The Lowdown on UnWined WA 2014 – Perth’s Boutique Wine Festival!

So I just got home from UnWined. My ‘I’m only going to be there for a few hours’ turned into a decent 6.5 hours. I couldn’t help it, I just had way too much fun and the funny thing is I didn’t even get around every stall.

But I think that is what’s fab about UnWined and why it’s Perth’s best wine festival, it is such a relaxed day that you just feel like taking your sweet time moving around the stalls. I loved the mix of stalls this year as well, there was a decent balance of Margaret River, Swan Valley and Pemberton stalls with a few from Donnybrook and various other little WA pockets of wineries.

PLUS there was also Moody Cow Brewery the Ferguson Valley with a range of brews including a radler and cider. As well as a couple of totally delicious little foodie stands like Just In Time Gourmet and Chef Kenny’s Chilli stand. On the upper level of the square there was a dedicated food area to buy delicious meals and bites to eat like Creative Catering, Grilled to the Mac, and more! I just wish I had more room as I wanted to try everything!!

Safety was also well catered for with St John’s in the corner (which I was quite happy about seeing as I had 2 travel vaccinations in the morning for my upcoming trips and was worried about side affects!) as well as various water stations around the venue. Free water at a wine festival is a must!!

Alongside all the stalls and foodie stands there was some fab live music, check out this rendition of Lorde’s Royals.

There were education sessions throughout the day for both the food and wine lovers. I attended the ‘What’s Cool When Your Hot’ wine session by Full Bottle, which was great however the wines funnily enough were a bit warm. I guess this was a result of them being prepared for the class early however being particularly hot on such a beautiful day it did take the ‘refreshing-ness’ out of the wine which was a shame considering the name of the class. Despite this the presenter was super smiley and engaging which was fabulous to see.

So anyway, if you are planning on heading to the event tomorrow you can find all the details here. Out of the stalls, wines and food I did try out at the event, these are the one’s I absolutely loved and would TOTALLY suggest you go check them out:

I am a huge fan of Castelli, their bubbles is a stunner that I just can’t say no to and the ladies on the stand were absolutely lovely!

I was first introduced to 52 stones at City Wine and naturally I was attracted to the brand as they love their Chardy just about as much as me! My workmare who I attended the event with went halves in a case of this particular one with me.. Sooo good!

Having heard about Domilona Wines recently I couldn’t wait to try this relatively new-comer on the block. I fell in love with both the Skinnie Sauv Blac (made like red wine with plenty of skin contact) and the Cabernet Sauvignon, oh me oh my. LOVED IT! I bought a bottle of each and I already can’t wait to get stuck into them.

I just loved visiting the Silkwood stall as the ladies on the counter were simply smashing and amongst the group around the table there was plenty of oooo’s, mmmm’s and yuuuummmm’s! I was quite partial to the 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (I am starting to have a weakness for Pemby Sauv’s!) and the 2013 Pinot Noir which actually picked up an award at the 2014 Qantas Wine Awards last night.

Pemberley – Robert Bowen was the first stall I attended and I went back not once but three times! First to taste, secondly to take my friends to show them how awesome the wines were and thirdly to purchase. I couldn’t get enough of the Robert Bowen 2012 Sauvignon Blanc which is made in a Fumé Blanc style, I had to buy a bottle to take home. I wish I could have purchased more but sadly my arms aren’t strong enough! It’s safe to say after trying all these Pemby wines at the festival today that I NEED to plan a weekend down that way. I am just scared that I won’t want to come back to Perth!

Howling Wolves is always a favourite at the festivals. Today I quite enjoyed the Small Batch Chardonnay and also giving the guy a bit of stick about his pink sunnies, haha good fun and I am sure he loved it!

The Full Bottle ‘What’s Cool When You’re Hot’ wine appreciation class. These run for about 30 minutes and are completely free of charge. It’s first in first serve, no lines, so literally it is who can get to the seats first – so make sure you’re early!

Just In Time Gourmet, I love these guys! It’s a great stall to stop in for all those local goodies. The Whistler’s chocolate pretzels are my absolute weakness!

Grilled to the Mac – is that not the best name ever for a food truck? Having recently watched the movie ‘Chef’ I couldn’t help but get a toasted Cubano sammie from these guys and it was literally to die for! Totally a great bite to eat to help soak up all that wine 😉

 The second food stop of the day was at Creative Catering for their $12 tasting plate which was divine! A quick, easy meal.

 Despite not attending any the cooking sessions, I did stop by to watch MKR’s Chloe and Kelly for a moment, it was just like watching them on the telly! And before I end this post, I urge you all to make use of the free water stations, on a hot or cold day when you’re drinking (even just tiny testers) it really will help your mind and body process all that booze a lot easier! You’ll thank me for the tip, trust me!
And one last thing, don’t forget to snap yourselves at the UnWined photo booth!
For more pics from the day check out my UnWined WA Facebook album.

Disclosure: I was gifted two tickets to UnWined by CMS Events.