Family-owned Yarra Valley wineries to open their sheds

 

Enjoy visiting smaller wineries? 

Make a note of the upcoming Yarra Valley Shedfest 2025. 

The event will be held in the Yarra on the weekend of October 11-12. 

Lovers of cool-climate wines can bring friends, kids and even your fur babies to 13 family-owned Yarra Valley producers. 

Each winery will offer its own twist on food, tastings, music and entertainment. 

The entry ticket is a flat $35, which gives access to tastings at all participating wineries on one and/or two days.

Tickets can be purchased at an earlybird rate until October 1 to save 10%.

A diverse selection of dishes under $25 will be available at each participating winery.

Menu offerings will range from authentic Sicilian barbecue from Melitta Next Door head chef Lorena Corso, Texan-style burgers, pizzas and pasta, Vietnamese bao, and Japanese curries. Kids and those with special dietary requirements won’t miss out either, with most wineries catering for both.

The wine producers involved are: Billanook Estate, Boat O'Craigo, Fin Wines, Helen's Hill, Seville Hill, Six Acres, Soumah, Steels Gate, Sutherland Estate, Tokar Estate, Whispering Hills, Yering Farm and Yileena Park.

 

The event will run from 11am-5pm on each day. 

Discover more at http://shedfest.com.au/

Go small, seriously small, at Shedfest

Shedfest, the spring wine festival in the Yarra Valley, is a celebration with a difference. 

If you enjoy events hosted by artisans and micro-producers then Shedfest might appeal to you. 

Shedfest returns over the weekend of October 12-13 with 14 members of the Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries Association opening their boutique, family-run cellar doors for wine lovers to enjoy wine tastings, matching food bites, lawn games, fire pits, views and live music.

 
Two new participant -  Yileena Park and Helen's Hill Estate - will be involved for the first time, while Six Acres and Seville Estate returning after absences of several years. 

Some wineries will also offer exclusive deals and experiences for guests, including lawn games at Sutherland Estate, a free family petting zoo at Tokar Estate, a classic car display at Steels Gate and kids colouring books at Yileena Park.

There will be a total of over 100 Yarra Valley wines to try, across all styles. 

Each winery will offer entrée-sized bites for under $25 to accompany the wines with menu offerings ranging from Sicilian barbeque, to Texan-style burgers, to pizzas and calzones, to Vietnamese banh mi and modern Thai cuisine. 

Organisers have changed the entry ticket to a flat rate of $35, rather than a day or weekend ticket.

Early bird tickets with 10% off are available to purchase now via shedfest.com.au. 

Yarra Valley boutique wineries turn on the style

The wineries of the Yarra Valley love a festival.

And celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, spring wine festival Shedfest returns next month.

Mark October 14-15 in your diary for a weekend of wine tastings and bites at 11 family-owned, boutique wineries dotted across the valley.

All members of Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries group, the small proucers, including Soumah, Boat O'Craigo and Tokar Estate, will be offering over 100 wines to taste as well as a selection of gourmet items and live music.

Some wineries will also be offering exclusive deals and experiences for guests - including a Spicy Burger Challenge at Tokar Estate, where chilli lovers can win a bottle of wine if they conquer an entire super-fiery burger.

Tickets cost $35 for a single day or $50 for a weekend pass, which includes a souvenir wine glass to keep.

VIP tickets are also available, where patrons will receive a weekend ticket, souvenir glass, meal voucher, glass of wine and bottle of wine for $110.

Tickets are available now and can be purchased here.  

Ciders and beers will also be on offer and kids, non-drinkers and designated drivers will get free entry.

The perfect excuse for a Yarra Valley visit

Been meaning to visit the Yarra Valley but not got around to it? Here's the ideal excuse.

Shedfest, the Yarra's spring wine festival, returns next month after a two-year hiatus.

The event sees14 members of the Yarra Valley Smaller Wineries Association (YVSWA) opening their cellar doors and sheds for a weekend of wine tasting, live music, food and some stunning scenery.

Falling on the weekend after Daylight Savings begins - October 8-9 - Shedfest offers an ideal opportunity to celebrate the turn of the seasons.

A selection of meals - all under $20 - will will be available at each winery, with menu offerings ranging from homemade apple pies and cheese platters to classic Italian fare and slow-cooked brisket.

And if guests would like to enjoy more than a complimentary tasting of a favourite wines, they will be avilable by the glass and bottle, along with some Shedfest Cellar Door specials only available for one weekend.

 

Daily tickets are $35 per person, which gives wine lovers access to tastings at every winery for one day (Saturday or Sunday) plus a complimentary Shedfest tasting glass they get to keep.

Weekend tickets are $50 per person over the two days while children, non-drinkers and designated drivers get free entry. 

The line-up of participating wineries ranges from long-time favourites to relative newcomers including Billanook Estate, Boat O’Craigo, Brumfield Winery, Fin Wines, Kellybrook Winery, Payne’s Rise, Seville Hill, Soumah of Yarra Valley, Steels Gate, Sutherland Estate, Tokar Estate, Warramunda Estate, Whispering Hills and Yering Farm Wines.

Visit www.shedfest.com.au for tickets and more information on the wineries, menus, ticket types and transportation.