The King Valley pays tribute to the European lifestyle this weekend, with the annual La Dolce Vita festival.

Tomorrow and Sunday, 11 of the region’s wineries will throw open their cellar doors and entice visitors with wine-tasting, gourmet feasts, music and entertainment.

It’s a celebration of the region’s rich Italian heritage and, as Dal Zotto Estate’s Christian Dal Zotto says, a chance for all the local wine-making families to pull together.

“We all work so hard and so well together to make it work, it’s a true testament to them all,” Mr Dal Zotto said.

“We just try to create a really cool and relaxed atmosphere that makes it easy for visitors to soak up the region.”

Though Mr Dal Zotto hesitates to put a figure on anticipated attendances, bookings so far at his family’s winery are double last year’s.

“There’s always such a good cross-section of people who travel, from Melbourne or Canberra or Sydney, to be part of what’s going on here.”

This year he’s hoping for perfect weather for “sipping on cocktails and drinking prosecco”.

The Dal Zotto program includes three-course degustation lunches, a prosecco brunch on Sunday, live music, children’s activities, pizza and gourmet delights.

Visitors can purchase a tasting glass for $20, which can be used at all participating wineries.

Of course, with all that wine going around, Whitfield police are reminding folks not to drink and drive.

“Historically, drink-driving’s never been an issue at the La Dolce Vita festival,” Leading Sen-Constable Ben D’Ornay said.

“We’ve got a good reputation for responsible drinking and public behaviour out here and we’re proud of that.”