Orange Wine Festival - everything you need to know

If you’ve been waiting for the perfect excuse to plan a spring escape, the Orange Wine Festival is it.

Every October, the Orange NSW region throws a three week celebration of cool-climate vinos, long lunches, twinkly night markets and hands on vineyard adventures.

In 2025, the festival ran from Friday 17 October to Sunday 2 November, and was spread across three weekends with 40+ events. Dates are yet to be confirmed for 2026 but you can rest assured there will be plenty of opportunity to sip, swirl and snack your way across cellar doors at a pace that suits you.

We’ve compiled the best of the wine festival so you can turn up at Vinosa and enjoy your wine festival weekend.

This year’s program leans into everything we love about wine and Orange: crisp mountain-air Chardonnays, elegant Pinots and Tempranillos, creative food pairings, and signature events that make the most of Orange’s parks, paddocks and historic towns.

The official Night Market kicks things off on Friday 17 October in Robertson Park, while Sip & Savour—a crowd-favourite tasting night—lands on Friday 24 October. Both are designed for tasting widely, chatting with winemakers and locking in your hit-list for the rest of the weekend.

Below, you’ll find the highlights, the fun and quirky one-offs, and a quick look at how some beloved local names—Philip Shaw Wines, Heifer S tation Wines, Nashdale La ne Wines and Angullong Wines—are getting involved in 2025.

Obviously you will need somewhere to stay whiole enjoying all the festivities, so check out our luxury holiday house, Vinosa here.

Signature Wine Festival Moments

Opening Night Market — Fri 17 Oct Wander under the plane trees in Robertson Park and taste your way through Orange’s producers in one blissful evening. It’s an easy way to meet a lot of makers at once and discover new labels you’ll chase down at cellar doors the next day.
Sip & Savour — Fri 24 Oct A curated, ticketed tasting showcasing the region’s best—perfect if you want breadth without the driving. Expect a buzzing room and plenty of tips from pourers about what to visit next.
Millthorpe Mouthful — Sat 18 Oct A progressive tasting through the pretty heritage village of Millthorpe featuring pours from Angullong and friends, matched with bites from local eateries. It’s an afternoon that blends wine education with good old-fashioned country hospitality.

2025’s festival stretches across three weekends and 40+ events, so even a short getaway packs plenty in. Book Vinosa for you and some friends and enjoy a Friday night for one of the big tastings, then roam cellar doors and special events over Saturday–Sunday.

How the Big Name Wineries are Joining in

Philip Shaw Wines: A culinary collab under the stars

On Saturday 18 October, Philip Shaw Wines hosts “Beneath the Vines, Beyond Seoul”—an evening of Korean flavours with chef Sammy Jeon paired to Philip Shaw’s cool-climate wines. Expect a mash-up of texture, spice and high-country acidity served in a gorgeous outdoor setting—very Orange, very memorable.

Heifer Station Wines: Music in the Barrel Shed

If your idea of heaven is a glass in hand and live music in a rustic woolshed, Heifer Station’s “Blues in the Barrel Shed” has your name on it—an Orange Wine Festival special featuring local musicians and soulful classics in their cosy barrel room. It’s the kind of night that turns into a tradition.

By day, Heifer Station’s cellar door is set in a 100-year-old woolshed with a “funny farm” for the kids—so you can sneak in a peaceful tasting while the little ones say hello to the resident animals. Family-friendly wine time? Only in Orange.

Nashdale Lane Wines: behind-the-scenes vineyard tour & tasting lunch

For something hands-on, book “From Vine to Wine” at Nashdale Lane—a small-group walking tour through the high-altitude vines with the vignerons themselves, followed by an extended tasting and relaxed light lunch among the rows. It’s intimate, photogenic and ideal if you like your wine stories straight from the source.

Angullong Wines: Millthorpe’s progressive feast

Angullong Wines helps anchor the Millthorpe Mouthful—a wander through village venues with curated pours and matching canapés. If you love heritage streetscapes, slow strolling and discovering how food changes a wine, pencil this in before it sells out.

