Pinot Palooza pours back into Melbourne

The world’s longest-running pinot party returns to the Royal Exhibition Building from November 22 to 23, featuring 100 of the best local wineries.

This year’s festival will spotlight innovative wine producers from across Australia and beyond, offering wine lovers an exciting opportunity to explore a wide range of pinot varieties.

Now in its 12th year, Pinot Palooza will introduce a special New Zealand wine precinct, allowing guests to experience the unique pinot offerings from across the Tasman.

The event promises to be a must-attend for anyone passionate about discovering new wines and celebrating the diversity of pinot.

“You basically get to go and taste a whole bunch of different grapes from across multiple regions, all under one roof. So the next time you go to a restaurant or wine bar or retail store, you've already got an understanding of what you like,” Pinot Palooza founder and newly appointed chair of Wine Victoria, Dan Sims said.

Attendees will have the chance to sample wines from some of the most acclaimed winemakers, including Meadowbank (Tasmania), last year’s People’s Choice winner, Oakdene (Geelong), 2024’s Victorian Premier Trophy recipient, and long-time festival favourites like Fleet (Gippsland), M&J Becker (NSW), Murdoch Hill (Adelaide Hills), and Vinteloper (Adelaide Hills).

With options ranging from organic and biodynamic to vegan and low-intervention wines, there’s something for every palate at Pinot Palooza.

When asked why the festival focuses on pinot over other grape varieties, such as shiraz, Dan explains that pinot offers a much broader "spectrum of flavours," making it uniquely diverse and appealing.

“Everyone’s preference of pinot is different,” he said.

“If you’ve had a bad experience with pinot, you don’t have to give up entirely. You can go and find another one that you like - there’s so many styles and variants.”

Dan’s top tip for making the most of Pinot Palooza? Seek out a winery you’ve never heard of or explore a region you're unfamiliar with, and dive into the full range of what pinot has to offer.

“I'm confident that all the wines at Pinot Palooza are really good value or they're representative of their place and region,” he said.

“Then the trick is, why am I buying this? Am I doing this for a date night, am I doing this for a dinner party, or am I buying it for a picnic party? Framing those purchasing decisions around the occasion is really important.”

“It’s like Spotify, you search music by occasion, so it makes sense to think about occasion with wine purchasing decisions.”

Pinot Palooza will run at the Royal Exhibition Building from November 22 to 23.