Case Study: Vineyard Festivals – Lawns and Barrel Rooms Playbook

Introduction: Uncorking the Festival Potential of Vineyards

Vineyards have become coveted venues for boutique festivals, offering a blend of scenic beauty and unique ambiance. From Napa Valley in the USA to the Yarra Valley in Australia, festival producers have transformed winery lawns and barrel rooms into stages for music, food, and cultural celebrations. These events range from intimate jazz nights among the barrels to day-long concerts between the vines. The appeal is clear: a festival at a winery can feel exclusive and memorable, often pairing performances with wine tasting and gourmet food. However, producing a festival in a vineyard comes with its own set of challenges and lessons. This case study draws on real-world experiences and examples to guide festival organisers in navigating wind-swept vine rows, sensitive wine cellars, community relations, and more.

Weather, Sound, and Setting Among the Vines

Outdoor events always require attention to weather, but vineyards present specific twists:
– Wind Dynamics: Open vineyard landscapes (often on hillsides or plains) can be prone to strong winds. Gusts can affect stage structures, tents, and audio quality. For instance, at an open-air winery concert in New Zealand, sudden high winds sent unsecured tents flying – a stark reminder to secure all structures and have wind action plans. Safety protocols must include wind monitoring (using anemometers) and defined thresholds for pausing performances or evacuating. The importance of this was underscored by past tragedies where outdoor stages collapsed under high winds because warnings went unheeded (apnews.com). Festival producers should anchor stages, marquees, and equipment robustly, and always heed weather advisories to avoid disaster.
– Sun Glare and Stage Orientation: Vineyard festivals often take place in beautiful sunny weather – great for photos, but challenging for production. Direct sun can cause glare on video screens and lighting fixtures, and can discomfort performers or the audience. Smart stage orientation is key: position stages and audience areas considering the path of the sun. Many organisers orient stages away from the west so that the setting sun isn’t blinding the crowd or artists. If an event goes into late afternoon, providing shade for attendees (e.g. shade sails, tents, or even simply the vine trellises) can improve comfort. Also consider the glare on any LED walls or projectors – high-lumen screens or evening scheduling might be necessary if daylight washes out visuals.
– Low-SPL Listening & Acoustics: Vineyard festivals often foster a more relaxed, intimate atmosphere compared to arena concerts. Whether by design or by necessity (due to noise ordinances), sound levels (“SPL” – sound pressure level) tend to be on the lower side. This means audio quality and coverage need special attention. Rows of grapevines can act as natural sound diffusers – someone standing deep between vine rows may find the music significantly quieter. To ensure a good experience:
– Use distributed speaker systems or delay towers for larger vineyard areas. This allows music to be heard evenly without having to crank up a single stage’s volume excessively.
– Aim speakers with precision. Line-array speaker systems can be adjusted to focus sound on the audience area and minimise spill-over beyond. Some festivals have used cardioid subwoofer setups to reduce bass rumble projecting backward into the vines or neighbouring properties.
– Embrace the intimate vibe: Many vineyard events feature genres like jazz, folk, or acoustic rock which naturally suit lower volumes. At the Sonoma Harvest Music Festival in California, for example, the capacity is intentionally limited to just about 4,000 attendees so it feels “like a private party without the usual crowds,” with an “intimate atmosphere and up-close stage viewing” (sonomaharvestmusicfestival.com). At such a scale, high volume isn’t needed for impact – the focus shifts to sound clarity and artist-audience connection.
– Case in point: The Rheingau Musik Festival in Germany stages classical concerts at historic wineries. They leverage the superb natural acoustics of barrel halls or courtyards, proving that even without high amplification, music can enchant an audience in a vineyard setting. The takeaway is that festival organisers should design sound systems appropriate to the environment: protect the pastoral calm that guests expect at a winery while still delivering quality audio.

