Ten Nights in the Dark
Your guide to Dark Side of Wine, and where to find us once the sun goes down.
There is a particular kind of magic to Rutherglen in winter. The days are short, the fires are lit, and the fortified wine this region built its name on tastes exactly the way it was always meant to. For ten nights each August, the whole region leans into it.
Dark Side of Wine returns from 7 to 16 August 2026, and it is unlike anything else on the Australian wine calendar. All 17 Rutherglen wineries throw open their doors after dark for ten nights of fire, candlelight and fortified wine. Castle concerts. Hidden cinemas. Long-table feasts in barrel rooms. Cellar doors glowing well past sunset, and a sky so thick with stars you forget what you were saying.
It is one of the most special times to be in the region, and Stanton & Killeen is proud to be part of it, with three very different evenings of our own. Here is how the ten nights unfold, and where you will find us in the shadows.
The Festival Begins
The whole thing opens on Friday 7 August with the Opening Night Candlelight Concert at All Saints Estate, where all 17 Rutherglen wineries gather beneath thousands of candles for a live performance from the world-renowned Fever Candlelight series. A castle, five thousand candles and the whole region together after dark. It is a beautiful way to begin the ten nights ahead.
From there, the festival fans out across the region. The opening weekend alone offers Durif masterclasses at Warrabilla, fireside dinners at Lake Moodemere, live charring of barrels by firelight at Morris, and a hidden cinema tucked past the Muscat barrels at De Bortoli. Throughout the ten nights, the self-guided Rutherglen Muscat Mile lets you taste your way between cellar doors at your own pace, with nothing to book and no particular place to be.
Three Nights With Us
At Stanton & Killeen, we are opening the doors after dark for three evenings, each one a different way into the world behind our cellar door.
Blind Tasting in the S&K Speakeasy
Step inside the shadows for a night of mystery, musings and a little friendly competition.
Wendy and Natasha Killeen are joined by winemaker Adriaan Foot to host an intimate blind tasting where nothing is quite as it seems. Is it Old World or New? Rutherglen or Rhône? The only way to know is to trust your senses. Expect a flight of mystery wines, light snacks, great conversation and a prize for the sharpest palate on the night.
The Cellar Never Sleeps: Secrets, Stories & Fortifieds After Dark
An after-hours wander through the oldest corners of a century-old winery.
Guided by candlelight, you will explore the parts of the winery where the scent of fortified wine hangs in the air and time seems to slow. Along the way, the family shares stories of resilience, quiet triumphs and the moments that shaped our fortified journey across the generations. The evening concludes in the hidden speakeasy with a curated tasting of our most iconic fortifieds: Muscat, including the 1980 Muscat straight from the cask, alongside Topaque, Tawny and Vintage Fortified.
Deadly Vintage: A Murder at Gracerray
Someone is dead. The barrels are keeping secrets. And the killer is still in the room.
Step into a story set in a fictional Rutherglen, 1970. The wine is flowing, the crowds are rolling in, and the town is hosting a bold new festival. But behind the excitement, tensions are brewing. A hay bale has gone up in flames, the town's only fire truck has vanished, and then a body is found. One of the festival's leading committee members. Suddenly the weekend takes a deadly turn. Dress in your period best and prepare to sip while you sleuth, with canapes by GRACE bar+eatery and Stanton & Killeen wines across a night of scandal amongst the barrels.
Make a Weekend of It
Dark Side of Wine is best enjoyed slowly, over a few nights, with a warm bed and a good table never far away. If you are joining us for Deadly Vintage on the 15th, there is every reason to arrive a night early and turn it into a proper weekend.
Where to Stay
- The Victoria Hotel Rutherglen — right in the heart of town and steps from dinner.
- Amberesque — a boutique stay with a little more polish.
- De Bortoli Rutherglen Estate — for those who would like to wake up among the vines.
Where to Dine
- GRACE bar+eatery — the hatted local favourite behind the canapes at Deadly Vintage, with seasonal sharing plates and a love of regional produce.
- Thousand Pound — the main-street wine bar pairing bold Asian fusion sharing plates with standout regional wines.
- Pickled Sisters — a long-loved local favourite for a relaxed, generous lunch or dinner.
The Stanton & Killeen family
