WINEMAKERS of the Macedon Ranges will have their products on display at an upcoming annual wine festival, set to be held next month.
Returning for the first time since 2019, Budburst is an opportunity for visitors to meet the family-owned small-batch makers that occupy the wine region with the coolest weather on mainland Australia.
More than 25 Macedon Ranges winemakers will open their wineries and cellar doors to visitors between 10m and 5pm across the weekend for wine tastings, along with curated food menus showcasing the area’s produce, art shows, sculptor walks and live music.
Budburst will take place during three days with an expanded program kicking off on November 18 with the inaugural Budburst Blooms from 5.30pm to 7.30pm.
Budburst Blooms offers visitors a chance to speak with some of the Macedon Ranges’ artisanal winemakers, with three hubs set to be at Lancefield Lodge in Lancefield, Victoria Hotel in Woodend, and Piper Street Wine Co in Kyneton.
Visitors can choose to travel independently around Macedon Ranges or aboard a Budburst Hoppa bus and visit up to five wineries on two dedicated routes, one travelling between Daylesford and Kyneton with stops in Trentham and Kyneton, and the other departing Woodend Train Station and visiting wineries in Romsey, Hesket, Newham and Lancefield.
Two festival hubs will be set up at The Cosmopolitan Hotel in Trentham and The Kyneton Hotel in Kyneton, featuring a line-up of wineries without physical cellar doors.
Budburst festival tickets start from $30 for Budburst Blooms only, with packages available for the weekend:
Budburst Sampler: $59 featuring a one-day festival ticket, plus complimentary access to Budburst Blooms.
Budburst Weekend Wanderer: $95 featuring a two-day festival ticket, plus complimentary access to Budburst Blooms.
Each ticket includes a tasting glass to keep, festival passport and $20 voucher to be spent at participating cellar doors and a Budburst food and wine deal that can be redeemed at participating venues.
A Hoppa bus ticket is $50 per person per day and is only available to purchase online prior to the festival.
The Budburst wine festival will be from Friday, November 18 to Sunday, November 20. For more information and to book tickets, people can visit budburst.com.