Power Supply, Generators, and Wine Safety

Powering a festival in the middle of vine country requires careful planning:
– Power Access: Many boutique vineyards lack the built-in electrical infrastructure to support stage lighting, concert sound, and food vendors. Early on, producers must assess the venue’s power capacity. Can the winery’s own supply be tapped, or will portable generators be needed for the entire event? In some cases, wineries offer limited hookups (e.g. a few 20A circuits) which might suffice for a small acoustic stage or ambient lighting. Larger productions almost always require generators – often diesel units – to be brought on-site. Plan the generator size based on a thorough power budget (sound, lights, refrigeration for catering, etc.), and always have a backup generator or at least redundancy for critical systems.
– Generator Placement: Position generators thoughtfully. They should be far enough from stages and audience to avoid noise and fumes interfering with the experience (many festivals use long cable runs to tuck generators behind a hill or grove). However, at a vineyard there’s an extra consideration: keep generators away from grape processing or storage areas to protect the wine. The exhaust from generators contains not only CO? but also other compounds and odors that can seep into a winery’s facilities. In enclosed barrel rooms, diesel fumes or other volatile chemicals can risk contaminating the wine. Cork taint, for example, is a wine fault often caused by chemical compounds (like TCA – trichloroanisole) that can impart a musty odor to wine. While cork taint is usually linked to chlorine reactions with natural cork or wood, strong odors and pollutants – such as diesel exhaust or gasoline vapors – could potentially infiltrate barrels or corks in storage. No festival organiser wants to be blamed for ruining a vintage! Thus, if using a barrel hall as part of the event, keep any generators or fuel-powered gear well outside, in open air, and downwind from any wine storage. Some wineries even insist on electrical equipment only (no gas motors) inside production areas to guard against this risk.
– Spill Control: Along with placement comes spill prevention. Generators and fuel tanks must have spill trays or berms. A single leak of diesel onto soil can not only kill the nearby vines’ roots but also impart unpleasant odors. Have a spill kit on site (absorbent pads, sand, and containment booms) and a protocol to handle any fuel or oil leak immediately. Prevention is better: instruct refueling to be done over a tarp or container, and never during event hours if possible. Beyond fuel, consider other potential contaminants: for example, if you have setup vehicles or forklifts running near the vines or inside the barrel room, they should be in top condition (no oil leaks, no excessive exhaust).
– Quiet Power Solutions: Depending on budget and sustainability goals, a festival might opt for eco-friendlier power to reduce both noise and pollution. Many winery festivals use “super-silent” generators (which are sound-attenuated) to keep the atmosphere peaceful. Others have explored battery banks or biodiesel generators. The investment can pay off in audience experience and in maintaining the vineyard’s environment — fewer fumes mean happier grapes, guests, and neighbours.
– Case in point: La Motte winery in South Africa, which hosts an annual classical concert series, uses installed power lines run discreetly through the gardens to avoid generator noise entirely. Meanwhile, SulaFest in India – a high-energy music festival at Sula Vineyards – brings in multiple generators but stations them hundreds of metres away, using heavy-duty cabling, to ensure the stages have power without a constant engine drone in the background. In every scenario, power planning is both a technical and environmental concern: keep the lights on and the wine (and soil) safe.

