Escape to Orange for a different wine experience

Orange is one of the funkiest country towns in Australia with a vibrant wine and food culture. 

The Orange Wine Festival runs from  October 12-21, including two weekends, with a wide range of gourmet events. 

Now in its 13^th-year, the much-anticipated 10-day festival showcases the best new-release, cool-climate wines and spring produce from Orange and its surrounding villages, across more than 90 different events, making it the ideal time to visit the region.

Tickets to signature Orange Wine Festival events are now on sale, with program highlights including:

The Vino Express: Enjoy a three-day Sydney-to-Orange return journey packed with culinary experiences, showcasing the best wines, produce and dining on offer in Central Western New South Wales. Available across two weekends October 12-14 and October 19-21, The Vino Express package includes train tickets, accommodation, events and dining, from $897 per person.

Orange Wine Show Tasting and Masterclass: Sample and judge local wines from the Orange Wine Show. Choose from more than 200 all in the one room, matched with local produce, on October 12, for $60 per person. Enhance your tasting experience and wine knowledge by including a masterclass hosted by Rikard Wines winemaker Will Rikard-Bell, for $75 per person.

Orange Wine Festival Night Market: Spend the twilight spring hours perusing more than 50 food and wine stalls dotted around leafy Robertson Park, on October 19. Meet local winemakers and chefs, dine at communal tables and enjoy live music under the stars, with a gold coin donation for entry.

Wine in the Vines: Journey through the vines from winery to winery on this one-off tour led by local vignerons on October 20 . Go behind the scenes of cellar doors and enjoy a roving lunch with matching wines, transfers and a bottle of local wine to take away, for $149 per person.

For more information and tickets to Orange Wine Festival visit www.orangewinefestival.com.au.

# Orange is a 3.5-hour drive or one-hour flight from Sydney over the Blue Mountains. At an elevation of 600 to 1000 metres, it is the highest wine-growing region in Australia, fast becoming known as one of the country’s premier cool-climate wine regions.