mmg.com.au

The 2012 Budburst Festival is on this weekend.

Almost 30 winemakers in Heathcote’s neighbouring wine region of the Macedon Ranges (which starts in Mia Mia) will throw open their doors and pop the corks on their wines to celebrate the beginning on the new vintage.

The festival offers a fusion of wine, food and music, the Budburst Wine and is the great annual pilgrimage to the cellar doors of the Macedon Ranges.

Each winemaker is planning something special for visitors, from tastes of old or rare wines, new vintage releases, special wine and food pairings to inviting a local chef for the day.

Chefs at cellar doors will include Brigitte Hafner of Gertrude Street at Cobaw Ridge.

Enoteca will offer roasted rare bread suckling pig, while Curly Flat will host Emma Chapple, previously of Star.

Anise will recreate a bistro at its 1880s homestead.

District producers getting in on the act include Colenso Restaurant and the Maldon Yabby.

Piper Street Food Co will offer produce at Ellender Estate, while Hanging Rock will serve its own farm grown beef and Hesket Estate its local lamb, as well as duck and rabbit pies.

Granite Hills will have freshly shucked oysters to complement its wines, wood fired pizza will be on offer at Kyneton Ridge and there will be plenty of gourmet barbecues around the ranges.

A range of musical styles will be enjoyed across the region, including African Kora at Mad Gallery, Folk and Blues from the Netherby Brothers at Granite Hills, The 3rd Degree playing hits from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s at Hesket Estate and Broadway piano hits at Paramoor Winery.

For more information, visit www.budburst.com