Food and drink festival Cellar Door Fest is returning to the heart of Adelaide this weekend (30 January – 1 February), celebrating 15 years of supporting local producers and regional tourism.
Festivalgoers will be able to sip, sample and shop SA at the Adelaide Convention Centre, with participating producers hailing from across 16 regions, including the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley and as far away as the Limestone Coast, Riverland and Eyre Peninsula.
“With 350 cellar doors across the state – 200 within an hour’s drive of Adelaide – South Australia’s wine regions are considered must-visit destinations for both locals and visitors alike,” said SA Minister for Tourism Zoe Bettison.
“Cellar Door Fest not only provides an important platform for South Australian producers to connect directly with consumers, but boosts regional awareness, inspiring future visits to our beautiful regions.
“It’s particularly encouraging that 92% of attendees at last year’s Cellar Door Fest indicated plans to visit South Australia’s wine regions and we hope even more are inspired to do the same after this weekend’s event.”
At the heart of this year’s event is a spotlight on South Australia’s seafood and coastal communities, with the introduction of a dedicated Seafood & Sparkling Bar and a special Eyre Peninsula showcase.
Presented in partnership with Seafood Industry South Australia, Yumbah Aquaculture and DAOSA, the Seafood & Sparkling Bar will serve up an array of local seafood including Coffin Bay oysters, Spencer Gulf kingfish and Kinkawooka mussels, with recipe cards on hand to help festivalgoers recreate the seafood magic at home.
At the Eyre Peninsula showcase, visitors will be able to sample a slice of SA’s west coast as they sip cool-climate wines and handcrafted spirits, with local tourism experts on hand to support planning bespoke itineraries to the region. As an extra incentive to encourage attendees to ‘support local’, those who make a purchase at the Fest will have the chance to win one of two epic Eyre Peninsula experiences.
Other festival highlights include sold-out educational masterclasses spanning cheese, wine and music, along with the return of the Wine Discovery Stage. Hosted by South Australian wine identity, Nick Ryan, the stage will offer free guided tastings across Saturday and Sunday, providing festivalgoers the chance to hear directly from the winemakers, explore new varieties and dive into the unique stories of our wine regions.
Also back by popular demand, the Emerging Producers Zone will shine a spotlight on a mix of 18 new wineries, distilleries and Adelaide-based brewery, Tiny Fish Brew Co – all of whom have been in the industry three years or less – providing a platform to celebrate the next generation of South Australian talent.
Sarah Goldfinch, general manager at Adelaide Convention Centre, said the event had become a “staple” on SA’s annual festival calendar.
“Events like Cellar Door Fest play a vital role in supporting South Australia’s wine industry, by providing consumers with a direct way to buy local, support regional businesses and ensure our world-class wineries – along with our distilleries and artisan food producers – continue to thrive,” said Goldfinch.
Cellar Door Fest opens to the public from 5pm today (Friday, 30 January) and from 11am on Saturday and Sunday. Full details and last-minute tickets are available at cellardoorfestival.com.
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Dining and Cooking