Cellar Door Fest returned to Adelaide Convention Centre, marking 15 years of showcasing South Australia’s food, wine and spirits producers.
The festival brought together more than 140 producers from across 16 regions, including the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, Limestone Coast, Riverland and Eyre Peninsula.
Visitors sampled and purchases products from wineries, distilleries and food producers, with a focus on regional diversity and local production.
This year’s event included a spotlight on South Australia’s seafood industry and coastal communities, with the introduction of a Seafood and Sparkling Bar and an Eyre Peninsula showcase.
“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 minister for multicultural affairs of South Australia 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 per cent 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.”
Presented in partnership with Seafood Industry South Australia, Yumbah Aquaculture and DAOSA, the Seafood and Sparkling Bar featured local seafood including Coffin Bay oysters, Spencer Gulf kingfish and Kinkawooka mussels, alongside sparkling wines. Recipe cards will also be available for visitors.
The Eyre Peninsula showcase offered cool climate wines and spirits from the region, with tourism representatives available to provide travel information.
The festival program included educational masterclasses covering cheese, wine and music, along with the Wine Discovery Stage hosted by Nick Ryan.
The Emerging Producers Zone featured 18 new wineries, distilleries and the Adelaide based Tiny Fish Brew Co, all operating for three years or less.
“We’re incredibly proud to be celebrating the 15th anniversary of Cellar Door Fest, which has become a staple on South Australia’s annual festival calendar,” said general manager Adelaide Convention Centre Sarah Goldfinch.
“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.”
Dining and Cooking