This October, the Grampians Fine Wine Festival returns with a program that’s as diverse and distinctive as the region itself. Across Great Western, Ararat, Pomonal and beyond, more than a dozen events will celebrate the vineyards, flavours and stories that have made the Grampians/Gariwerd one of Australia’s most exciting wine regions.
Recently named among Australia’s top 10 wine regions by Real Review, the Grampians are renowned for their elegant cool-climate Shiraz, historic cellar doors and family-run estates. The festival offers a rare chance to experience them up close – whether you’re sipping back-vintage bottles, diving into underground dining, or finding yourself in the middle of a wine-themed murder mystery.
Highlights include the Progressive Degustation Lunch (4 Oct), a three-course roving feast across Pomonal Estate, Black & Ginger and Fallen Giants with matched wines and winemaker commentary. On 9 Oct, Melbourne’s own ‘Trivia Queen’ brings her high-energy pop culture quiz night to Pomonal.
On 11 Oct, the program explodes with options: Grampians Estate marks 30 years with a celebratory lunch, Mountainside Wines hosts a vertical Shiraz tasting, and Seppelt Great Western invites guests underground for a sparkling-fuelled street food session in its historic Drives.
Food lovers can book into Pomonal Estate’s five-course Degustation Dinner (16 Oct), while thrill seekers may prefer Murder at The Wine Shed (18 Oct) — equal parts drama, deduction and fine Shiraz. The month wraps with OktoberBESTat Best’s Wines (26 Oct), mixing wine, craft beer, BBQ, pretzels and live music in a day designed for the whole family.
From intimate tastings to festival-style celebrations, the Grampians Fine Wine Festival is your passport to a region where great wine and good times are inseparable. Full program and tickets at grampianswine.com.au.
