Melbourne Food and Wine Festival events include a mussel festival, Mad Men moves, scientific experiments, sweets and how to fly fish.
If you've never asked for your mussels by name then this festival dedicated to our own locally grown molluscs is a must. Buckets of cooked mussels start at $5 and will be prepared in a variety of ways by local restaurants Paco y Lola, Simply Spanish and Claypots. There will be daily mussel-cooking demonstrations (3pm) by Iain Hewitson and organisers hope the old school jazz band may even encourage a little dancing in the street.
March 8 & 9, noon-11pm, in and around South Melbourne market. Free.
Inspired by the David McAllister-curated rooms evoking famous ballets including Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Spartacus, Darren Purchese, from Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio, has created a series of desserts matched with wines for this special visit to private museum The Johnston Collection.
March 13, 7-9pm, The Johnston Collection, East Melbourne. Tickets $145, 9416 2515.
Anyone with a desire to improve their fly-fishing or learn the basics of this skill should head up to the King Valley for this intensive one- day course with professional fly-casting instructor George Foster on the King River. Hosted by Pizzini Wines, the intensive instruction is broken up by lunch and followed by an exclusive wine tasting by Joel Pizzini, where you can finish the day comparing your catch.
March 15 and 16, Pizzini Wines, King Valley. Tickets $300/$290, 5729 8278.
Tim Baxter from Bendigo's Dispensary has a bit of a crush on the 1960s style epitomised by James Bond and Mad Men's Don Draper, so expect plenty of cocktails, a fresh take on 1960s food including oysters Rockefeller and lobster thermidor and a '60s soundtrack at this intimate dinner-party-style event. Guests will be expected to look and act the part, for a fun night out.
March 14, 6.30-11pm, The Dispensary Enoteca, 9 Chancery Lane, Bendigo. Tickets $185 for five courses with matched wines, 5444 5885.
Ever wanted to cook a dinner in the dishwasher? Or maybe you'd just like to understand the principles of hot- water cooking? With the help of scientist Rackel San Nicolas, sous-vide expert Sam Bate and sake masters Simon Denton and Takashi Omi, you'll watch some fascinating food experiments and learn some new kitchen science.
March 2, 4-6pm, Tsubu, 169 Grattan Street, Carlton. Tickets $80, 8344 3741.
■ Places available at all events at time of writing. See melbournefoodandwine.com.au for tickets.
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