Protecting Soil, Vines, and Infrastructure

A vineyard is a living, cultivated landscape – far more sensitive than a typical paved venue or urban park. Festival producers must take extra steps to prevent damage:
– Stage Construction and Turf Protection: Whether it’s a small platform for a band or a full-scale main stage, the structure must be designed to minimise impact on the ground. Vineyards often have lawns or open fields for events (sometimes right between rows of vines or adjacent to them). Use ground protection under heavy loads: for example, placing broad plywood sheets or specialised turf protection mats under stage scaffolding legs, speaker towers, and tent poles. This spreads weight and avoids sinking or rutting, especially if the soil is soft. In cases of large stages, professional staging companies provide steel or aluminium base plates that sit under each leg or tower – ensure they are used. Not only does this protect the soil and grass, it also helps avoid crushing any shallow irrigation lines that may run underground.
– Irrigation Mapping: It’s common for vineyards to have drip irrigation piping just a few inches below ground or running along vine rows. Before driving stakes, anchoring stages, or allowing vehicle traffic, ask the vineyard manager for irrigation and utility maps. If none are available, do a physical inspection of the area – look for telltale signs like sprinkler heads, valve boxes, or drip tube lines. In one Californian winery event, a supplier’s truck accidentally drove over a concealed irrigation pipe, cracking it and causing water to seep to the surface mid-festival. The result was a messy mud patch and a very unhappy vineyard owner. The lesson: mark out “no-drive zones” and consider laying temporary roadway mats for any necessary vehicle paths to the stage or installations. Keep heavy vehicles off the vine rows entirely – use small carts or even ATVs for ferrying equipment if needed, and limit them to predefined routes.
– No Stakes in the Ground: Many outdoor event structures (tents, stages, inflatables) are often secured with long stakes or pegs driven into the soil. In a vineyard, this can be disastrous if it punctures irrigation or roots. Instead, use ballast weights to secure tents and stages. Water barrels, concrete blocks, or metal ballasts can safely anchor structures without any digging. It’s a bit more labour during setup (and may require a forklift to position heavy weights), but it absolutely protects the underground infrastructure. For example, the A Day on the Green concert series in Australia, which tours winery venues, uses water-filled barriers and weighted stage footings rather than stakes on sensitive winery lawns. By doing so, they avoid disturbing the grounds of host vineyards that invest heavily in their landscape.
– Ground Cover and Spill Prevention: Beyond fuel spills addressed earlier, also plan for other potential ground impacts. Will there be food vendors or a beer tent on the grass? Use drip mats or trays under any cooking stations or bars to catch spills – wine and grease can kill grass and invite pests (and nobody wants ants or wasps invading a festival!). If the festival involves art installations or structures among the vines, ensure none are tied or nailed directly to the vines or trellises; always use free-standing supports. In the event of rain, high foot traffic areas on lawn can turn to mud quickly – laying down temporary flooring (such as interlocking plastic tiles, artificial turf, or straw in a pinch) in front of stages and heavy-use areas will protect both the ground and your attendees from a mud bath.
– Protecting the Vines: The grapevines themselves are the stars of the venue – often the backdrop to the whole experience. Prevent concert-goers from trampling or picking the grapes by delineating areas clearly. Use subtle fencing or ropes along the edge of vine rows if the stage or crowd is very near active vineyard blocks. For instance, at a harvest festival in France, organisers ran decorative ropes along the first row of vines and stationed volunteers there to politely discourage guests from wandering into the vine rows beyond. It preserved the vineyard and also reduced liability (no one getting lost or hurt among dark vine rows at night). Additionally, consider the timing of the event relative to the vineyard’s season. Right after harvest (when vines have no fruit and the winery might even welcome some post-harvest celebration) could be better than right before harvest when grapes are sensitive and the winery is busy. Always coordinate with the vineyard’s agricultural calendar.

Barrel Room Events: Intimate but Delicate Spaces

Many winery venues offer a barrel room or cellar space – essentially warehouses or caves where wine barrels are aging – that can double as a charming indoor event space. These barrel rooms are popular for intimate concerts, VIP lounges, tastings, or after-parties during a festival. They bring guests literally inside the winemaking experience. But hosting an event in such a space requires care:
– Acoustic Considerations Indoors: Barrel rooms are typically concrete or stone buildings with lots of wood barrels – acoustically, this can be an echo-prone environment. A string quartet or a solo singer might sound magical reverberating off the barrel stacks, but a loud rock band in a concrete cellar can turn into a noisy muddle. Choose the programming for indoor spaces accordingly (softer music or controlled amplification). If using a PA system, a sound engineer should tune it for the room’s acoustics – possibly using more speakers placed throughout at lower volumes to avoid blasting any one spot. The goal is a pleasant, low-SPL experience that complements the wine-sipping vibe.
– Protect the Wine and Barrels: Wine barrels “breathe” – they exchange air with the environment – which is crucial for aging. Thus, whatever is in the air (odors, smoke, dust) can affect the wine. It’s paramount that no fumes or strong odors infiltrate the barrel room. This means:
– No gas-powered generators, heaters, or vehicles should run inside or near open doorways. As noted earlier, exhaust fumes near a barrel stack could impart unwanted flavour compounds or taints to the wine.
– Be cautious with smoke machines or special effects indoors; if you use them for ambiance, ensure they are safe (water-based hazers rather than oil-based, for example) and use minimally, because the haze can stick around in an unventilated cellar.
– Absolutely no smoking by any staff or guest inside – not only a safety issue (alcohol fumes can be flammable in high concentrations) but also tobacco smoke could cling to barrels.
– Maintain slightly cooler temperatures; if you pack a room with people and equipment, it can heat up, which isn’t ideal for wine. If the barrel room has climate control, coordinate with the winery to keep it on during the event. Otherwise, limit the occupancy or duration so you’re not raising the environment too much.
– Physical Layout and Safety: Barrel rooms often have uneven floors, tight spaces between barrel racks, and very little “backstage” area. Plan the layout for events carefully:
– Capacity and Exits: Don’t overload the space. Stick to a comfortable capacity that allows movement. Ensure there are clear aisles and that emergency exits aren’t blocked by equipment or wine barrels. Work with the winery on a safety inspection – they will be very protective of this area.
– Stage Setup: If you set up a small stage or riser in a barrel hall, make it modular and low-impact. Avoid drilling or bolting anything into the walls or floor (the winery will not allow that usually). Use freestanding stage pieces. If you need to move any barrels to create space, always get winery staff to handle that – these barrels are heavy and valuable. Often, wineries will have an empty section or can temporarily relocate a few barrels to accommodate a small stage or dance floor; plan this in advance.
– Decor and Lighting: Barrel rooms have built-in atmosphere with rows of oak barrels and dim lighting. Augment carefully – use battery-operated up-lights or clip lights to highlight the beauty of the barrels (open flames like candles are usually forbidden for fire safety). Hanging fairy lights or lanterns can create a wonderful ambiance with minimal impact. Just be sure any electrical cords are secured and not a trip hazard around the ancient oak casks!
– Case in point: At Napa’s Blue Note Jazz Festival in 2022, some VIP performances were held in a winery’s barrel room, giving guests an intimate jazz-club feel surrounded by wine barrels. The festival organisers kept volumes moderate and even laid down a temporary carpet to reduce echo and protect the floor. Additionally, they had an HVAC system bring in fresh air to offset the body heat of the crowd. The event earned praise for its atmosphere – and the winery reported no ill effects on their wines. The success highlights that with careful planning, barrel rooms can be magical festival spaces that still respect the sanctity of the wine.

