Thursday 22 – Sunday 25 April 2021
AN AUTUMN CELEBRATION OF PRODUCE AND PINOT
Calling all foodies and wine-lovers! The first ever Pinot Picnic will take place from 22 to 25 April throughout the Southern Forests & Valleys, of Manjimup and Pemberton. A series of pop-up, pinot-inspired events will celebrate the finest local produce paired with the region’s renowned pinot wines; from pinot sparkling through to pinot rosé and noir.
An opening cocktail reception kicks off a long weekend filled with picnics, live entertainment, sparkling soirées, vineyard experiences and wine-matching dining – with a new five-course gourmet dinner added to the program. The event will take place throughout the heart of Karri Tree country – just three and a half hours from Perth.
Pinot Picnic is an event that can be enjoyed by everyone and overcomes travel barriers. Tune-in to a virtual wine-tasting event featuring a panel of experts and winemakers, that will be live-streamed internationally from Tall Timbers in Manjimup on Friday 23 April at 7.30pm. In addition, anyone can enjoy a Pinot Picnic at home with Pinot Picnic Hampers of wine and produce available for order, shipping nationally and internationally.
VINTAGE TIME IN THE SOUTHERN FORESTS AND VALLEYS
Postponed from its initial February dates, the four-day Pinot Picnic now falls in Autumn, directly after the 2021 vintage. The region’s winemakers currently harvesting their grapes in what is a very busy and pivotal time for wine producers.
Ash Lewkowski from Lost Lake Wines and Southern Forests Wine Regions Association said this vintage is proving to be a more traditional year with great high-quality yields, following significantly low yields in 2020.
“2021 vintage has been awesome; the growing season has been full of sunny days and perfectly timed rainfall which means the vines are in amazing health. The last few weeks have been cool and a little damp meaning a little bit of stress around disease pressure, but that’s pinot growing!” says Ash.
“We have great tannin ripeness with low Baumé (sugar content) which is perfect for pinot! I’ve got my sparkling and pinot in, and I’m rapt with how delicate the wines are looking.
“As an industry, we are really looking forward to showcasing how vibrant and refined our Southern Forest pinot varieties are, at the Pinot Picnic weekend in April,” he said.
PINOT PICNIC HAMPERS
For those wine-lovers who can’t travel to sip, taste and explore this stunning corner of Western Australia, Pinot Picnic Hampers are available for domestic, interstate and international orders, with free shipping through the website at www.pinotpicnic.com.
Small and large hampers have been curated with a range of Southern Forests & Valleys regional pinots and local produce such as macadamias, honey, truffle and apple products and more, accompanied by engraved Plumm outdoor stemless wine glasses, valued at $12.50 each. Small hampers with two bottles of wine, five products and two glasses are priced at $160, and large hampers with four bottles, eight products and four glasses at $260.
Tickets for all events are available online at www.pinotpicnic.com.
ABOUT SOUTHERN FORESTS
The Southern Forests area of Manjimup and Pemberton is Australia’s premium cool climate wine region and the leading pinot region in WA, known for quality, expressive wines. The cooler temperatures and rich soils produce our country’s finest pinot wines – from pinot sparkling through to pinot rosé and the hero, the pinot noir.
This beautiful region in Western Australia’s South West is home to over 50 different types of fruits and vegetables, truffles, nuts, wine, gourmet products, beef, sheep and dairy farms as well as extraordinary culinary experiences. The Southern Forests is renowned for boutique, artisanal gourmet food such as fresh local marron or the internationally famous black truffle, to produce such as the Pink Lady and Bravo apple, potatoes, avocados and limes.
The inaugural 2021 Pinot Picnic is a partnership with Wine Australia, Wines of WA, Australia South West, Southern Forests Wine Region, Southern Forests Food Council, Department of Primary Industries & Regional Development, Southern Forests & Valleys Tourism, South West Development Commission, RAC Western Australia and Shire of Manjimup.
