Have you explored the fine bevs of the Bellarine Peninsula, Surfcoast and Moorabool Valley yet? Is the terroir of Geelong on your mental wine map?
This is your chance to choose local, support your region and sip, explore and discover delicious local drops that are right at your doorstep. Toast the Coast will bring the purveyors of local wine, beer and spirits to Geelong for the 20th iteration of this annual celebration of this special region.
The K rock 95.5 Toast to the Coast festival 2023 takes place at the Little Creatures brewery over two massive four hour sessions on Saturday, October 7. Both the morning session (11am-3pm) and evening session (4pm-8pm) have a two-hour free tasting window where you can wind your way between various beverage exhibitors, sampling before you buy full glasses of the absolute standouts. You’ll see more than 12 local wineries with over 60 different wines on pour, three gin distilleries and two breweries. Plus, you get a special Plumm glass of your very own to take away.
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For $70, you can discover the best of the local cool climate varieties from around the Bellarine Peninsula, Surf Coast and Moorabool Valley. The peninsula and its surrounds was one of Victoria’s most important wine-growing regions in the mid-19th century, and now it’s having a Renaissance in Australia’s renowned wine scene – thanks to these very producers. Whether you’re a beginner or a vino aficionado, it’s an opportunity to learn about wines from the people who make it. Chat about vineyard practice, the growing, the fermentation, the different styles and the stories of the people behind the bottle.
Think you’re not familiar with many of these local vineyards? You’ll recognise a few big names slinging their vino. Keep an eye out for the award-winning Scotchmans Hill, one of Halliday’s Top 100 Australian Wineries producing famed vintages of traditional European styles. Austin’s are second generation winemakers producing high quality drops from Moorabool Valley vines, but they’re perhaps better known for their popular and approachable 6ft6 label wines, which are also 100% vegan.
For something a bit more edgy, small batch wines from Mulline have been getting a bit of attention. Ben Mullen and Ben Hine (hence, ‘Mull-ine’) have been bottling very interesting expressions from the Geelong region, with a production backbone of sustainability and ethical practice they continue to build on each year. Provenance is a Halliday Top 5 Red Star Winery, known for the crisp, balanced style of their premium, award-winning wines from vineyards in Geelong, Ballarat, Henty and Macedon. Bellbrae Estate is the only vineyard on the Great Ocean Road, making wines of the Surf Coast within their intense Estate range and their vibrant Longboard range. But you’ll be able to taste these and more from small-scale or boutique producers for yourself, exploring everything from Italian styles to German varieties and uniquely Australian expressions of Old World varietals.
The best way to learn about wine is just to taste it and talk.
When you find the wines you love – and with that many different drops to pick from during your session, you’re sure to have a few favourites – you can put together your own wine pack of six or 12 bottles from the exhibitors – the perfect opportunity to discover your favourite local drops, not to mention an ideal Christmas gift.
And if you’re a real wine geek, take a deep dive into the Geelong wine region with the exclusive pre-session Archive Academy ‘Geelong vs The Rest of the World’ masterclasses ($40). The Chardonnay masterclass takes place in the morning, and the Pinot Noir in the afternoon. After all, a little education adds an extra depth to your tasting experience.
Of course, many of the wineries on show at Toast to the Coast have beautiful cellar doors, restaurants and even boutique accommodation for the wine-curious, so consider Toast to the Coast a little research day for your future road trips to the Bellarine Peninsula vineyards.
But there’s more to the festivities than wine. Local Geelong distillery Anther will be pouring their curious and award-winning gins. Drawn from a dual distiller background of hospitality and microbiology, these experimental gins are a pursuit of flavour born from science. Their special release gins, often steeped in seasonal botanicals or ingredients (Mooncake, anyone?) are always showstoppers. The Bellarine Distillery produces small batch, simple gins with carefully understated twists of Australian botanical notes, plus a wine barrel aged gin and super limited release whiskies. Great Ocean Road gin is, as the name suggests, the first gin distillery of the Great Ocean Road, with the flavour profile of their spirits influenced by the addition of local botanicals and native plants to create a true taste of place.
For froths, there’s Little Creatures (naturally) as well as local favourite Blackman’s from Torquay, an indie brewery serving up their delightful Coast Seltzer range. And it wouldn’t be a bev festival without good eats. Your ticket entitles you to a free snack, with additional food available to buy, so you can get your fill of sliders, wings, tacos and pizza throughout the session. With live music and DJ sets to accompany your explorations, it’s set to be another epic year for Toast the Coast.
Tickets are limited so be sure to get in quick! Head to www.toasttothecoast.com.au.
