Australia’s only festival dedicated to pinot noir will make its way to the east coast this October showcasing more than 250 Australian and New Zealand pinots from makers including Rippon, Nanny Goat, Vinterloper and Journey. With stops in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, the festival will also feature local chefs and producers offering pinot-ready snacks to go with your favourite drops.
Keeping with festival tradition, sommeliers and winemakers will again create Pinot Playlists, a selection of tracks played throughout the day that complete the pinot-tasting experience. “It’s a list of 10 songs you listen to when drinking [their] pinot or that remind you of the characteristics of the wine,” says sommelier Samantha Payne, who will be at the Sydney leg of the festival.
Her 2017 playlist, ‘Sex, Drugs and Pinot Noir’, is a mix of electronic and garage sounds from Belleruche, Lolawolf, Crooked Colours and SBTRKT.
Sommelier Dan Sims founded Pinot Palooza in 2012 to change people’s perspective of wine. Imposing a rule of no “wine talk”, he wanted to create an environment where winemakers and attendees can have down-to-earth conversations about what they’re drinking, how it was made and what to pair it with.
Each city has a bespoke food offer of stalls and restaurant pop-ups, with the likes of Epocha making an appearance in Melbourne, Porteño rocking the pans in Sydney and Blackbird feeding Brisbane.
The Burg Bar will be pouring an extensive range of premier cru Burgundies to add to the unlimited tastings on offer for all festival-goers. Rock and roll.
Pinot Palooza, Melbourne, 7 October, 11am-6pm. Sydney, 8 October, 11am-6pm. Brisbane, VIP Day, 14 October, 11am-4pm, , general admission, 15 October, 1pm-6pm. General admission $65 or VIP $110. Available from pinotpalooza.com.au
