The Ultimate Perth Wine and Food Festival – Sunset Wine 2015
I was away the weekend of the Sunset Wine festival, but I still wanted the TC to cover this awesome event having enjoyed Sunset Wine 2014 so much. Therefore I sent along Music Journalist and Blogger over at Toward Music, Jayde Ferguson, along in my place to experience the event and give us the run down. Check out what she thought below and a big thanks to CMS Events for supplying us a double pass.
There’s something pretty spectacular about combining good food and wine with a stretch of white sand, blue water and hot summer’s sun. It’s a combination that screams Perth, and the relaxing beach-vibe we love so much here. Sunset Wine in Scarborough does just that. It hits the corkscrew on the head, creating the perfect atmosphere any vino-enthusiast and tasty treat lover can enjoy.
Thanks to CMS Events and my good friend at Travelling Corkscrew, I was lucky enough to attend the festival to indulge in a little taste of luxury myself. Sunset Wine isn’t like the other good food and wine festivals I’ve been too… maybe it’s the change in location, nestled at Scarborough Beach reserve overlooking the breathtaking beach WA is so renowned for, or the more intimate setting the pop-up venue created. Whatever it was, it was simply fantastic.
Cruising down on the Sunday was a smarter option, with no queuing up and crowds decent enough to create a vibe. Being super hot and incredibly thirsty, we made our way to the closest tasting spot first – Moody Cow Brewery. Now these blokes know how to do a cider! Well, they know how to do beers too but the apple and pear combined cider was definitely a favourite. For those that aren’t a fan of sweet beverages, but love the cool easy-to-drink smoothness of cider – you must get your taste buds around this one. It’s refreshing (perfect for the day) and way too easy to consume. Plus it has no additives or preservatives; yes it’s the healthier option!
Making our way around the festival, we swirled and sipped on the likes of Howling Wolf Wines, Barwick Estate drops, Red Gate wines, Bellarmine Wines, Castelli Estate, Talisman Wines, Barton Jones Wines and so much more goodness. After getting through the first half of the stalls, we kicked back to the live music and purchased some tasty chips and pork belly from Braised Bros. Whist the $8 for a tiny slice of pork belly was definitely overpriced, the mouth-watering flavours were to die for. The background music featured Codee-Lee Duo, and consisted of chilled-out covers ideal for the beach scene. As a music journalist myself, I was eager to really review their style, but they just didn’t catch my attention.
We continued onto Downderry Wines, with a selection of wines that are close to perfect. Not only was it one of the few stalls that included free fruit and crackers on the side to complement the wine (which, in my opinion all stalls should have had), but their drops were deliciously fruity. Easy to drink for the beer-over-wine devotee, the bubbles in particular went down an absolute treat. Next we ventured to 3 Oceans Wine Company, home to a tasty Chardonnay and finished up with my personal favourite, 52 Stones. Here, we were treated to a wine-infused punch and more vino tastings with the 2012 Mwah Chardonnay being the definite winner.
After effectively tasting every wine, beer and cider we called it a day. With free tastings included in the ticket price for the full 5 hours you could have easily kept going around, but the crowd was growing and the typical Perth sun takes it toll after a while.
I’d definitely recommend the event to anyone with a passion for wine and the laid-back beach atmosphere, but would love to see a better set up for the band in 2016. With a good group of friends, the right weather and your own take-home Sunset Wine glass, it really is the ultimate day out.