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The Grampians Grape Escape

"If music be the food of love, play on" although William Shakespeare penned these words over 400 years ago, he they seem to have become a catch phrase for nearly every regional festival these days, with food and music being the central theme. in fact After 18 years the Grampians Grape Escape continues to attract visitors. The Festival has a high-standing reputation and showcases the food and wine that is made right here in Western Victoria."Set a date for a mid-year break in Western Victoria and stock up on award-winning wine and fresh produce at the 18th annual Grampians Grape Escape - The Wine and Food Festival to be held in Halls Gap from May 2-3.
Around 6,000 visitors are expected to drink and graze their way around the makeshift food and wine village at the Halls Gap Recreation Reserve, in the centre of Halls Gap.
Exhibitors will include 90 of Western Victoria's best winemakers and food producers of olives and olive oil, lavender products, lentils, fruit and berries, yabbies, gourmet sausages, organic produce, venison, turkey, ice-cream, honey, teas, preserves, herbs and gluten-free food.
Event organiser, Mike DiLisio said a predicted increase in domestic travel this year made the Grampians Grape Escape the ideal destination for Victorian and interstate singles, groups and families looking for a weekend away.

TV Chef Ed Halmagyi will return by demand to the 2009 Festival to show-off his swift culinary skills. Visitors will be treated to two, daily cooking demonstrations by Ed, where he will demonstrate how to whip up a delicious meal with minimum fuss.

He will also work in collaboration with the region's leading chefs to present a delicious menu of fresh regional produce, complemented by Grampians wines, at the popular Festival Dinner on the Saturday night.

"Where else could you enjoy a delicious fresh yabbie burger, washed down with a glass of Victoria's finest Shiraz, whilst taking in one of the world's most magnificent mountain ranges?" said Mr DiLisio.

Another feature of the weekend is the Grampians Winemakers Wine Auction where wine enthusiasts and collectors will bid for a 225 litre barrel of Shiraz.

Each year, Grampians wineries donate a quantity of their own Shiraz fruit from the previous year’s vintage and are skillfully blended by one of the region’s wine makers. This year Simon Clayfield of Clayfield Wines Moyston, returns to put his personal style to what will be another fabulous release.

Wine enthusiasts will have the opportunity to bid for ownership and can choose to make purchases in five dozen lots. The record price to date is $15,800.

Other attractions over the two-day event include live music and performance, children's entertainment, the Fosters Clydesdale horses and rides on the RAAF Balloon.

The Grampians Grape Escape will be open from 11am to 4.30pm each day. General admission is $5 or you can purchase a Wine Lovers Package at the gate for $25, which includes wine tasting passes, wine glass, water and entry to the event.

The Grampians is Australia's equivalent to the Lakes District in England and despite a vast difference in flora and fauna, both regions encapsulate the idealisic views of the region. The Grampians ( like the Lakes district) is also a popular bush walking destination and also offers a diverse range of Australian native flora and fauna Halls Gap is the main tourist hub in the heart of the Grampians. The picturesque town is set in the Fyans Valley at the foot of the of Wonderland and Mount William ranges and is the perfect place from which to explore the Grampians National Park, one of Victoria's most outstanding natural features.

HISTORY

In 1837, Major Thomas Mitchell left Sydney to explore the Murray - Darling river system, by June he had crossed the Murray near Swan Hill and proceeded south west and first climbed and named Mt William in the Grampians Ranges. Four years later in 1841 Charles Browning Hall became the first European to locate a gap through the mountain ranges and discover the spectacular valley that now bears his name. The Grampians lie immediately west of Ararat and stretch some 90km from Dunkeld in the south, almost to Horsham in the north. The Grampians are made up of four different mountain ranges: the Mt Difficult Range in the north, the Mt William Range in the east, the Serra Range in the southeast and the Victoria Range in the southwest. Halls Gap is the only town in the Grampians and lies in a valley between the northern tip of the Mt William Range and the southern tip of the Mt Difficult Range.

WINE & GOLD

The discovery of Gold near Stawell and St Arnaud in the late 1850s heralded the start of gold rush to the region and the Mount William Goldmine at Mafeking operating until 1912. Wine production in the Grampians dates back to the 1850 when gold attracted large numbers to the Stawell and Ararat region, French couple, Anne Marie Blampied and Jean Pierre Trouette arrived in the late 1850's to seek their fortune and established St Peters vineyard, a few years later Joseph Best established the now famous Great Western Estate. The gold petered out but the vineyards remained and the reputation of the Grampians climate and soil attracted others to the region. Today there are diverse number of wineries in the region ranging from small boutique operations to larger multimillion dollars operators such as Seppelts. The main varieties grown in the region are Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. The scenic location and numerous small wineries with their associated cellar door sales make the Grampians a very popular destination for wine travelers