A slice of Italy for one night only

Looking for an excuse to visit the delightful Central West NSW town of Orange over summer? 

Mayfield Vineyard will to host an‘Aperitivo Evening’ in the vineyard on Saturday, February 7.

The evening will feature wine, Italian specialties and live music. 

Inspired by Italy’s aperitivo tradition, the event is billed as being all about being with friends, sharing a few bites of Italian delights, and sipping a refreshing cocktail or a glass of wine while enjoying a long summer afternoon.

“We would like to recreate the chill and joyful Italian aperitivo,” says Mayfield brand manager Lisa Ioannitis. 

“It’s about coming out to the vineyard, grabbing a spritz or a glass of wine, listening to some live music, and enjoying good food as the sun goes down.”

The vent will see Mayfield wines paired with Italian cuisine from Pellegrini's restaurant, which has outlets in Orange, and Chatswood in Sydney.

Tickets include a spritz on arrival and a small plate of Italian food. 

Guests will then be able to purchase additional Mayfield wines and plates of Italian nibbles from Pellegrini’s. 

Expect dishes like eggplant caponata on crostini, grissini, flor di latte with cherry tomato and basil skewers, and whipped ricotta with lemon zest and herbs.

Transport is available from the Orange Visitor Centre to Mayfield for an additional charge of $25.

The event will run from 4.30pm to 8pm with tickets $65 per person, tickets available here.

 

Celebrating Tasmania and its seasonal bounty

 

Tasmania is renowned for hosting several outstanding festivals.

Events like Taste of Summer, Festivale and Dark Mofo are all major drawcards.

Less commercial and more connected, ECHO is the East Coast Harvest Odyssey festival, a smaller. more focussed "festival of the senses" that will run from March 13-15 in 2026.

The brainchild of singer and gin-brand owner Ange Boxall, ECHO has grown from small beginnings in 2019 into an event that Boxall describes as being "all about connection".

 


The event launch was held today in Hobart and full details are now available at echofestival.com.au.

ECHO is a festival of storytelling with close connections to First Nations culture, but also indigenous food experiences, hands-on adventures and music.

There is also plenty of wine, with several local producers involved - Spring Vale, Gala Estate, Mayfield Estate and Craigie Knowe among them - as well as Boxall's Spirited Gin brand.

From bush foods and medicine to morning yoga and drinks masterclasses, ECHO showcases live music, art, culture, storytelling and knowledge-sharing. It is a celebration both of harvest and the laid-back East Coast lifestyle.

"Our theme, Layers: Woven in Time, celebrates the people, stories and landscapes that give the East Coast its unique rhythm," says Boxall (below, at the launch).

 

"This year’s early program release features coastal storytelling with surf legend Dustin Hollick, woodworking using rare Hydrowood timbers, a cultural creative space with palawa creative Melissa West, blacksmithing in a historic forge and more.

"The music line-up brings together a powerful mix of emerging voices and established artists from Tasmania and beyond. Across intimate stages and open coastal spaces, musicians will share original sounds rooted in place, story and community. Expect soaring vocals, rhythmic collaborations and atmospheric performances that echo the landscape itself."

The much-loved Native Bounty Feast will also return as the key element of the opening evening.

ECHO, held in Swansea. is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.

See https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/90c6baf5-d569-408a-bc77-91650ed7ff7b