Fifty years of swirling, sipping, and savouring! Adding a playful touch to the festivities at the Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout's milestone 50th anniversary was the Toy Story crew pictured at Pfeiffer Wines. Photo by Ann Killen. See story on page 6.
Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout celebrated its golden jubilee over the weekend, with wine enthusiasts and eager revellers flocking to be part of Australia’s longest-running wine festival.
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The event attracted an impressive crowd of over 9,000 attendees who gathered to celebrate the region's finest wines in a weekend filled with tastings, entertainment, and immersive experiences.
The tradition of donning fabulous costumes was not lost as wine enthusiasts from far and wide showcased their creativity and paid homage to their favourite pop culture icons.
A total of 15 wineries participated in this year's edition, each offering a diverse range of options for visitors to explore and discover their new favourite drop.
The fresh new format by Winemakers of Rutherglen, including the new shuttle system and different levels of ticketing, was praised by many of the wineries proving to be a success and creating an atmosphere of exploration and connection.
Unleashing the magic of Rutherglen. Photo by Ann Killeen.
The party was pumping at Cofield Wines with events coordinator Taylor Sturzaker stoked with the atmosphere.
“Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout at Cofield Wines was a delight,” she said.
“Great weather, great tunes, and an awesome crowd! A massive thank you to all involved especially our amazing Cofield team.”
Chambers Rosewood’s Venetta Pinn said the team also had a “fantastic” weekend.
“We had no hassles at all. We had the most beautiful bunches of people come through and it was just a really happy weekend,” she said.
“Last year was a bit slower for us around midday on both days, but this year it was busy all day.
It was party central at Cofield Wines over the weekend.
“We were one of the five hubs where regional busses would come, people would collect their glasses, stay here for the first hour, have breakfast, do their first tasting, and then jump on shuttles.
“It took away that great big hour of lining up of thousands of people. It worked really well.
“It was just lovely to have people and groups coming through all day. We really enjoyed it.”
Participating in their second ever Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout, Olive Hills Estate owner Kay Perry described the weekend as “fabulous”
Visitors to Chambers Rosewood were treated to a full day of fun including breakfast, tastings and live music.
“It was a very busy weekend. Our numbers were up probably around 50 per cent from last year,” Ms Perry said.
“I would attribute that to being our second year participating in the event, so we’re becoming a bit more well known.
“Sunday was busier than Saturday, which is a traditional pattern. We had a great crowd and no problems whatsoever.
“We had musicians both days and a lot of our visitors stayed for a longer period of time.
“The new system of the continual bus route was a real added bonus, particularly being on the eastern side of Rutherglen.”
Wine lovers embrace the whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland on the iconic Sunday Creek Bridge. Photo by Ann Killeen.
Ms Perry said sales at the family bakehouse “Valentines” on Main Street Rutherglen were also up from last year with the return of the beloved Rutherglen Rotary country fair.
“It was a great weekend all round,” she said. “The sun was shining, and the region looked so beautiful after all the recent rainfall.”
Rutherglen Police also said were happy with crowd behaviour over the weekend.
“There were no arrests for disorderly conduct,” Acting Sergeant Matt Peel told the Free Press.
“The organisation’s new shuttle strategy helped with the orderly dispersal of patrons to each venue.”