Community Relations: Neighbours, Noise and Curfews

Winery festivals often take place in rural or semi-rural areas, which means nearby communities may not be used to large events. Gaining and maintaining neighbour support is crucial for the longevity of these events:
– Understand Local Regulations: Begin by researching noise ordinances, event permits, and curfew laws in the area. Many wine regions have strict rules – for example, in parts of Napa Valley (USA) and Yarra Valley (Australia), amplified music might have to end by 10:00 PM or even earlier. Always design your schedule to comply, and if possible, finish a little before the curfew (to allow an encore without running late).
– Strict Curfew Enforcement: Do not treat curfews as suggestions – treat them as immovable deadlines. Communities will notice if you push the limits. For instance, at a winery-hosted jazz festival in St. Helena, California, the show ran about 20 minutes past the 10 PM curfew on two nights, leading to formal complaints from neighbours and a stern reminder from local authorities. Similarly, the large BottleRock festival in Napa had to cut power to famous bands on the dot of curfew – The Cure and Heart had their performances cut off just before the end to meet a hard 10 PM sound cutoff (napavalleyregister.com). These examples illustrate a key point: a festival might get one warning for breaking curfew, but if it happens repeatedly, permits for future years can be jeopardised. Plan set times with a buffer and communicate clearly with artists that you will pull the plug if needed.
– Noise Management and Monitoring: It’s not just about the end time; it’s also about volume throughout. Hiring an acoustic consultant or sound engineer to monitor noise at the property line can be a worthwhile investment. Some festivals set up remote decibel meters at the nearest houses to get live feedback of the noise levels escaping the venue. Modern tech even allows sending this data to the sound desk in real time, so engineers can adjust levels if needed. In the BottleRock example, organisers relocated stages and imposed a festival-wide decibel limit after the first year’s complaints, actively working to reduce sound leakage. Techniques to reduce off-site noise include using directional speaker arrays (as mentioned earlier), avoiding late-night sub-bass-heavy acts, and even using natural barriers (like placing the stage facing a hill or grove to block sound).
– Neighbour Outreach: A little goodwill goes a long way. Proactively inform the neighbours well in advance about the event dates, times, and what to expect. Provide a way for them to contact the festival team directly with any issues (some festivals set up a hotline during show days). For multi-day events, consider offering local residents some perks: free or discounted tickets, or designated “quiet hours” during the day if it involves sound checks. The BottleRock festival in Napa, for example, introduced “neighbourhood ambassadors” – staff whose job was to attend to resident concerns, from noise to trash – and this community liaison programme was met with appreciation by locals. By making neighbours feel heard and respected, you transform them from potential adversaries to partners.
– Traffic and Parking Impact: Often noise is just one concern; rural roads and small towns can be heavily impacted by festival traffic. Work on traffic management plans: use shuttles to remote parking if the winery has limited parking, station traffic coordinators or signage to prevent bottlenecks, and notify locals of peak ingress/egress times. In one case, a winery in Italy staggered its festival’s end time by ending the music at 9:30 PM but keeping the venue (and wine bar) open until 10:30, allowing attendees to depart gradually in waves rather than all at once – which neighbours noted reduced the usual post-event traffic jam noise.
– Addressing Complaints and Building Longevity: Despite best efforts, some neighbours may still complain (perhaps a particularly sensitive individual or someone opposed to events on principle). Take any complaint seriously. If someone reports that “the bass is rattling my windows” or “cars blocked my driveway,” respond with a personal touch – a phone call or visit to apologise and understand the problem can defuse anger. If the festival plans to be annual, consider holding a post-event community meeting. For example, after its inaugural year, one boutique festival held a town hall where residents could voice concerns, which led to improvements like better sound baffling and volunteer litter patrols outside the venue the next year. Showing that you listen and adapt creates goodwill. In contrast, neglecting community sentiment can lead to lawsuits or permit denials: as seen in a 2024 case in Indiana, neighbours of Vinland Reserve Winery were so upset by persistent loud music that they filed a lawsuit calling the events a “nuisance” because the sound was heard inside their homes (www.wane.com). Clearly, no festival organiser wants to reach that point.

