New South Wales may have the Hunter Valley, South Australia the Barossa and McLaren Vale, but no one does wine like the Canberra Wine District. Extending from the Capital itself and reaching Murrumbateman, Yass, Bungendore, Wamboin, Lake George and Collector, the region has produced nationally and internationally recognised and award winning wines throughout the years and is probably one of the many reasons Canberra was voted in the top 3 cities to visit in 2018 by Lonely Planet.
Renowned for producing some of the best Riesling and Shiraz wines, the Canberra Wine District is having its annual harvest festival – a festival aimed at celebrating the new vintage with cool climate wines, merry entertainment and deliciously paired food.
At the launch dinner of Canberra District’s Wine week, Fergus McGhie from Mount Majura vineyard (the only winery located in the ACT border and only 10 minutes from the city centre) said of the festival;
This is a time to really show people what it is all about, getting involved with what we do in the district. The harvest festival is getting people out to wineries which is great; we want people at the cellar doors, but it doesn’t work so well for those wineries in Canberra (and there’s a number of them) who actually don’t have cellar doors, who want to sell their wines in restaurants, who want people to try their wines and see them.
Fergus goes on to explain that the festival aims to deliver events that are interesting and engaging; to highlight the rapidly growing and evolving district;
We’ve got this vibrant industry with Riesling and Shiraz being our key varieties, but Canberra has been moving on. It’s been moving on as quickly as the North side of Lonsdale Street in Braddon has. We have second generation winemakers now applying their trade; we’ve got new varietals showing themselves and finding a home in the base; we’ve still got people experimenting and trying new blends and wine making processes.
The festival spans over 10 days (6-15 April 2018) and provides a variety of events both in the wineries themselves and in partnership with local restaurants.
Kicking off the festival is a tasting event at the courtyard in New Acton where 14 of the 37 wineries will be present, offering over 60 wines for you to explore the liquid geography of the region and the opportunity to meet and talk to grape growers and wine makers. Food will also be available to purchase on the day and you can try your hand at pairing it with the wines on offer.
What you need to know
Canberra Wine Week – Tasting event
Where: New Acton Courtyard
When: Saturday 7th April 2018 between 12Pm and 4PM
Cost: $20 pre-sale or $25 at the door (includes a tasting souvenir wine glass)
Get your tickets through eventbrite here
The full list of events can be found at www.canberrawines.com.au