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The after-dark wine festival with a secret cinema, murder mystery and stargazing

Emily Murphy Emily Murphy
Rutherglen’s most immersive winter festival is back – and it only gets better after dark.

There’s a wine festival, and then there’s this. Dark Side of Wine returns to Rutherglen this August for 10 nights of candlelit cellars, hidden cinemas, whodunnit dinners and stargazing among the vines – and it’s exactly the kind of winter escape you crave once the weather starts to turn.

Running from 7 to 16 August 2026, the festival transforms the historic northeast Victorian wine region into something you’d struggle to describe to someone who hasn’t been. Think: less sipping-and-spitting, more wandering through century-old wineries lit only by flame while a winemaker tells you a story that’s been passed down for 150 years.

Dark Side of Wine Dinah
Enjoy mulled wine and s’mores at Dinah Wines.

Here’s what’s on – and why each one is worth the drive from Melbourne (it’s only three hours, by the way).

There’s a secret cinema hiding inside a winery

On 9 August, De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate is turning its historic winery into a hidden cinema – and you won’t find it on Google Maps.

Past the muscat barrels, through the cellar and into a space that feels very much like it was not designed to screen films, a movie will flicker to life among the shadows. There are two sessions: a family-friendly afternoon showing of A Minecraft Movie at 4.15pm, and an adults-only evening screening of The Housemaid at 6.45pm.

Entry is just $15, making it an affordable and memorable cinema experience.

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A 1960s murder mystery in a candlelit cellar

Dark Side of Wine Stanton Killeen
Enjoy a night of murder mystery.

If you’ve ever wanted to drink fortified wine and solve a crime at the same time, Stanton & Killeen’s Deadly Vintage: A Murder at Gracerray on 15 August is your moment.

Set under the candlelit stone arches of the cellar, guests step into a 1960s mystery where tradition meets scandal, and someone ends up very, very dead. Dress in your finest ’60s attire, follow the clues (if you’re paying attention), and see if you can name the killer before the night is out.

Canapés and S&K wines are included. The experience of accusing a total stranger of murder in a Victorian wine cellar? Priceless.

Stargazing among the vines with a glass of durif in hand

Dark Side of Wine Pfeiffers durif
This event is written in the stars.

On 7 and 8 August, Pfeiffer Wines is hosting what might be the most romantic thing you can do on a winter’s night in regional Victoria.

Astronomer Mietta Habets leads guests through constellations, night sky science and the celestial stories of First Nations peoples and ancient cultures – all while you’re wrapped in a blanket among the vines, telescope at the ready.

The evening starts with a warming bowl of casserole and a glass of Dark Skies durif, and ends with a Pfeiffer Rutherglen muscat that is, in their words, “written in the stars." Honestly, hard to argue.

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The rest of the lineup is equally wild

Dark Side of Wine De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate
Sit down at the Legacy Dinner at De Bortoli.

The festival doesn’t stop at its three headline acts. Across the 10 nights, you can also:

  • Attend the opening night Candlelight Concert, a regional first in collaboration with the globally celebrated Fever Original Candlelight series – hundreds of flickering candles, live music and wine in a historic Rutherglen venue.
  • Get a behind-the-scenes look at barrel charring at Morris of Rutherglen’s Ember & Elixir (8 August), where the cellar door becomes a firelit sanctuary with fortified tastings, single malt whisky and smoked cocktails courtesy of Head Distiller Darren Peck.
  • Sit down at the Legacy Dinner (14 August, $179) – a four-course collaborative feast with Andrew Buller Wines, Anderson Wines, Chambers Rosewood Vineyards and De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate, celebrating the generational stories behind some of the region’s most celebrated wines.
  • Try the Back in Black Durif masterclass at Warrabilla Wines (8 August, $135) – a deep-dive tasting through back vintages led by “Master of the Dark Arts" Smithy, followed by a shared feast in the cellars.
  • Don your wildest hat for Mad Hatters Trivia Night at Cofield Wines (14 August, $45) – riddles, hat judging, themed prizes and plenty of wine.
  • Blend your own muscat at De Bortoli’s masterclass (15 August, $60) and take home a bottle that’s entirely yours.

Details

Dark Side of Wine De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate Ember & Elixir
Look at barrel charring at Morris of Rutherglen’s Ember & Elixir.

When: 10 nights from 7–16 August 2026

Where: Rutherglen, Victoria – about three hours northeast of Melbourne.

Events have limited capacity and sell out. Find tickets and the full program here .

Emily Murphy
Emily Murphy is Australian Traveller's Email & Social Editor, and in her time at the company she has been instrumental in shaping its social media and email presence, and crafting compelling narratives that inspire others to explore Australia's vast landscapes. Her previous role was a journalist at Prime Creative Media and before that she was freelancing in publishing, content creation and digital marketing. When she's not creating scroll-stopping travel content, Em is a devoted 'bun mum' and enjoys spending her spare time by the sea, reading, binge-watching a good TV show and exploring Sydney's vibrant dining scene. Next on her Aussie travel wish list? Tasmania and The Kimberley.
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This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe Cann Chloe Cann
    Continue
    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.