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.

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.

A 1960s murder mystery in a candlelit cellar

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

On 14 and 15 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.

The rest of the lineup is equally wild

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

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.