Local Business And Tourism News

Cheers - here's to the success of Inverloch's second Equinox Festival!

AS ONE of the measures of the success of only the second annual Inverloch Equinox Festival, was that the Cheese and Wine Pairing event hosted by the Inverloch Surf Lifesaving Club on Friday night was a sell-out occasion well before the weekend even arrived. Find out what's on here...

by Michael Giles

Published March 20, 2026

Cheers - here's to the success of Inverloch's second Equinox Festival! — Toasting the success of the second annual Equinox Festival at Inverloch on Friday night, March 20, at a sold out wine and cheese paring event at the Inverloch Surf Lifesaving Club were producers and organisers of the event Lisa Jenkins of Fleet Wines, Sandy Norton Treasurer of the Inverloch Tourism Association (ITA), Sarah Vesty ITA, Marcus Satchwell of Dirty Three Wines, and Daniel Hales of Prom Country Cheese.

ONE of the measures of the success of only the second annual Inverloch Equinox Festival, was that the Cheese and Wine Pairing event hosted by the Inverloch Surf Lifesaving Club on Friday night was a sell-out occasion well before the weekend even arrived.

And one of the stars of the night, as the sun went down over the beautiful Inverloch Surf Beach, was a new cheese from Prom Country Cheese, the maker of the celebrated Inverloch Blue, awarded Super Gold and crowned Best Australian Cheese at the World Cheese Awards.

The new cheese is the appetisingly named ‘Applewood Blue’, which received plenty of oos and ahhs from the lucky patrons, all seated at tables above a stunning coastal view on a superb early autumn evening.

“We’re really pleased with how the Applewood Blue has been received. It’s been very popular since its recent release,” said cheesemaker Daniel Hales from Prom Country Cheese.

“It has a soft blue flavour with a pleasing sweetness and a nice smokey finish,” he said.

Mr Hales agreed it was a very accessible blue, suitable not only for those who loved their blues, but also those looking for a savoury flavour without the sharpness.

The new blue was team with a 2025 Dirty Rizza Reisling from master Inverloch winemaker Marcus Satchwell described as “an off-dry Riesling inspired by the Mosel wines of Germany – serious and delicious”. A brilliant wine for the cellar or clearly, for immediate drinking.

**Some of the locals enjoying the opening night of the Inverloch Equinox Festival at a cheese and wine pairing event at the Inverloch Surf Lifesaving Club.**

And there was plenty more wine and cheese pairs to delight on the opening night of the Inverloch Equinox Festival.

Inverloch’s own Dirty Three Wines poured the following with comments by Marcus Satchwell:

2025 "Dirty Rizza" Riesling
2024 All The Dirts Chardonnay
2023 All The Dirts Pinot Noir

Fleet Wines presented the following with comments by Lisa Jenkins:

NV Blanc de Noir Sparkling
2023 Nostalgia Pinot Noir
2023 Chirnside Cabernet

**There wasn’t a spare chair in the house as a big, happy crowd sat down to wine and cheese tasting as one of the first events of the weekend’s Equinox Festival at Inverloch.**

And providing details on the latest and greatest from Prom Country Cheese was Daniel Hales.

The wines and the cheese were available for purchase on the night and with many of the patrons going away with a bottle or two under their arms, it was a successful occasion socially for those in attendance, commercially for the producers and promotionally for the Inverloch Tourism Association.

Check out what’s on at Inverloch’s Equinox Festival, Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22 HERE.