Fun, quirky and very “Orange” festival ideas

Heifer Station Wines: Music in the Barrel Shed

Garden Wanders & Open Days
Some cellar doors open their gardens or orchards for slow strolls, tastings and stories—think spring blooms, picnic rugs and a glass of Riesling. Keep an eye on the program for open-garden listings (Brangayne’s is a favourite) and low-key lawn sessions.
Village adventures
Pair a morning of tasting with a heritage town like Millthorpe for the Mouthful progressive event—wine in one hand, a perfectly matched canapé in the other, cobblestones underfoot. It’s the best of wine and Orange: small producers, seasonal food and charming backdrops.
Live music in barrel rooms
From Heifer Station’s bluesy evening to acoustic sessions elsewhere, the region leans into music that suits a glass of Pinot by the fire. It’s cosy, social and very photogenic.
Big-ticket tastings
The Night Market and Sip & Savour deliver maximum discovery per hour—if you’re short on time, these two anchor points let you taste broadly and then chase your new favourites the next day.

A Perfect Long Weekend at Orange Wine Festival

Friday

Arrive mid-afternoon and check in at Vinosa. Grab a golden hour walk through Cook Park or the streets around Byng Street, then roll into Night Market (17 Oct) at Robertson Park for a whirl of tasting stalls, food trucks and live vibes. It’s the easiest way to “speed-date” the region’s winemakers and shortlist cellar doors for Saturday.

Saturday

“Vineyard immersion: Join Nashdale Lane’s From Vine to Wine for a behind-the-scenes tour, tasting and light lunch among the vines; then head up toward Mount Canobolas for a lookout photo stop.
Village ramble: Book Millthorpe Mouthful and make a day of it—progressive sips and bites with Angullong and friends across historic venues, then linger for a café dessert or antique browse.

If the calendar aligns, tuck into Philip Shaw’s culinary collaboration Beneath the Vines, Beyond Seoul, 18 Oct) for a one-off pairing of Korean flavours with cool-climate styles; or grab seats at Heifer Station’s Blues in the Barrel Shed for fire-side music and a silky Shiraz.

Sunday

Sleep in, then pick a lazy cellar door for one last flight—Turners Vineyard is a relaxed option close to town with vineyard views and easy parking before the drive home.

Planning your Orange Wine Festival Weekend

Lock in tickets early – The Night Market and headline tastings sell quickly; check Humanitix listing pages and the official program for availability and times.
Book tastings -Many cellar doors prefer bookings during festival weeks—particularly for small-group tours and lunches like Nashdale Lane’s.
Designate a driver or book transport – The region is spread out; shuttles and private drivers are worth it if you plan to taste broadly. We can help with this! If staying at Vinosa, you can rent our Vinosa bus and driver for your tours.
Build in “garden time” – Open-garden days and spring lawn sessions are the secret sauce—space to sit, sip and actually talk about what you’re tasting.
Stay central – If you want quick hops to Robertson Park events and in-town brunches, base yourself close to the CBD; for vineyard views and easy parking, Turners Vineyard delivers a quiet perch minutes from town.

FAQs for Orange Wine Festival First Timers

When is the Orange Wine Festival in 2025?
From Friday 17 October to Sunday 2 November, across three weekends and 40+ events.

What are the “can’t-miss” events?
The Night Market (17 Oct) and Sip & Savour (24 Oct) are perfect for tasting widely and meeting producers in one hit.

Any one-off headline dinners?

Philip Shaw’s “Beneath the Vines, Beyond Seoul” on 18 Oct pairs Korean flavours with their cool-climate wines—unique and very limited.

What’s a good village to explore during the festival?
Millthorpe —especially during the Millthorpe Mouthful progressive tasting with Angullong and other local producers.

Final Thoughts...

The Orange Wine Festival captures the sweet spot between serious wine and seriously good times. The altitude gives Orange its cool-climate edge; the spring calendar gives you peak blossom-and-sunshine weather; and the program mixes big social tastings with intimate vineyard moments. Whether you’re sipping under the trees at the Night Market, learning the difference between blocks during From Vine to Wine, humming along to blues in a barrel shed, or discovering a new favourite at a Philip Shaw collab dinner, you’ll leave with a camera roll full of gold and a car boot full of bottles. That’s the magic of wine and Orange—it’s delicious, unpretentious and wildly photogenic.