By JESSE GRAHAM
AN ICONIC community event with years of history will be returning in February, with grapes being grazed and the wines and produce of the Yarra Valley stepping into the spotlight.
The Grape Grazing Festival will return to the valley for the first time since 2008, in a refreshed, reinvigorated and refurbished state.
Over 50 events will be held as part of the festival, which saw over 20,000 visitors to the Yarra Valley over its running in 2008.
Kicking off on Valentine’s Day and finishing on Sunday 16 February, there will be a number of signature events as part of the Grape Grazing Festival.
On Saturday 15 November, a Big Breakfast will be held in Healesville, where part of the main street will be closed and visitors will be able to be seated at a table on the road and enjoy local produce.
Big and small wine producers, restaurants, breweries and food producers will get a slice of the limelight, with cider and beer bars set up in various venues.
The event, which began in 1988, was put on semi-retirement following the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.
Alex White, who was part of the original steering committee for the festival, said there was excitement among the wine community for the festival’s return.
Grape Grazing committee member Richard Howden agreed with Mr White and said the reinvigorated format of the festival would appeal to all age groups.
“There is a real sense of excitement in the region,” he said.
The Yarra Valley currently hosts 146 wineries and 180 wine brands, with over 3000 hectares of the valley used for vineyards.
There will be a number of specially-ticketed events as part of the festival, and 30 events that can be accessed by purchasing a Grape Grazing Weekend Pass for $25.
For more information on the festival, visit www.grapegrazing.com.au
