NEXT EVENT:
Eat Drink Play Gippsland Festival
From paddock to party - the inaugural Eat Drink Play Gippsland Festival is being held on Saturday 18 October 2025, at the Leongatha Rail Precinct
Eat Drink Play Gippsland is a vibrant one-day (and night!) festival that celebrates the very best of our region's food, drink and music in one unforgettable event.
Get ready to eat, sip, and celebrate the best of Gippsland - from beloved local restaurants, acclaimed winemakers, artisan cheesemakers, to brewers, distillers and more. It's your chance to taste the finest flavours Gippsland has to offer and meet the passionate people behind them - all in one delicious day. Plus, local music acts to bring the vibes throughout the day.
Then, in the evening the space is transformed into a music festival with a lineup guaranteed to keep you on your feet.
DATE: Saturday 18 October, 2025.
EAT+DRINK from 11am to 5pm. TICKETS: 18+ years $35, 11 - 17 years $10, Children 10 & under free
Adult ticket includes festival entry, tote bag, wine cup and Eat Drink Gippsland Guide.
PLAY from 6pm - 10pm. TICKETS: 18+ years $49 11 - 17 years $25 Children 10 & under free
After a day of feasting, the festival turns up the volume with an epic night of live music: local star Steph Strings, the powerhouse Emma Donovan performs 'Take Me To The River' a tribute to timeless soul classics, and the high-energy Melbourne Ska Orchestra to bring it home. Three huge acts, one unforgettable night.
LOCATION: Leongatha Railway Precinct
What you can taste:
From the wild Bass Strait coastline to the rugged Strzelecki Ranges and Great Dividing Range beyond, Gippsland is a region that knows how to leave its mark. Think untamed beaches, jaw-dropping scenery, and winemakers who aren’t afraid to do things their own way.
There’s an energy here that’s hard to shake. Maybe it’s the laid-back pace, maybe it’s the dramatic landscapes — or maybe it’s the new wave of winemakers trading city lights for starry nights, rolling up their sleeves to craft something truly special.
And here’s the kicker: Gippsland is massive. Switzerland-sized massive. Which means no two wines are ever the same. Different soils, microclimates, and stories all bottled up. One glass might be a brooding Pinot, the next a zippy Chardonnay, the next something wildly experimental.
At Eat Drink Play Gippsland, you get to taste the whole spectrum — region by region, vineyard by vineyard — in one place. It’s a rare chance to drink the story of Gippsland in all its flavour and diversity.
Come thirsty.
2025 Tinamba Food & Wine Festival
Local residents and visitors from as far as NSW, Canberra and Melbourne joined in the annual community celebration of Gippsland produce at the popular Tinamba Food and Wine Festival on Sunday 6 April. More than 1100 people enjoyed an afternoon in the autumn sunshine, sampling local gourmet foods and fine wine, with live entertainment in the closed main street of Tinamba.
Wine Gippsland President, Alistair Hicks, of Blue Gables Vineyard, said that the 15th annual festival was a much-anticipated event celebrating the end of vintage 2025, and a chance to showcase current release wines, paired with gourmet local produce.
“The festival has always enjoyed loyal local following, and it’s encouraging to see its reputation is spreading further afield and attracting visitors to our part of Gippsland,” Mr Hicks said. Several groups of friends from across the state make it their annual get-together. “We thank all the community groups who come together to make this event run so smoothly, and to the Wellington Shire and The Middle of Everywhere team for their support that helps keep this a signature event in the local calendar.”
Festival attendees tasted the wines and met winemakers from: Blue Gables (Maffra West Upper), Glenmaggie Wines (Tinamba), Lightfoot Wines (Calulu), Narkoojee Wines (Glengarry North), Nicholson River Winery (Nicholson), Wyanga Park Winery (Lakes Entrance) and Xavier Wines (Maffra).
Good Food Guide-hatted restaurant Tinamba Hotel had a successful day with two of its signature dishes on the menu, along with their popular festival fare options, including Maffra Cheese and salumi platters. Albert & Co of Lakes Entrance brought fresh prawn rolls, and an oyster bar to add to the gourmet options.
Lindenow’s Long Paddock were a popular new addition with their sweet and savoury tarts and icecream – including a Lightfoot cabernet and chocolate icecream for the adults. And Wheelie Good Pizza and the Tinamba CFA’s sausage sizzle and homemade cakes and slices attracted plenty of happy festivalgoers.
The festival maintained a focus on local producers with: The Berry Dairy (Mewburn Park), Gippsland Jersey, Kingfisher Citrus (Nambrok), Rainbow Creek Nuts (Cowwarr), Tarago Olives, Love in a Jar (Sale) and Wombat Honey (Orbost)
Melbourne artists, Sam and Sam, who came to fame during COVID lockdown, were a hit with their blend of classics and modern country, supported by talented acoustic duo, Ashton Hicks and Sophie Barbazza. During a break, a ‘blind tasting’ led by Tony Dawkins of Glenmaggie Wines attracted volunteers from the crowd, including a visitor from France and an ABC journalist, and was won by local Brooke Schultz.
Part of ticket proceeds are shared with local community groups and service organisations who assist with the setup and running of the festival.
2024 TINAMBA FOOD & WINE FESTIVAL
In 2024, wineries featured included: Blue Gables (Tinamba), Carrajung Estate (Willung South), Glenmaggie (Tinamba), Lightfoot (Calulu), Narkoojee (Glengarry North), Wyanga Park (Lakes Entrance) and Xavier Goodridge (Maffra).
The Hip Pockets, a 10-piece funk, soul and RnB band (with four-piece horn section) were a crowd favourite and brought the party vibe, with a set list packed with 70s, 80s and modern faves, including Steely Dan, Chicago, Earth, Wine and Fire, Aretha Franklin, Bruno Mars and The Cat Empire.
Click below to view images from the 2024 Tinamba Food & Wine Festival, Sunday 14 April 2024
OTHER PAST EVENTS
Some of the recent events Wine Gippsland members have attended as a region, or where Wine Gippsland has featured as a partner or supporting sponsor, include:
West Gippsland Railtowns Food & Drink Festival (March 2024)
Eat Drink Explore Bruthen (January 2023)
Gippsland Presents - A night of legends and rising stars, Melbourne (December 2023)
Village Feast @ Inverloch (November 2023)
Pinot Palooza, Melbourne (October 2023)
Loch Food & Wine Festival (June 2023)
Tinamba Food and Wine Festival (April 2023)
West Gippsland Railway Towns Food & Drink Festival (March 2023)
Meeniyan Garlic, Food & Wine Festival (18 February 2023)
Australian Pinot Noir Celebration Conference and Workshops (11 February 2023)
Village Feast @ Thorpdale (18-20 November 2022)
Loch Food & Wine Festival (June 2022)
Tinamba Food and Wine Festival (April 2022)
Pinot Palooza, Melbourne (May 2022)
Loch Food and Wine Festival (12 June 2022)
Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference (26-39 June 2022)