A feast close to home: Melbourne Food & Wine Festival showcases Geelong producers

THE program for next year’s Melbourne Food & Wine Festival has been released, but Geelong locals will not have to make the trip up the highway to join in.

The 2026 program fuses local and international culinary delights at 200 events in Melbourne and regional Victoria during March.

In the Geelong region, these include:

You Yangs Feast: Spirit, Elixir, Fire on March 21 and March 22 – enjoy native botanical-fuelled spirits and cocktails at Rothwell Distillery in Little River, paired with a contemporary barbecue by chef Bart Beek

Acclaimed pastry chef Darren Purchese will present a live demonstration of desserts, inspired by the gardens of Marthadale on March 29. Each creation will be paired with a tasting of Circulus Wines from Portarlington.

Connect to the Coast on March 28 – storytelling, sustainability and seaside flavours blend together in an evening celebrating the Bellarine’s rich produce and passionate makers at TARRA Queenscliff, a relaxed setting by the bay

Cooking and Eating Goat on March 27 – A paddock-to-plate journey with a special focus on all things goat at Meredith Farm Produce, and

Dessert, Wine and Art Inspired by the Bellarine on March 29 – Learn to make seasonal desserts, taste local wine and observe local art techniques at Marthadale in Queenscliff.

Other major events on the program include the World’s Longest Lunch, which will celebrate Australia’s Greek influence; and the Southern Hemisphere debut of the international cake sensation, Cake Picnic, in Kings Domain on March 21.

“The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival is quintessentially Victorian – a melting pot of culture and culinary delights – while supporting almost 300,000 jobs across the state,” Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, Steve Dimopoulos, said.

“Victorians play a vital role at every stage of producing our world-class food and beverages – so whether you’re dining in Frankston or Kew, you’re enjoying the work of one of the most talented workforces in the world.”

Little River’s Rothwell Distillery will host You Yangs Feast: Spirit, Elixir, Fire as part of the 2026 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Photo: SUPPLIED

The Melbourne Food & Wine Festival has been a mainstay of Melbourne’s major events calendar for more than 30 years.

“We’re thrilled to be supporting this iconic festival on Victoria’s blockbuster major events calendar in 2026,” Visit Victoria chief executive, Brendan McClements, said.

“In addition to the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, 2026 is shaping up to be another bumper year with the Australian Open, Melbourne Fashion Festival, A Beautiful Noise musical, State of Origin and the first-ever NFL Regular Season Game next September.”

For more information, head to melbournefoodandwine.com.au