Brian Mitchell (Lyons, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Great Eastern Wine Week runs from 8 to 17 September, so book your tickets to Tasmania today. Great Eastern Wine Week showcases some of Tasmania's finest wines along the beautiful 221-kilometre coastal stretch of my electorate, a coast that includes—but is in no way limited to—Orford, Freycinet and the Bay of Fires. More than 40 events will take place over the 10-day festival, providing visitors an opportunity to sample Australia's best cool climate wines at wineries and other venues and pair them with produce, including the coast's stunning oysters.

Visitors will also be able to meet passionate winemakers while taking in the stunning landscapes, working their way south from St Helens in the north-east, through Bicheno and Swansea and down to Spring Bay. Sensibly, buses are available for anyone who would like to try more than a sample, and they're well recommended.

The wine industry in Tasmania contributes more than $200 million to our economy and employs more than 2,000 full-time workers, so it's serious business. You're not going just for the fun of it; you're going to support the economy. That's important to remember!

Meanwhile, this week is Tasmanian Whisky Week. As a co-convener of the Parliamentary Friends of Australian Spirits, I'm pleased to say: book your tickets to Tasmania today for the weekend, enjoy the whisky and then come back on 8 September for Great Eastern Wine Week.