A key feature of Byron Bay Fine Food & Beverage Festival is an equal focus on both food and beverage. We have attracted some of Australia’s very best boutique wineries for our inaugural event, as well as local distillers and brewers.

Choosing wineries from the plethora of talent in the Australian Wine scene, was always going to be a mighty task. So we are honoured to have the assistance of Jane Thomson of the very popular Fabulous Ladies Wine Society, to help curate our roster of wineries.

We also felt that is was important to have a Masterclass Marquee exclusively for beverages so as to be on equal footing with our Producer Masterclasses. We are delighted to say that Australian Glassware brand Plumm have come onboard to sponsor our Marquee Beverage Masterclasses.

So we are pleased to announce the schedule of Beverage Masterclasses for the Plum Beverage Masterclass Marquee are as follows.

12pm: Mixing With The Best – Cape Byron Distillery & Husk Distillers

Eddie from Cape Byron Distillery and Harriet from Husk Distillers talk all things gin. They’ll be mixing up simple stunning favourites that you can try at home.

1pm: Alternative Facts: Alternative Varietal Wines – Pizzini & ArtWine

Step beyond the world of Shiraz and Chardonnay to discover some of the many alternative varieties being produced in Australia. Pizzini are famous for their delicious Italian varietals, while Artwine have a cabinet full of trophies for their global alternative wines. You may just discover your next favourite wine right here.

2pm: The Great South Australian Taste Off – Schild Estate & Raidis Estate

Two of the most famous South Australian wine regions go head to head in a battle of the wines. Which team will reign supreme? Representing the grand old traditions of the Barossa is second generation family winery Schild Estate, while serving it up for Coonawarra are new-kids-on-the-block Raidis Estate.

3pm: Girt by Sea – Voyager Estate & Jack Rabbit Vineyard

When vineyards meet the beach you get wines with a strong maritime influence. What does that taste like in the glass? And what challenges does a seaside location create? Voyager Estate hail from Margaret River in Western Australia while Jack Rabbit cling to the coast of the Bellarine Peninsula in Victoria. Both produce exceptional wines of very different style.

4pm: Premium Hunter Valley – Mistletoe Wines & Saddler’s Creek

Australia’s oldest wine region is still one of the best, and collectors around the world still clamour to get their hands on searingly fresh Hunter Valley Semillon and peppery Hunter Shiraz. Mistletoe Wines and Saddler’s Creek will show you just how different these styles can be from within the one region.

5pm: Cool Climate Elegance – Paracombe Wines & Rowlee Wines

Cool cats know that the coolest wines come from the coldest regions. Adding a refined elegance and sophistication that only the most frost bitten mornings can bring, we’ll be looking at wines from Paracombe in the Adelaide Hills and Rowlee from Orange in central NSW.

6pm: Marvellous McLaren Vale – Lost Buoy & Penny’s Hill

McLaren Vale is world famous for its big, juicy reds so we’ll be taking a closer look at the two varieties they do best – Shiraz and Grenache. Lost Buoy are taking up the Grenache mantle to show just how delicious and food friendly this wine can be, while Penny’s Hill are showcasing two of their classic Shiraz. A must-do class for all red wine lovers!