Immerse yourself in the harmonious blend of music and wine at Grapevine Gathering, a unique festival gracing various locations across Australia. Delight in the fusion of melodic tunes and exquisite wines, creating an unforgettable sensory experience. Discover further details about this enchanting event at That Festival Site
1st December | Grapevine Gathering | Roche Estate After an acclaimed debut last year, Grapevine Gathering spread its wings over the weekend and landed in a whole new state for the very first time.
24th November | Grapevine Gathering | Rochford Winery After an acclaimed debut last year, Grapevine Gathering returned to the beautiful Rochford Winery over the weekend for an amazing day of eating, drinking and getting down to epic sets from The Wombats, Tkay Maidza, The Jungle Giants, Dom Dolla, JOY. and so many more amazing local producers and bands. Photos by Sophia Dolferus.
The Melbourne Tone @ Grapevine Gathering 🍇 [Festival Review]
“The never-ending rows of grapes and rolling green hills created a unique setting for a festival”
Review by Harry Bradley
Photos by Ziggy Cross
Grapevine was a festival I’d heard very little about when coming into its 2018 edition. All I knew was that it was set on a beautiful Yarra Valley winery (which sounds pretty good so far!). The Jungle Giants were playing and so were The Wombats, two party bands that were sure to bring an atmosphere. Big tick there. Grapevine was looking to be a good time, but not something we hadn’t seen before in Australia.
Rochford Wines
Rolling into the Yarra Valley and onto the Rochford Estate was something pretty special, with the never-ending rows of grapes and rolling green hills creating a unique setting for a festival. Getting inside the beautiful venue proved difficult, as the organisation of guest passes and security clearance seemed overlooked; I had to explain to security what my business being there was for about 5 minutes. However, once I’d eventually worked my way in, I was greeted by the fantastic winery setting. The amphitheatre was one large rolling green hill with views for miles, a perfect spot to spend a lazy day on the wines with friends. Rochford wines also sold their product by the (plastic) bottle which was a nice and time-saving touch, I thought.
MK
Joy. was the first act I caught of the day, and her breezy pop harmonies were a nice touch to get the ball rolling as the crowds came in. However, after this set, three consecutive DJ’s would take to the stage; Dom Dolla, Lovebirds and MK. While all masters of their craft, it felt to me as if the three sets blended together, giving the afternoon an uninteresting tinge - perhaps a different act in the middle to break the sound up would have gone down better. However, Tkay Maidza took to the stage soon after, picking the crowd up with her vibrant personality.
The crowd were in a big mood now, ready to go off into the night as Miami Horror kept the ball rolling. Tracks such as ‘Real Slow’ and ‘Love Like Mine’ really pushed the envelope in terms of energy and fun, a really great set all around. The biggest Aussie party band then brought the house down: of course, I’m talking about The Jungle Giants. Frontman Sam swaggers around the stage like it’s second nature, and bassist Andrew ‘Dooris’ Dooris oozes energy from not only his bass-lines but his dance moves as well. Songs like ‘Quiet Ferocity’ and ‘Feel The Way I Do’ were standouts.
The Wombats
Finally, to cap off an easy going day of tunes, bevs, and mates, Australia’s favourite Wombats brought an action-packed set like it was business as usual for the boys. ‘Give Me A Try’ and ‘Lemon To A Knife Fight’ are fantastic tracks from the new album, and I was really happy to see them get some love on the night. A classic like ‘Moving To New York’ had bassist Tord Knudsen flying around the stage with smiles all round, and the crowd mirrored exactly that. As the cult classic ‘Lets Dance to Joy Division’ sent the crowd off satisfied into the night, I thought of the enjoyable day I’d had nestled in the wine country. However, Grapevine Gathering never truly grabbed me as something unique. The pedestrian Triple J inspired lineup, and same old fashion tropes on display by the majority of punters made me feel like I’d perhaps seen this festival once or twice before - minus the stunning location of course.