Crafting the Boutique Vineyard Festival Experience

Beyond the operational challenges, what makes a vineyard festival truly special — and successful — is designing an experience that fits the venue and audience. Some additional tips and insights:
– Venue Selection and Layout: Not all vineyards are event-friendly. When scouting winery locations, consider the natural layout: Is there a flat lawn or clearing for a stage and audience? Are there picturesque features (like an old barn, a lake, or a hillside) that can be integrated? Ideally, the site will have a balance of open space and vineyard views. Terraced vineyards can even work as natural amphitheatres. At Mission Estate Winery in New Zealand, for example, a sloping lawn facing the historic estate house serves as a bowl for concerts, with vineyards on the periphery – it creates superb sightlines for thousands of attendees while keeping them off the vine rows. Once you have the site, plan infrastructure zones (stage, F&B, restrooms) such that you avoid any interference with the vineyard’s operations (e.g., don’t put portaloos or waste bins next to the grape vat house’s intake door).
– Marketing and Audience Engagement: A vineyard festival often appeals to a slightly different demographic than a city festival. There may be more affluent or older patrons, wine enthusiasts, or tourists looking for a premium experience. Tailor your marketing accordingly:
– Emphasise the unique setting in promotional materials – the promise of sipping wine under the stars while listening to great music is a powerful draw. Use stunning vineyard photos, and if available, testimonials from past attendees about the magical atmosphere.
– Leverage local tourism boards and wine industry networks. Many wine regions, whether it’s Tuscany (Italy) or Mendoza (Argentina), have associations that promote agri-tourism. Partner with them to reach wine lovers and travellers.
– Social media strategy should highlight the Instagram-worthy nature of the event: think sunset over the vines, performers with barrels in the background, attendees clinking glasses of wine. Encourage user-generated content by creating festival hashtags and maybe running a photo contest for the best vineyard shot of the event.
– Offer wine-centric experiences as part of the festival ticket or schedule. For example, vineyard tours, grape stomping sessions, or meet-the-winemaker talks can add an educational and interactive dimension. This not only enhances the attendee experience but also ingratiates the festival with the winery host (who benefits from showcasing their wines).
– Ticketing and Capacity Management: By nature, boutique winery festivals should err on the side of limited capacity. Overcrowding not only strains the venue (and annoys neighbours and attendees) but also diminishes that relaxed vibe people expect. Determine a safe and comfortable capacity with the winery – sometimes it might be a few hundred for a small lawn, or a few thousand for a large estate. Use a robust ticketing platform to enforce these limits and prevent over-sale. Ideally, your ticketing system (such as Ticket Fairy) will let you set tiered tickets (e.g., VIP wine tasting add-ons or shuttle bus passes for designated drivers) and provide real-time sales data so you can anticipate crowd size. At rural locations, also plan for on-site connectivity: scanning tickets or processing cashless payments might be challenging if cell signal is weak. It’s wise to invest in temporary Wi-Fi or cell boosters for the event, or use a ticketing/check-in app that can work offline if needed. (Notably, after its first year issues with phone signal, BottleRock Napa increased on-site cellular transmitters to improve connectivity (napavalleyregister.com) – a move that helped both festival organisers and attendees stay connected.)
– Budgeting for the Unexpected: Hosting in a vineyard means budgeting for a few extras. Allocate funds for things like:
– Ground restoration – you may need to reseed or aerate the lawn after the festival if there’s damage.
– Local permits/compliance – noise monitoring, extra security, or traffic control personnel might be mandated by local authorities.
– Shuttle transportation – if parking is remote or limited, renting shuttle buses or vans for attendees can be crucial.
– Insurance – ensure your coverage includes agricultural damage (if, say, a guest wanders into the vines and harms them) and liquor liability, since wine is likely flowing.
– It’s also smart to set aside a contingency for community relations (e.g., if noise complaints arise, you might invest in additional sound baffling or offer neighbour appeasements in future).
– Sustainability and Leave No Trace: Wineries are part of an agricultural ecosystem, so most vineyard festivals make sustainability a core principle. Encourage recycling and composting on-site (perhaps working with the winery’s own waste management practices). Avoid single-use plastics where possible – many wine festivals give guests a reusable branded cup or a souvenir wine glass to use all event long, reducing waste. Also plan for proper greywater disposal (from any sinks or kitchens) so nothing harmful goes into the soil. Conduct a thorough cleanup of not just the festival site but surrounding areas, since wind can blow trash into the vines. A respectful approach to the land will likely be noticed by the winery and neighbours, and will set the stage for you to be invited back next year.

