Grampians Grape Escape facts for kids
The Grampians Grape Escape is a super fun food and wine festival in Australia. It's one of the oldest festivals of its kind! This exciting event started way back in 1992.
Every year, during the first weekend of May, the festival takes place in the beautiful Grampians National Park at Halls Gap. You can find delicious food and drinks from over 100 local makers. There's also live music and lots of entertainment for families to enjoy.
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Discover Grampians Wine
The festival proudly shows off wine made in the Grampians region. Some of the grapevines here are among the oldest in the world! Winemaking began in this area in 1862. A French winemaker named Charles Pierlot started planting grapes. Each year, wineries pick a special batch of wine. This wine is used to create the Grampians Reserve Shiraz. It's then sold at an auction only at the festival.
Fun Grape Stomping
Imagine stomping on grapes with your feet! That's what happens at the traditional grape stomping competition. Local vineyards donate up to a tonne of grapes each year. School students help pick these grapes for the competition. It's a messy but very fun part of the festival!
Festival History and Growth
The festival first started in 1992. Back then, it was called the Halls Gap Gourmet Weekend. In 2002, it got a new name: Grampians Grape Escape. The festival celebrated its 21st year on May 5-6, 2012. It has grown a lot since then! Now, up to 10,000 food lovers from all over the world come to visit. Famous chefs and personalities have also attended. These include Manu Feildel, Poh Ling Yeow, Tobie Puttock, Ed Halmagyi, Rachel Berger, Rebecca Barnard, Monique Brumby, Adrian Richardson, and Stefano de Pieri.
The festival did not happen in 2020 and 2021. When it returned in 2022, it celebrated its 29th year.
Awards and Recognition
The Grampians Grape Escape is a highly recommended event. Australian Traveller magazine named it one of Australia’s top 30 wine and beer festivals. This shows how popular and well-loved the festival is!
