Enjoy the last weekend of summer in the Swan Valley at the inaugural Harvest festival.
A celebration of the season’s delights, Harvest is an opportunity to go behind the scenes to experience the Valley like a local. Join our growers and producers as they invite you to delve into their world; the passion, the process and the end product.
Inspired by the success of Entwined in the Valley – which takes place in October around the release of the new wine vintage – Harvest takes place during the busy picking season.
Generations of families and friends get together to harvest their bounty and roadside stalls overflow with the freshest of the fresh. Across the weekend of February 27 and 28, venues participating in the Harvest program of 14 events will throw open their doors, vineyards and fields for an exclusive range of activities.
Some of these events include:
Talijancich Tractor Trail with Mondo Nougat Sticky Delights at Talijancich Wines
Join James Talijancich for a leisurely cruise through this iconic vineyard and winery. Then, get sticky with an exclusive Mondo Nougat masterclass featuring Talijancich’s fruit.
Grape Expectations at Lamont’s
This five-course brunch degustation will explore the versatility of table and wine grapes alongside the pick of Swan Valley produce.
Bellissimo at Pasta in the Valley
Learn about pasta making, the art of the perfect sauce featuring Swan Valley produce, then tuck into a hearty pasta lunch. There’s even pasta-making fun for the kids.
Baba and Dida’s European Croatian Experience
Famous roadside stall Baba and Dida’s welcomes the public to try an authentic Croatian experience. Enjoy lamb and pig on the spit, rustic foods and a unique farm atmosphere.
Organic Grape Pickers Lunch at Harris Organic Wine and Spirits
Spend the morning helping with the grape picking, then sit down to a delicious lunch to
toast your efforts. Plus, you’ll receive a few bottles of wine to take home.
City of Swan Mayor Kevin Bailey said Harvest was a great addition to the Swan Valley event calendar, giving visitors the chance to see firsthand what goes into picking and making produce and wine.
“The 14 events at Harvest offer visitors the chance to dig in and experience the life of a grower or producer, then reap the rewards of the hard work in the wonderful food and wine that is produced,” he said.
“We have roadside stalls, wineries and even a brewery involved to give visitors a sample of Swan Valley life and summer produce at its tasty best.
“Given Harvest falls on a long weekend, it’s also a great excuse to turn your visit from a Swan Valley daycation into a staycation.”
Swan Valley Tourism Alliance chair John Rex said businesses were excited to be working with the City of Swan on a new event that would continue to build the profile of the Swan Valley as a must-visit destination.
“Harvest joins Entwined in the Valley as another great opportunity for our growers and producers to showcase what they do and how they do it,” he said.
“It’s not every day that visitors can roll up their sleeves and get to play picker or maker.”
Swan Valley Winemakers Association president Garth Cliff welcomed the arrival of the inaugural Harvest festival, a celebration of the end of vintage and harvest period. This year’s wine vintage got off to an early start due to the extended stretch of warm weather through December into January which accelerated ripening but Mr Cliff said the quality of grapes looked good.
“Chenin, Grenache, Shiraz are all looking pretty good and I’ve seen some nice looking Verdelho as well,” he said.
Despite lack of grape pickers proving problematic for some wineries, Mr Cliff said 2021 looked like it would be a high quality vintage. Located just 25 minutes from the centre of Perth, the Swan Valley is best known as a wine region but is also an abundant food bowl. Many of the businesses participating in Harvest can also be found on the Swan Valley Fresh Seasonal Produce Trail, an insider’s guide to where to find fruit, vegetables, honey, bread and other bounty, all year-round.
For more information on Harvest click here.
Provided by the City Of Swan.
Feature Image: Frances Andrijich