Ridgemill Estate Winery is making its first appearance at the Jumpers and Jazz in July festival.
The winery saw the festival as a prime opportunity to showcase their attractions to the influx of visitors to the region.
After engaging in conversations with Pam and the festival committee, they developed a series of supporting events to achieve this goal.
For their first year participating, Ridgemill Estate decided to host three distinct events throughout the festival. They began with a stall at the Saturday Stroll & Swing, then invited visitors to their winery for a tasting experience and an educational session on wine-making. Additionally, they offered a variety of itineraries for visitors to explore the Granite Belt, including two self-guided tours and one guided tour, highlighting different attractions and aspects of the region beyond just wineries.
The owner of Ridgemill Estate Michelle Feenan said the response to Ridgemill Estate’s Jumpers and Jazz events has been positive.
“We have had a great response to the Yarned Up winery experience with many people booked across the week,” she said.
The Yarned Up experience, led by Byron Higgs, received enthusiastic feedback from attendees who enjoyed learning about grape growing and wine-making while sampling a range of wines. The giant grape installation provided a fun photo opportunity for visitors to share with friends and family.
What sets Ridgemill Estate’s Jumpers and Jazz events apart are their unique experiences and local collaborations. This year, they partnered with craft groups like the Stanthorpe Spinners and Weavers and the Granite Belt Ladies Shed (She Hive), who contributed beautiful felted pieces and crocheted grape bunches to enhance the winery’s festive atmosphere.
“This is the first time we have ‘yarned up’ our vines and we are hoping to set a trend for future years,“ Michelle said.
For their final event on Friday, visitors can expect a comprehensive vineyard tour explaining the lifecycle of wine grapes, an expert wine tasting, and the chance to capture selfies among the yarned-up vines.
Ridgemill Estate’s participation in Jumpers and Jazz has brought in new customers who were previously unaware of the Granite Belt’s extensive and diverse wine region.
The winery plans to participate again next year, with hopes of expanding their involvement and encouraging other wineries to join.
“It has been a ton of fun crafting our approach and partnering with the Jumpers and Jazz festival program,” Michelle said.
“We look forward to expanding this in the future and hope that other wineries come on board as well.
“It has been fun to get this year’s events up and running, and as we support our own festivals here in the Granite Belt, we will look forward to supporting the Jumpers and Jazz again in the future.“
