Five incredible wine festivals to attend this winter

Call all your wine-loving friends and get your winter beanies ready, because these five wine festivals are not to be missed. Taking place as early as this coming long weekend, and taking you through to August, these festivals will ensure your winter weekends are filled with fun, flavour and fabulous wines.

For those in Victoria, check out the Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout or the Mornington Peninsula Winter Wine Weekend this King's birthday long weekend. If you're based in or around Canberra from June 12 to 15, you have a rare opportunity to taste rare and high-value wines at the National Wine Festival in Canberra. Or, if you're in Rutherglen in August, make sure you check out the Dark Side of Wine festival for secret cinemas, muscat murder mysteries and more.

Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout: June 7–8, 2025

Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout, which has been running for over 50 years, returns this King’s Birthday long weekend – and it’s shaping up to be the best one yet. Roam Rutherglen is all about discovering what makes this region so special — and having a blast while you do it.

Across the weekend, ticket holders will enjoy premium tastings at 17 vibrant cellar doors in Rutherglen, live entertainment from acoustic sets to DJs and dance beats, creative wine offerings like muscat cocktails, handcrafted aperitifs and emerging varieties and the chance to meet winemakers shaking things up and pushing boundaries. From chilled lawn hangs to full-throttle dance floors, it’s a choose-your-own-adventure wine festival with a party at every stop.

Highlights from the weekend feature an exciting line-up of Saturday exclusives, including Bubbles & Brunch at Cofield Wines, King's High Tea at De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate, a Wine Cocktail Mixology Class with Pfeiffer Wines and more.

There are a variety of ticket options available, ranging from $40 for a Saturday only pass to $100 for a VIP Wine Lover Pass across both days. Book now at explorerutherglen.com.au and make this long weekend one for the books.

Mornington Peninsula Winter Wine Weekend: June 7–9, 2025

Gather your tribe for a weekend of stunning wines and beautiful food while breathing in the fresh coastal air at the Mornington Peninsula’s Winter Wine Weekend, which will be held this weekend from June 7–9. The three-day festival, which has been a firm favourite on calendars since the '80s, will showcase the Peninsula’s world-class wines, top-notch food and picturesque countryside.

The annual celebration will kick off with The Winter Wine Festival, a showcase exhibition and tasting on Saturday 7th June from 11am–4pm in the Pavilions at Red Hill Showgrounds. Offering attendees a rare opportunity to experience nearly 40 Mornington Peninsula wineries exhibiting 150 premium wines in one event, it highlights the incredible diversity resulting from the climate and terroir unique to the region. Showcased alongside will be a curated food tent with our new food partners.

In addition to the program’s hallmark events, Mornington Peninsula Vignerons will welcome visitors throughout the weekend to warm cellar doors to taste new release wines, visit old favourites and to experience the seasonal offerings of the region.

Tickets to The Winter Wine Festival on Saturday June 9 at the Red Hill Recreation Showground and Reserve are $90 + booking fee and include a complimentary RIEDEL tasting glass and all wine tastings. For the full program and to purchase tickets, visit winterwineweekend.com.au.

National Wine Festival in Canberra: June 12–15, 2025

From 12 to 15 June, the National Wine Festival will uncork a rare opportunity to taste the very best of Australian wine. Marking the 50th birthday of the prestigious National Wine Show of Australia, this brand-new event kicks off with the show’s trophy presentation dinner at Australian Parliament House, open to the public for the first time, followed by three days of masterclasses, tastings and meet-the-maker opportunities all under one roof at Hyatt Hotel Canberra.

Festivalgoers can join curated masterclasses led by the country’s top wine minds. Want to decode a wine label or learn how to spot fruit, oak and spice like a sommelier? Sign up for 'An Introduction to Wine Tasting'. Curious about how climate change and innovation are shaping what we’ll drink next? Don’t miss 'Wines of the Future.' Or go behind the judging curtain with National Wine Show Chair of Judges Matt Harrop in a revealing look at what made this year’s trophy winners stand out from the rest – while tasting the just-announced winners.

With more than 1000 award-winning wines available for tasting, including all the 2025 National Wine Show of Australia trophy winners, the National Wine Festival offers exceptional value.

Numbers are strictly limited so book your tickets now. Explore the full program at nationalwinefestival.com.au.

Dark Side of Wine: August 8–17, 2025

After recent 'Best Wine Themed Event' accolades at the Wine Communicators of Australia Awards, The Winemakers of Rutherglen invite you to experience Rutherglen by night, for the 2nd annual Dark Side of Wine. 

Over 10 immersive days and nights, Rutherglen’s vignerons and winemakers open their cellars, stories, and secrets for an unforgettable celebration of wine, history and sensory exploration. Whether you’re unravelling the Lost Wineries Trail, cracking clues in a Muscat Murder Mystery, dancing beneath the stained glass of historic Rutherglen buildings coming alive with performers or uncovering ancient barrels in candlelit cask rooms, each experience invites you deeper into the lore of this legendary region. Taste house-style Muscats straight from the source, blend your own bold red, and share in family tales passed down through generations.

This year’s program expands the boundaries of storytelling – from secret cinemas and LED-lit workshops to brunches, progressive dinners, trivia nights and a brand-new Rutherglen Fortified Passport.

Tickets to events hosted between August 8–17 are sold separately and range between complimentary to $200. Find out more at explorerutherglen.com.au.