Scotchmans Hill winery, situated in Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, will be the exclusive wine and sparkling partner of the 2019 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, the 41st year of the event.

Established in 1982, Scotchmans Hill was the Bellarine Peninsula’s first winery and today is the largest in the region. The estate is renowned for its premium, cool maritime climate wines and is rated among James Halliday’s Top 100 Australian Wineries.

“We’re extremely proud to be partnering with Mardi Gras”, said Scotchmans Hill CEO, Peter Yeoman. “Our brand stands for celebration and integrity, which is what Mardi Gras is all about.”

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras CEO, Terese Casu, said “Scotchmans Hill Winery is an exciting addition to our line-up of partners and supporters for this year’s Mardi Gras Festival – we’re proud to be profiling exceptional Australian wines to our international audience. Their effervescent Swan Bay range is sure to be a hit with our thousands of festival fans and we look forward to welcoming them to the Mardi Gras family in 2019.”

Scotchmans Hill, home to the Scotchmans Hill, Cornelius and Jack and Jill brands, will serve a range of Swan Bay wines at venues throughout the festival. “The Swan Bay range was created to reflect the Colours of the Bellarine, a perfect fit with the rainbow symbol iconised by Mardi Gras and the LGBTQI community,” said Yeoman.

The Swan Bay range includes a Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Pinot Grigio and recently award-winning Pinot Noir Rose. The new Swan Bay Prosecco will also be launched at Mardi Gras, the first Prosecco to be launched by Scotchmans Hill.
To celebrate the partnership, Scotchmans Hill opted to shoot a light-hearted video, joining forces with local production company Moo Motion and Triple M disk jockeys Tom Bainbridge and Olly Morris.

“The video was created to celebrate the joy of the partnership and reflect the excitement of Mardi Gras itself,” said Yeoman. Shot in the greater Geelong area, the video captures the mounting excitement of Scotchmans Hill going to Mardi Gras, including Tom and Olly popping bottles of sparkling from a luxurious chaise atop a bus.

Follow Scotchmans Hill on Instagram or Facebook to find out more. The Mardi Gras festival runs from February 15th to March 3rd with program details and tickets available here.