Wine festival expected to be a cracker

More than 2000 people are expected at Gibbston Valley Station next weekend for the fifth annual Gibbston Harvest Festival, proceeds of which will benefit the Arrowtown Scouts.

This year the festival will feature 14 local wineries and 10 leading restaurant and specialty food suppliers from Gibbston, Queenstown and Arrowtown.

Greg Hunt, one of the organisers, said over the past four years the event had grown and the 2010 festival promised to be "even bigger and better".

"If you want to experience a true taste of the best Central Otago has to offer, this is the place to be," he said.

The festival was modelled on European festivals and followed in the footsteps of harvest celebrations held at the region's first winery, Gibbston Valley Wines, in the 1980s.

"These days, the crowd is a lot larger, so the festival will be held at Gibbston Valley Station.

"Last year, the event attracted over 2000 people - both locals and visitors to the region - and we anticipate an even bigger crowd this year," Mr Hunt said.

Gibbston Valley Station was a new lifestyle resort next to to Gibbston Valley Wines, which would offer a range of experiences, including an international golf course.

"It will be a fun, relaxed afternoon for the whole family."

There would be a lot happening, with entertainment, barrel-rolling competitions, bouncy castles and a games area for the children, specialty foods and award-winning wines.

There would also be wine and food "master classes" from midday, with informative and humorous demonstrations by sommeliers Paul Tudgay and Neil Taylor.

All wineries involved in the festival harvested grapes from vineyards in the Gibbston region, with the wines on offer made from Gibbston fruit.