Sydney is a great place for wine lovers. With more than 60 designated wine regions found in Australia, the city is full of wine festivals par excellence. Whether you’re an expert or you can’t tell the difference between a shiraz and a cab merlot, wine festivals are a great way to spend an afternoon. Many are grouped by region, while others try to include a more widespread variety of winemakers. Most feature food vendors and offer great ways to discover new vintages. Here are five that you should not miss.
Manly Food, Wine and Sustainability Festival
A winter festival taking place at the end of May, the Manly Food, Wine and Sustainability Festival has been attracting wine lovers for more than 25 years. It includes a variety of winemakers and showcases local restaurants against the gorgeous backdrop of Manly Beach. There is no cost to attend, but in order to participate you will need to purchase a tasting glass and tasting tokens (the cost is $2.50 for a tasting, $5 for a standard glass).
Game of Rhones
Game of Rhones incorporates wine varieties made from grapes from the Rhone Valley in France… with a Game of Thrones twist. The festival attracts more than 40 winemakers, giving you the chance to taste over 100 different wines, predominately red – think Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Marsanne, and Viognier. The cost is about $50 a ticket, which includes entrance and unlimited tastings. The hashtag for the event is #wineiscoming – sound familiar?
Sydney Cellar Door
Presenting winemakers from Hunter Valley, Mudgee, Orange, Gundagai, and a variety of other regions, Sydney Cellar Door is a summer wine festival with some great tasting options. Hosted in Hyde Park, it has an awesome outdoor vibe and is definitely an easy way to spend a few hours! It runs on a token system and there are tons of food stalls to check out. Tokens cost $2.50 for a tasting and $5.00 for a full glass. If you buy bottles from vendors, they will sometimes return tokens you have used for your tasting.
Sydney Italian Wine & Food Festival
Italian food, Italian wine… what isn’t there to love about this festival? Italy has the eating and drinking thing down. Facilitated at Town Hall, the Sydney Italian Wine & Food Festival has everything, from olive oil master classes to more than 300 wines. It’s usually held towards the end of August.
Taste of Coogee
A spring festival, Taste of Coogee blends all things wine and food with the casual beach culture Coogee has to offer. It showcases local vendors and a variety of winemakers from nearby regions. The vibe is beach-y and totally chilled out. It’s free to explore, with the option to purchase a tasting glass and tokens. The cost is $20 for a tasting glass and $10 for 4 tokens. It’s a great way to celebrate the end of winter!
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