in the foothills of historic mountain ranges, the Grampians Grape Escape is once again taking over the beloved regional Victorian town of Halls Gap with a weekend-long program of world-class wines, gourmet food and live music.
It kicks off on May 1 with 'feel-good Friday', a night celebrating local indie music talent with a line-up of all-homegrown bands like Malcura and The Settlement. Best of all, tickets are available from $40 a pop for this session.
From Saturday, the weekend program begins with more than 100 exhibitors, including wineries, food trucks, creators and makers. The festival village will flow with a heap of local winemakers from the Grampians and surrounding regions, incredible live Aussie music (think blues, indie folk and alt-rock, plus a bit of dancefloor magic), and cheese, olives and snacks from local producers.
There will also be cooking demonstrations and masterclasses by guest chefs. Excitingly, this year will be headlined by acclaimed Tasmanian chef Analiese Gregory (ex-Quay and Le Meurice), whose focus on produce and elemental technique have given her a highly respected name in the industry.
You can also get keen for the Coal Pit, an immersive coal and fire cooking experience that'll show off the way different chefs cook vegetables, whole cuts and seasonal produce using fire. Keep your eyes peeled for the work of local fire cooking specialist Tom Ballinger, of Coal Catering, plus other epic talent.
Other than food, wine is kind of...