Guests can expect the unexpected this November (14-17) with Western Australia’s new ‘wine and food’ festival Pair’d Margaret River Region releasing new and expanded program details. 
Ben Sbewry
From acclaimed Attica chef Ben Shewry DJ’ing amongst the vines at the New Wave Gathering, to The Grand Tasting at Howard Park which will bring together 16 of the region’s iconic wine brands for the first time in history; from a Wine-Lovers Quiz Night at Australia’s Best Wine Shop, to Crayfish rolls paired with Chardonnay and a sunset soundtrack from Alex James (Blur) - nothing about this event is ordinary.
Since he was last in the region, Alex James has added winemaking to his impressive list of accomplishments. When asked what his perfect pairing was, the Blur bassist said: “Food, music and wine is the holy trinity!
“There are endless ways you can pair the three and I’m always looking for new ways to do so. I think the secret ingredient is sunshine, which we’re guaranteed plenty of in the Margaret River Region.
“Margaret River is a gold mine of independent producers because the sunshine gives everything an incredible intensity of flavour, particularly the wine,” Mr James finished.
One of the very exciting elements in the program is the Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines, a mini festival that will be hosted at the picturesque Howard Park Wines. 16 of the region’s most iconic wine and highest rated brands will converge in one place, offering guests a curated selection of exquisite wines from Margaret River’s most prestigious wineries including Howard Park, Deep Woods, Cullen, Xanadu, Voyager Estate, Vasse Felix, Leeuwin Estate and other award-winning vineyards. Guests can soak up the garden party atmosphere as they get the opportunity to sample rare and museum wines from each of the wineries, enjoy unlimited gourmet dishes showcasing WA produce, listen to wine talks, live music, the Howard Park Sparking & Oyster Bar and around the barrel sessions with the winemakers themselves. Those in attendance also have the option to elevate their experience with museum wine masterclasses led by lauded wine writers Nick Ryan and Erin Larkin, as they discuss topics such as - Should we age Chardonnay?, Beyond Cabernet & Chardonnay, and Clone Wars: Chardonnay and Cabernet.
“If you want undeniable evidence that this is one of the most blessed places on earth to make great wine, then here it is. This is a pretty rare gathering of so many Margaret River legends, in both bottled and human form. I haven’t been this excited about a tasting for a very long time,” Mr Ryan said.
Speaking on behalf of the Festival Management team, Hannah Pike added: “The inaugural program has been warmly embraced by industry, the local community and future guests to the Margaret River region, so we’re excited to release additional events and program details,” Ms Pike said.
“Since we launched Pair’d in July, some events have sold out, but to enable more people to enjoy the festivities we’ve added new events, new ticket types and new talent.
“The music program will of course feature, guitarist and wine maker, Alex James (Blur) and Cafe del Mar DJ Ken Fan at Margaret’s Beach Club, but we’ve expanded to include talent such as DJ and restaurateur, Grant Smilie, who’ll be teaming up with renowned chefs Ben Shewry (Attica) and Brian Cole (Hearth) for an unexpected twist at the New Wave Gathering, we’ll have Silvia Colloca singing at The Grand Tasting, as well as Mind Electric, the Catherine Summers Ensemble and Tim Freedman (The Whitlams) performing over the Festival weekend.
“Two new Origin events have been added to the program including a wine quiz at newly crowned Gourmet Traveller Wine Bar of the Year, South West Wine Shop and a decadent dinner at Amelia Park Cellar Door and Restaurant featuring award-winning reserve and museum wines.
“Additional tickets have been added to Australia’s ultimate Beach Club - Margaret’s, starting from $145 per person which includes a crayfish roll, BBQ bites, a welcome drink and bar access. For those wanting to elevate their experience at the Festival, we’ve also added a limited number of VIP Packages which include premium tickets to two of the icon events, plus a meet and greet over a glass of wine with Alex James, Ms Pike finished.
Pair’d is proudly owned and supported by the Western Australian Government.
To access all tickets and view the complete program and talent line-up, visit: www.pairdmargaretriver.com
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