AUSTRALIA'S longest running wine festival will return with a new name and format on the King's Birthday long weekend.
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Celebrating its 50th birthday over the weekend of June 10 and 11, Roam Rutherglen Winery Walkabout (previously Winery Walkabout) will showcase the region's creative winemakers, progressive varietals and picturesque locations.
Iconic for its relaxed, fun-loving spirit, the new iteration of the festival retains its exuberance while undergoing some changes to allow festival-goers to linger longer and explore more of the wine region.
Winemakers of Rutherglen executive officer Annalee Nolan said organisers wanted to freshen up the festival format.
"Today's wine explorers appreciate getting under the skin of a winery and its wines, so to speak," she said.
"We wanted to slow the festival down and make sure that attendees have a chance to get to know us all and really discover what speaks to them."
Ms Nolan said they also wanted to set up the festival for another 50 years.
"Part of that is making it fresh, vibrant and inclusive to everyone in the community," Ms Nolan said.
"We feel that the new name which emphasises 'roaming' our great region, as opposed to 'walkabout', which is such a recognisable concept in Australian Indigenous cultures, is more appropriate."
The program will feature tastings, live entertainment and sensory cellar door experiences from 15 of the participating wineries.
There will be something for everyone, from sipping on Muscat cocktails and dancing to live music, to connecting wine lovers and winemakers through new varietals and unexpected winemaking techniques.
Originally famed for reds and Muscats, the Winemakers of Rutherglen are emerging as progressive artisans for their new-style Muscats, gins, Fianos, Malbecs, aperitifs and Ilberian wines.
Previously giving access to one day, the Festival Lovers ticket now includes two days of festival entry for $65 (early bird pricing). A premium Wine Lovers ticket has also been added to the program.
Another new feature is one continuous hop-on, hop-off bus loop taking in all participating wineries rather than multiple smaller loops.
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