Yarra Valley Food and Wine Festival

Thursday April 26 to Sunday April 29 2012
Victoria’s world class wine regional, The Yarra Valley, has a new signature food and wine event set to showcase the best of the region’s quality local produce and producers – The Yarra Valley Food & Wine Festival – launching in April 2012.

The four day festival – from Thursday April 26 to Sunday April 29 2012 – will continue the grape grazing tradition of opening up the Yarra Valley’s top wineries and restaurants, allowing festival goers to Reap & Relish the culinary delights of the region.

Over 4 days, festival goers will be able to experience ‘behind the bottle’ winery tours, beer brewing master classes, cooking classes and chocolate making – as well as world class degustation dinners, twilight wine tastings and sampling of fresh local produce.

The festival will open on Thursday April 26, 2012 with a Grand Opening Degustation Dinner at Stones of the Yarra Valley where diners can enjoy a five course degustation dinner in the historic Barn Restaurant – a collaboration between the Yarra Valley’s finest chefs, with a menu is inspired by the region’s freshest seasonal produce.

An Avant Garde Producers Dinner will be held on Friday April 27, 2012 with the opportunity to meet with people in the Yarra Valley who buck the norm, join winemakers Luke Lambert from Luke Lambert Wines, Andrew Marks from The Wanderer, Gary Damon Mills from Jamsheed and award winning Sommelier Christian Maier in a shared feast of innovative ideas, fresh flavors and lush textures within the intimate surrounds of the Healesville Country Club.

After a day of festivities, on Saturday evening, retreat to the Autumn Harvest Dinner in the gardens of De Bortoli Estate where guest will mingle over canapés and sparkling with Leanne De Bortoli, chief wine maker Steve Webber and special guest James Halliday, before sitting down to a sensational six course dinner with matched wine.

The festival will end on Sunday April 29, 2012 with a Sunday Garden Party at the Healesville Racecourse. Here you can sip White Rabbit Brewery beers and ales, sample Yarra Valley Diary's farm house cheese, try St Huberts award winning Pinot Noir, marvel at a Bella Vedere croissant baking demonstration and taste Coldstream Hill’s award winning Chardonnay. The Garden Party will feature a host of entertainment with a fantastic market atmosphere.