Key Takeaways: The Vineyard Festival Playbook

• Know Your Venue: Every vineyard has its quirks – spend time with the vineyard manager to understand wind patterns, irrigation layouts, and sensitive areas. Tailor your festival layout to the land, not the other way around.
• Sound and Curfew Compliance: Design your sound system for targeted coverage and keep volumes reasonable. Always abide by curfews and local noise laws – ending on time (or early) is non-negotiable for community relations (napavalleyregister.com). Plan sets and encores to fit within limits.
• Protect the Grapes and Ground: Use ground protection mats, avoid driving on or staking into soil near vine roots or irrigation. Safeguard the vines with barriers or staff. Leave the site as good as you found it, if not better.
• Power Up Safely: Plan a reliable power supply via generators or mains hookup, but position everything to minimise noise and fumes. Prevent fuel spills at all costs and keep any pollutants far from grapes, barrels, and guests.
• Embrace the Boutique Experience: Limit capacity if needed to ensure a high-quality experience (as some festivals do with a ~4,000 cap (sonomaharvestmusicfestival.com)). Highlight the unique wine-country setting in your programming and marketing – wine tastings, tours, and gourmet food amplify the sense of place.
• Barrel Room Wisdom: If using indoor winery spaces, respect them. Keep music and activities barrel-friendly (no excessive vibrations or fumes), and lay out events to protect both people and wine. The charm of a barrel room is unique – use it wisely for VIP or acoustic sets.
• Community is Key: Engage with neighbours early and often. Provide information, address concerns, and show you care (hire community liaisons, monitor noise at property lines, manage traffic). A festival can boost the local economy and culture, so build a narrative of being a positive contributor to the community.
• Prepare for Risks: Consider all “what-ifs” – weather (have wind/rain contingencies), fire risk in dry regions (have fire extinguishers, and skip any fireworks/open flames), medical emergencies (remote locations need clear emergency plans), and so on. It’s better to be over-prepared on a vineyard where external help might be miles away.
• Collaborate with the Winery: Finally, treat the winery as a partner, not just a venue provider. Work with their schedules, respect their property (and product), and align on goals (for example, maybe a portion of proceeds goes to a local farming charity or the winery’s community fund). A happy winery owner means a sustainable festival for years to come.

By translating these case study lessons into practice, the next wave of festival organisers can uncork extraordinary events amidst the vines. A vineyard festival, done right, is a vintage blend of creativity, hospitality, and meticulous planning – one that leaves attendees with lasting memories and host communities proud (and perhaps a bit of well-earned wine sales!). With this playbook in hand, you’re well-equipped to produce a festival that truly ages well, improving year after year like a fine wine.