Rutherglen Winery Walkabout: How to soak it in

In a couple of weeks, Rutherglen will be filled with thousands of people bent on having a very good time. The high country Victorian town is preparing for the Winery Walkabout - where more than 20 wineries throw open their doors, put on a concert (or in one case, a mechanical bull), cook some food and welcome revellers and wine lovers alike.

The winemaking region in north east Victoria is about four hours drive from Canberra. The town of Rutherglen itself is tiny but neat with rose-framed cottages and picturesque country pub. There are plenty of bed and breakfasts, ranging from rural idylls to an old bank to the slickly modern Barkly Suites on the edge of town. For three days over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, Rutherglen is a collection of parties as families and groups of friends roll from winery to winery, listening to bands on the lawns, browsing craft stalls and tasting plenty of wines. It's no place for wine snobs - the crowd is often younger, with busloads of 20-somethings in fancy dress, superhero costumes and themed outfits making a weekend of it.

The region is famed, and rightly so, for its great muscats and ports but its winemakers have also been working on very different things. On a recent trip to the region, they showed me some of Rutherglen's great range of wines, from the staple muscats and durifs to interesting table wines.

SIX WINES TO TRY IN RUTHERGLEN

The durif: Like the muscat, the durif is a landmark grape in the region (brought to Rutherglen more than 100 years ago by Robert De Castella’s grandfather). Colin Campbell is the fourth generation in family of winemakers who hark back to the 1870s and is part of the region’s durif group. The signature Campbells durif, the 2010 Barkly, is stately and imposing. At Rutherglen Estates it's more blackberry and vanilla flavours while Cofield have an organic durif.

The marsanne: The Rhone varieties are where many Rutherglen winemakers are branching out, with roussanne and viognier also often represented in the wineries. But the marsanne is pretty easy to drink as well, and easy to pair with the excellent food at the various winery cafes and restaurants. At the Jones Winery and Vineyard, a glass of the 2011 marsanne is a fresh accompaniment to a hearty pork dish. At Cofield it's a marsanne viognier that's got melon flavours and a clean finish.

The sparkling shiraz: Damien Cofield is one of the younger winemakers in the region and he's chosen to focus on sparkling wines. The 2013 sparkling shiraz is bold, with plenty of berry and fruit and a hint of savoury, and grounded with port. It makes an interesting change from the muscats and durif. If that’s a little heavy, Cofield also makes a sparkling muscadelle, the Sparkling Sarah, and the summery Sweet Ava that gets turned into popular wine slushies during the walkabout.

The sweet durif: Head off the beaten track to one of the smallest wineries in the region. Scion Vineyard is more than boutique, it's just 8 acres and produces a small but strong range of muscats and durifs. The After Dark lightly fortified durif is a clever play on the region's two great wine styles. It's a modern take on the post-prandial drink, semi-sweet rather than sticky, and at home with more than just dessert. At Scion it's being served with dark shards of local Renaissance Chocolate as a simple dinner party finish.

The gamay: Jen Pfeiffer is a star among the new generation of Rutherglen's winemakers, taking over at her family winery perched above a storybook creek with an old wooden bridge. She says the gamay is what made Pfeiffer's name in the Australian wine world and she's won praise for her "seriously interesting" take on the lighter pink dessert wine.

Muscat, muscat, muscat. At the end of the day, Rutherglen's winemakers are still the kings of fortified. Campbell's Merchant Prince Rare Muscat has been hailed by Fairfax wine critic Huon Hooke as one of Australia's six greatest wines. Down the road at Buller, there are two muscats, the Calliope Rare and the Calliope Tokay, which have won perfect scores in the US. And All Saints' Rare Muscat is a complex, heady blend that's full of rich, velvety raisin flavours. At Pfeiffers there's been praise for a lighter, orangey muscat and Chambers Rosewood makes extremely affordable, high quality fortifieds.

