Victorian food and wine festival boosts Grampians' tourism

Grampians Grape Escape saw 8500 visitors gather at the foothills of Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park over the weekend to sample the region’s renowned food and wine, meet the makers behind it and enjoy a well overdue dance to the sounds of live music.

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the festival welcomed visitors of all ages who supported over 100 local businesses, with many exhibitors experiencing record sales.

Marc Sleeman, Grampians Tourism Chief Executive noted “after two years of no Grampians Grape Escape on our regional events calendar, it was fantastic to see the festival return. Everyone was so happy to be out and about again, and exhibitors revelled in the chance to showcase the exceptional food and wine that the Grampians is known for.”

Kicking off the weekend was the first ever Feel-Good Friday where revellers spent the afternoon indulging in dishes from local food trucks, enjoyed a tipple or two from the festival run bar and took a trip back to the 80s as they swayed to a setlist of hits covered by Mixtape, followed by Prince Tribute band Purple Revolution.

Saturday and Sunday were spent sampling local produce and artisanal goods and meeting the makers behind them. Visitors tasted the hand-picked olives and well-balanced olive oils of Mount Zero Olives, sipped on craft beers from Halls Gap based Paper Scissors Rock Brew Co and breathed in the bespoke, natural scents of aromatherapy candles, soap scrubs and body bars thoughtfully created by The Grampians Goods Co.

Television presenter and restauranteur Geoff Jansz demonstrated how to make salami from Grampians raised pork, internationally acclaimed seafood chef Peter Hilcke passed on his pro tips on how to cook local catch straight from the bank and best-selling cookbook author Emmylou McCarthy revealed her sought-after kitchen hacks while whipping up a roulade mess and slow-roasted lamb shoulder.

The highly anticipated Barrique Auction was a standout, eclipsing the 2019 results by $10,000, raising over $27,000 for The Grampians Winemakers and giving wine lovers the chance to take home a rare taste of the Grampians.

With 10 masterclasses over the weekend hosted by experts in their field, festival goers learnt about everything from the terroir in flour, to how to build an insect hotel and the process of making whisky.

The festival also included the music of local and interstate acts including LamBros, legends of rock Ezra Lee and Louis King and folk singer Etta Lane.

Marking its 29th year, Grampians Grape Escape has firmly cemented itself as one of Victoria’s most treasured food and wine festivals with a bright future ahead following the success of this year.

For further information on Grampians Grape Escape, visit www.grampiansgrapeescape.com.au

Images: Grampians Grape Escape 2022 19-Twenty (top) and family entertainment at the event (below).