Wineries, runways and high tea: How to spend a long weekend in Rutherglen

A wine-filled getaway in the Victorian High Country.

Get in the car and drive three hours up from Melbourne (or six hours down from Sydney) until you hit the Murray River. There, you’ll find misty hills dotted with farm houses and vineyards, charming 19th-century storefronts, and Australia’s longest-running wine festival: Roam Rutherglen.

Best known for its sweet muscats and fortified reds, Rutherglen is one of the country’s most historic and internationally revered generational wine regions. “We’ve got fifth, sixth and seventh generation wine makers running family businesses,” says Kirsty Crockett, the events and administration coordinator for Winemakers of Rutherglen.

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Each June, following the busy harvest season, the area welcomes visitors to come eat, drink and celebrate. With live music, shopping, lawn games, special events, tastings and more spread across 17 wineries, the festival functions as a choose-your-own-adventure.

“At every stop, wineries are trying to make wine fun again, and everyone at the end feels like they had a blast in Rutherglen with us,” Kirsty says.

From Friday afternoon right up to the public holiday on Monday, here’s how we would spend a long weekend at Roam Rutherglen.

Stock up on wine

The first thing to do when you get into Rutherglen on Friday is stock up on supplies at the Giant Warehouse Sale, hosted by Pfeiffer Wines.

“It’s their biggest sale of the year. Thousands of bottles are up for grabs, some pulled out of back vintages,” says Kirsty. “Jen Pfeiffer, the winemaker behind Pfeiffer, is usually running around making slick deals with everyone. She can’t help herself.”

Known to sell out, the sale is the perfect place to pick up your favourite wines, rare drops and souvenirs before the weekend really takes off.

Dress to impress

Before you head into the vineyards, you’re going to need something to wear. And at Roam, the more outlandish, the better.

“The DNA of this festival is the costumes,” says Kirsty. As the legend has it, the festival staff started the dress-up trend around 40 years ago, with the fans quickly following suit. Now, the festival offers plenty of places to show off your look, including a fashion in the vines Roam Runway on the Sunday and the Great Royal Regalia held in an old Scottish castle – both with prizes up for grabs.

Start your Saturday with bites and bubbles

Ease into the day in aristocratic fashion at the King’s High Tea. Hosted by De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate, this beloved event invites you to dress to the nines (think princess, knight, or court jester) and snack on mini sandwiches, scones and petit fours, with a glass of sparkling in hand.

The central location also serves as an ideal meeting point. “It’s a good place to get to, have a little brekkie, hop on a bus and hit the rest of the wineries,” says Kirsty.

For those after an even earlier start, try Bubbles and Brunch, featuring a three-course menu from Quartz Café with matching Colfield wines.

Explore local wineries

The festival lights up every winery in town. With spritzes, slushies, cocktails, glühwein and more on offer, each location is a little different from the last. They range from buzzy hotspots to laidback places to sit, sip and relax.

“Morris of Rutherglen is back into the party vibe. They’ve got a giant DJ truck stage, food trucks, muscat espresso martinis being shaken up all weekend, and a heap of merch giveaways,” says Kirsty.

On the quieter end, she says All Saints Estate has the perfect VIP cellar door space with with a variety of curious wines available to taste, including a more than 100-year-old barrel stock.

With festival buses offering hop-on, hop-off transport between all of the locations, as well as free tickets for designated drivers, it’s easy to hit every stop on your itinerary.

Step back in time through a hidden cellar door

For serious wine drinkers and history buffs, getting to see the secret 150-year-old winery at Stanton & Killeen will be unforgettable. Stroll through centuries-old barrels and sample some of their museum wines while learning about the story behind the ancient space. “They always bring a great little bottle of wine to share at the end.”

Enjoy live music and DJs

Whether you’re dancing to hits at the DJ stage or soaking in sweet singer-songwriter sounds earlier in the afternoon, the best weekends always end with a boogie. You’ll hear pop, rock, acoustic, house and even a string quartet playing throughout the festival – with many of the performers coming from the surrounding areas.

“We’re very big on leaning into local,” adds Kirsty, “So you’ll see a lot of our duos that are around in our region popping up and being the centre of attention for the weekend, which is really great.”

To plan your trip to Roam Rutherglen, head here.