With less than two months to go until Pair’d Margaret River Region returns this November, Australia’s leading wine-focused festival has confirmed a run of new events, ticket access, talent and program announcements.
The news comes as one of the Pair’d featured wineries just made history on the world stage. House of Cards, pouring at New Wave Gathering, has received Margaret River’s first-ever perfect 100-point score from the International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) for its 2025 Ace High Chardonnay, part of a haul that saw the wider Margaret River Region take home 29 Gold medals.
Pair’d Festival Director Hannah Pike said the quality of the wines coming from the Margaret River Region is phenomenal and Pair’d was designed to shine a light on this globally.
“Pair’d is, at its core, a wine-focused event, and results like this prove there’s never been a better time to celebrate the Margaret River Wine Region,” Ms Pike said.
“House of Cards will be pouring at New Wave Gathering this year alongside Chows Table eats, so guests will have the chance to taste wines from a history-making local vineyard, alongside some of the region’s most exciting next-generation winemakers.
“The announcement this month from indie music act Boo Seeka about the Australian-first dual vinyl album and cookbook release, highlights exactly what we stand for as a festival. Pair’d aims to present once-in-a-lifetime events that authentically and creatively pair wine, music, food and culture – in many cases, our incredible talent blur the lines across multiple sectors.
“With the festival fast approaching, we’re thrilled to announce several exciting new events and additional tickets, that complement the almost sold-out program, allowing more people to experience the Margaret River magic.” Ms Pike finished.
Acting Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment, the Hon. Rita Saffioti MLA, said the Cook Labor Government is proud to support Pair’d Margaret River Region as one of the State’s signature food and wine events.
“Pair’d Margaret River Region continues to showcase the very best of Western Australia’s wine, food and music, drawing visitors to the South West to experience our stunning landscapes, venues and local producers.
“This event plays an important role in driving visitation to the Margaret River Region as part of the Cook Labor Government’s economic diversification strategy, supporting local jobs and businesses, and delivering strong economic outcomes for the community, further cementing Western Australia’s reputation as a world-class holiday destination.”
Saturday’s Grand Tasting at Howard Park Wines has officially sold out, leaving Sunday 22 November as the final opportunity to experience Pair’d’s flagship wine event. Guests can taste wines from across the Margaret River Region alongside festival dishes including Brolos lobster rolls by Matt Moran, Leeuwin Coast Albany Rock Oyster Bar, live jazz, Museum Masterclasses with Erin Larkin and Nick Ryan, and a finale performance from Isabella Manfredi.
Newly announced for The Grand Tasting are complimentary Howard Park Jeté x Leeuwin Coast Albany Rock Oyster masterclasses, with guests tasting three expressions of Jeté sparkling alongside Albany Rock Oysters. The intimate 30-minute sessions will explore the oysters from growing and harvesting through to freshness and taste profile, before bringing the wines and oysters together to explore the pairing.
Pair’d will also play host to the launch of Flying Machine, a new Margaret River wine label, with Touch Grass with Flying Machine on Saturday 21 November. Centred around the newly released Flying Machine Gamay 2026, the phone-free long lunch invites guests to hand in their phones and settle in for an unhurried afternoon of new-release wine and grazing-style, produce-led food from acclaimed WA chef Melissa Palinkas.
Just announced, Somms in Town brings three of WA’s leading sommeliers to free wine sessions across Margaret River. Emma Farrelly, Foni Pollitt and Katia Taschetti will host sessions at Lady Lola, Strange Brews and Banksia Tavern, exploring everything from Chenin and Chardonnay to alternative varieties and the evolving identity of Margaret River wine. Proudly supported by the City of Busselton, the sessions offer an intimate chance to taste, learn and engage directly with some of WA’s leading wine professionals.
Cook, author and presenter Julia Busuttil Nishimura (@JuliaOstro) joins Masseria Head Chef Ben Jacob for the sold-out La Tavolata, an Italian-inspired long-table dinner featuring dishes from Julia’s new cookbook, Simple Pleasures, alongside Ben’s Puglia-inspired menu. Guests can join the waitlist for any additional ticket releases.
Free industry event Pair’d Up will return on Monday 23 November at the new Wayfinder Winery & Farm, bringing chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers, hospitality professionals and experts from the wine industry together for a morning of practical learning and connection. The program includes a live masterclass with Leeuwin Coast Albany Rock Oysters, a session with wine writers Erin Larkin and Nick Ryan, and a live rib preparation masterclass with James Beard Award-winning American pitmaster Rodney Scott.
In addition to presenting the festival’s prestigious 2026 Wine Dinner Series, event partner Lexus will extend the festival experience beyond the ticketed program. From 19–22 November, Lexus Key holders can present their Lexus key at Wayfinder Winery & Farm’s Cellar Door to enjoy a complimentary special tasting featuring two Wayfinder wines alongside two wines from Swell Season.
In addition to the new events in the program that are available to purchase, a limited number of tickets to selected sold-out events will be released to the public on 15 October, with tickets available via pairdmargaretriver.com from 10am AWST.
Pair’d Margaret River Region is proudly owned by the WA Government through Tourism WA.
