Could there be a more fruitful pairing than wine and art? With ‘paint and sip’ studios popping up all over the country, Australian wine aficionados and art enthusiasts can’t get enough of this captivating combo.

From the Mornington Peninsula to Margaret River, many of the premium wineries that make up the Ultimate Winery Experiences collective take guests beyond the cellar door to offer in-depth journeys of the artistic kind.

Read on for four of the best.

Contemplating Art at Montalto
Mornington Peninsula, VIC

Montalto, together with the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, has launched a series of lunchtime events called ‘Contemplating Art’. Share a moment out of the ordinary as you take a journey with extraordinary artists and their works, in a relaxed environment overlooking the renowned Montalto Sculpture Trail.

Each event showcases a renowned artist in conversation, exploring the artist’s background, inspiration, techniques and work over a long lunch in The Restaurant at Montalto.

For the first event in the series, Montalto welcomes artist Patricia Piccinini with Danny Lacy, Gallery Director of MPRG, on Thursday 12^th May 2022.

Danny was the Guest Judge of the Montalto Sculpture Prize 2021, and along with Creative Director Neil Williams will take guests on a guided walk of the Montalto Sculpture Trail before lunch.

Patricia Piccinini is a Melbourne based artist, is best known for her mutant life-like creatures rendered in silicone and hair. From the start of her career her work has combined the cute and the grotesque, pitting our impulse to nurture against revulsion, encouraging us to see the beauty of all created forms, however monstrous, deformed or artificial.

Click here to find out more.

Wine & Surrealism
d’Arenberg, McLaren Vale, SA

Sip on impeccable McLaren Vale vino and explore a surrealist exhibition featuring 25 authentic Salvador Dali bronze sculptures and graphic artworks, at the famous d'Arenberg Cube. 

Also on display are paintings by Australia’s own surrealist Charles Billich, whose artworks hang in the Vatican, The White House and the United Nations. A lifelong passion for Surrealism, Charles Billich artworks provide the perfect juxtaposition for the magnificent Salvador Dali sculptures.

A contemporary art gallery called the Alternate Realities Museum can be found on the ground floor of the d’Arenberg Cube, where you can embark on a self-guided tour through tactile displays, such as a wine aroma room, a virtual fermenter, and a 360° video room.

Guests dining in d'Arry's Verandah Restaurant receive free admission to the Dali Exhibition, while pre-booked wine masterclass guests gain access to the Dali exhibition for $10.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)
Moorilla at MONA, Tasmania

Moorilla winery shares its site with the innovative Museum of Old and New Art (MONA), home to Australia’s largest private art collection. Kick off your Moorilla Experience by sailing from Hobart to Mona on their super-flash, high-speed ferry. Take your time on a self-guided exploration of the subterranean galleries and then head to your one-course lunch of seasonal local produce, matched with a glass of wine from Moorilla’s Muse or Praxis Series.

Fed and watered, you’ll then delve into Moorilla’s backstory with your expert host and get acquainted with the finer points of old and new artisanal winemaking techniques. You’ll be treated to a tasting of ten different Moorilla/Domaine A wines—elegant, fragrant and often experimental.

Art Series at Leeuwin
Margaret River, Western Australia

Family-owned Leeuwin Estate in beautiful Margaret River celebrates fine wine, food and its long association with the arts. 

Take a guided stroll through the Leeuwin Art Gallery to view the unique collection of more than 100 contemporary Australian Artworks that have featured on the winery’s iconic “Art Series” labels, whilst also learning about the famous Leeuwin Concert Series, featuring alfresco performances from the world’s leading musicians and entertainers.

Many notable names from the art fraternity can be found in the Leeuwin Art Gallery. Sir Sidney Nolan, when approached at the beginning of the series, advised he was not a graphic artist and did not paint for wine labels. He was also a red wine buff and was sent two unlabelled bottles of the 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon – one of Leeuwin’s best vintages. He responded that for this wine he would happily provide a painting. This resulted in his Dolphin Rock appearing on the label.

A Leeuwin Immersion Experience provides insight into the history of the Margaret River region, the winemaking philosophy and commitment to the arts of this family owned Estate.