Shiraz festival toasts successful weekend

THOUSANDS of wine lovers descended on the region’s best wineries over the weekend for this year’s Winter Shiraz Festival.

People came from far and wide to enjoy the best Shiraz from the Moorabool, Bellarine and Surf Coast regions at 19 different events across 14 local venues.

Jack Rabbit’s Local Heroes Degustation Dinner saw more than 500 dishes and 500 wines poured over two nights of five-course dining.

More than 900 people attended Austin Wine’s Burning of the Canes event, which featured live music, fire twirling, a dazzling light show and of course plenty of Shiraz.

For the more sophisticated wine lovers, Leura Park hosted a wine appreciation experience ‘Shiraz versus Syrah’ tasting terroir.

The international masterclass featured some of the Bellarine’s most exclusive labels and three acclaimed international Syrah-producing regions – France, South Africa and Chile.

Guided by winemakers Darren Burke and Nyall Condon, the event was described as an “intimate, immersive voyage exploring the world of powerhouse red wine producing regions.”

Yes Said the Seal, Provenance Wines, Terindah Estate, Scotchmans Hill, Oakdene Wines, Oneday Estate, Moshulu, Del Rios, The Minya, Lethbridge Wines and Spence Wines all also enjoyed welcoming wine lovers to celebrate Geelong’s Shiraz.

Wine Geelong president Sam Vogel said the festival – a popular annual event for the region – was a huge success, and thanked the participating wineries.

“It’s a great chance for locals and visitors alike to get out to the wineries, meet the producers and taste some of Australia’s best cool climate Shiraz,” Mr Vogel said.

“Overall, it was a huge success with thousands of people tasting, eating and celebrating everything our wine industry has to offer.

“All over the region, producers put on some really wonderful experiences.”