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Friday 'WINE-DOWN'

  • Phillip Island Winery 414 Berrys Beach Road Ventnor, VIC, 3922 Australia (map)

By the time Friday rolls around, who hasn’t earned a glass of wine?!

Every second Friday evening the winery shifts into Wine-Down mode – the bar’s pouring, the kitchen’s taking care of dinner and the vineyard is putting on a very convincing sunset.

There’s no need to book, no schedule to keep and no pressure to rush home. Let the kids burn off the last of their energy on the lawn, bring the dog along for the outing, and settle in with a glass while someone else takes care of dinner for once.

You might come for one quick drink. You might stay a little longer.
That’s the whole point.

Plaing live this week: Mark Howard

About Mark
In the two years since stepping out as a solo artist and releasing his debut album Passing Strangers, Phillip Island troubadour Mark Howard has been chasing the same dream that first took hold in childhood… to travel, make music, and pass those stories down to his family.

Largely overlooked by the commercial end of the Australian music industry, Howard has instead built his own road, gig by gig, train by train, touring across Australia, Japan, New Zealand and the UK, earning listeners the hard way: one room at a time.

His sound drifts between worlds, a cinematic mix of alt-rock, folky blues and a touch of alt-country, all tied together by a swampy groove and a voice that sounds like it’s been places.

In 2024, three singles from Deep Dark Blue climbed into the AMRAP Top 10, and in 2025, two went all the way to Number 1. He’s shared stages with the likes of Tash Sultana, Tim Rogers, The Whitlams and Alex Lloyd, and his music has found a home on ABC Radio, proof that persistence and passion still count for something.

A wanderer at heart, Howard’s songs are shaped by the grit of forty-five countries’ worth of stages. He’s a dusk-lit storyteller, part dreamer, part drifter and walking the line between rock, folk and country.

Recognised by festivals such as the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe, Mark Howard remains a voice from the edge of the map, restless and quietly determined to keep the dream alive.

“Few artists come close to the sheer level of charisma and magnetism this artist exudes... Everything he does is absolutely effortless, and his discography is full of evident hits.” – Dreamy Paradise (USA)

Earlier Event: July 17
Friday 'WINE-DOWN'
Later Event: August 14
Friday 'WINE-DOWN'