Vol. No. Vol. 2418No. 4227
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Wednesday, January 2016 Wednesday, May13, 4, 2022
HERE’S CHEERS: Horsham’s Stacey Wright toasts a successful return of Grampians Grape Escape at the weekend. Picture: PAUL CARRACHER
Escape reclaims status BY MICHAEL SCALZO
A
regional tourism leader has described his feeling of exhilaration as Victoria’s longestrunning food and wine festival regained its destination-event status. Grampians Tourism chief executive Mark Sleeman said there were days of tears and turmoil during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when Grampians Grape Escape was cancelled in 2020 and 2021. But he said to see the weekend’s festival come to fruition imbued him with a sense of ‘relief, excitement and pure exhilaration’.
“There were days of tears, uncertainty and turmoil – a sense of unknowing for all the local businesses and the event. There were times when we threw our hands in the air and thought we couldn’t go on like this anymore,” he said. “There were times when we thought perhaps it just wouldn’t get up and running again.” Mr Sleeman said after a lot of talking and hard work it was nice to see smiling faces again. “I just want to thank the event’s supporters, sponsors, directors and our businesses for doing such a terrific
job,” he said. “It was a very long road over the last two years through some very dark days.” About 8500 festival-goers celebratGrampians Grape Escape’s return to Halls Gap from Friday to Sunday. Mr Sleeman said the success of the 29th festival was an opportunity to ‘celebrate’ getting through the past two years. “To bring the grape escape back to the region was a really special moment. It is just massive for the community,” he said. “The event has such a strong following with visitors coming from
Adelaide and across South Australia, Melbourne and other regions in Victoria, just to celebrate our region’s food and wine. “I know of some people who had specifically travelled all the way from Queensland for the event. “The festival remains one of Victoria’s best. “The thing that sets the region apart from others is the authenticity and willingness of our operators to welcome people to enjoy the best of what our region has to offer.” A traditional Barrique of Grampians-blended shiraz auction eclipsed
its 2019 figure by $10,000 and raised more than $27,000 for Grampians Winemakers. The event’s 10 food and wine masterclasses across the weekend, the celebrity grape stomp competition and the inaugural Friday evening live-music expansion were other festival highlights. Mr Sleeman claimed the 2022 grape-stomping title, after a last minute and first-time call up, to fellow stompers and chefs Emmylou MacCarthy and Peter Hilcke, and television host Peter Everett. Continued page 5
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