SIX GREAT PLACES TO EAT IN RUTHERGLEN

The Terrace: A plate of thinly layered smoked eel is scattered with translucent poached pear, cucumber,and clear muscat jelly. Daikon slices give crunch and dots of creme fraiche and little pearly green capers bring the whole dish together in a mouthful of different textures and contrasting flavours. It's like a treasure trove of a dish. This is very clever food from a supremely assured chef, Simon Arkless. He's recently gained a chef's hat in The Age Good Food Guide and it looks set to stay that way. The Terrace is a perfect spot for lunch, set in the landscaped, lush green surrounds of the All Saints Winery, which celebrated its 150th anniversary this year. All Saints Road, Wahgunyah. allsaintswine.com.au.

The Pickled Sisters: This is casual dining without pretension. The menu is hearty, country-style food - a confit pork belly on a bed of mashed potato or a rich risotto with smoked cod and leeks, swirled through with mascarpone. Even the house made bread is rustic, thickly sliced into wedges and served with good olive oil and dukkah. The specialty Pickled Sisters Vineyard Platter, designed to be shared for two, is a spread of muscat and chicken liver pate, chicken terrine, smoked salmon with sour cream, olives, cheese, and good bread. Sit in the sunshine, play a round of lawn chess, and step into the Cofield Winery next door. Distillery Road, Wahgunyah. pickledsisters.com.au.

Jones Winery and Vineyard Cafe: A stately French-bistro cafe in a Victorian winery? It's a testament to winemaker Mandy Jones' many years working in Bordeaux. A pork loin crowned with perfect crackling sits in an earthenware pot, with bright green broccolini to provide texture and crunch. Desserts include a slice of cloud-soft quince and cream roulade and a dense chocolate hazelnut cake. 61 Jones Road, Rutherglen. joneswinery.com.au.

Parker Pies: Stop in Rutherglen itself and have a coffee and a pie from this specialty bakery. There's an unexpectedly wide range of meat pies on display, with separate sections for hot and cold pies. Venison? Indian? Steak and kidney? They're all there. The glass cabinet is filled with pretty desserts - rows of caramel and macadamia cheesecakes topped with sails of caramel glass and glossy deep yellow lemon tarts. 88 Main Street, Rutherglen. parkerpies.com.au.

Renaissance Chocolates: This chocolate showroom and cafe just outside Rutherglen features a selection of Robyn Funston's hand-made chocolates, including a tasting tray of truffles infused with Campbell's muscat, Scion's sweet durif and Cofield's sparkling shiraz. 507 Boorhaman East Road, Norong. renaissancechocolates.com.au.

The Tuileries: In the middle of Rutherglen town and set next to the Rutherglen Estates cellar door, this restaurant serves modern Australian meals with an Asian twist in a smart dining space. There's also an attached outdoor cafe and courtyard serving lighter fare at an affordable $13.50 set price. 13-35 Drummond Street, Rutherglen. tuileriesrutherglen.com.au.

WINERY WALKABOUT HIGHLIGHTS

Barrel Rolling: Roll a wine barrel down the Rutherglen high street. Sunday June 8 from 10.30am. Free.
Music Trivia: Dinner and music trivia at Valhalla Wines. Sunday June 8. $35. Bookings 6033 1438.
Sparkling Breakfast: Three course breakfast at The Pickled Sisters cafe at Cofield Wines.Saturday and Sunday. $65. Bookings 6033 3798.
Chambers Rosewood Winery: Taste reds, whites and fortifieds. Country rock band, South Melbourne Market dim sums.
Bullers: New release sparkling shiraz. Ride the mechanical bull, explore the craft market.
Lake Moodemere: New cellar door, coffee and snacks, cheese plates matched with wines, hole-in-one golf competition.
Durif Masterclass: Join the winemaker at All Saints Estate for a special class. $15. Bookings 1800 021 621.
Markets: A street fair on the main strip in Rutherglen and a farmer's market with local producers. Sunday June 8 from 9am. Farmer's market at Lions Park, Douglas Street. Street fair on Main Street, Rutherglen.

AT A GLANCE
Winery Walkabout runs June 7-9, the Queen's Birthday long weekend.
Tickets are $25.
You get a tasting glass and a bracelet to gain entry to the wineries.
Free shuttle buses run from winery to winery. There are four routes: south, east, north and west, which take in different wineries.

Natasha Rudra travelled as a guest of Winemakers of Rutherglen.