The Red Series will be held next Saturday, giving the wine and food aficionados of Ballarat and beyond a unique chance to compare the flavours and varieties that winemakers from as far afield as Great Western and Moonambel, Ararat and Avoca can offer.

The past vintage has been one of the best in decades, according to reports from around the wine-growing regions, with good rains and a milder summer last year producing crops with intense flavours and depth. The event will be a chance to sample some of the first fruits of that season.

The event, which was formerly known as Seriously Shiraz, will see wines matched with food from the kitchens of the Farmers Arms Hotel in Creswick, says event manager Kate Davis.

“It’s rare to have an indoor event like this, where people can come together to try so many wines in the warmth of a boutique atmosphere,” says Davis.

Each of the wine producers will be bringing three of their red wine varieties or styles, with a ‘hero’ or focus wine, plus two others. There’s also an opportunity to bring a white wine for sampling as well.

Winemaker Sasha Fair of the Pyrenees’ Sally’s Paddock Redbank winery says she is looking forward to seeing what other winemakers bring to the Series.

“I cant wait,” she says. “It’ll be awesome to get in and try what other people are making.”

Fair will be bringing her malbec, cabernet franc and her hero wine will be the Sally’s Paddock shiraz.

Kate Davis says the Red Series is a chance for the smaller wineries to get their product compared to what the large wineries are producing, with the niche varieties now being explored getting an opportunity to make their case.

There will also be live music and a DJ, says Davis. Bookings can be made through trybooking.com – search for Red Series.