South Australia's best wine, spirits and food will be showcased to thousands of festivalgoers in the heart of Adelaide this weekend (2-4 February) for Cellar Door Fest, the premier showcase of our state's food & drink.
Now in its 13th year, the event brings more than 100 of South Australia's hottest food, wine and spirit producers under one roof in the heart of the city for three days of gourmet fun at Adelaide Convention Centre.
From internationally renowned to boutique brands, the event offers the chance to learn about and sample South Australia's unparalleled wine regions and experiences, along with its vibrant distillery scene and incredible produce, providing the perfect inspiration for a future visit to the regions.
This year's event has attracted producers from across 15 South Australian wine regions, including as far away as the Eyre Peninsula, Riverland, Clare Valley, Coonawarra and Limestone Coast.
A new Great Wine Capitals Discovery Stage will further showcase the state's wine tourism industry through a series of free and interactive wine discussions, hosted by respected South Australian wine personality, Nick Ryan.
This stage will feature some of South Australia's Best of Wine Tourism award-winners, including McLaren Vale's Yangarra Estate Vineyard; Pindarie and Alkina Wine Estate from the Barossa Valley; and Adelaide Hills' Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard and Sidewood Estate.
Festivalgoers will get the opportunity to hear from winemakers, learn about new varieties, join in great wine conversation and discover why Adelaide, South Australia is ranked alongside some of the best wine regions in the world as part of the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
Additional Festival highlights include:
- the 'Meet the Maker' stage, hosted by South Australian MasterChef alum, Malissa Fedele, offering live cooking demonstrations including a special MasterChef-inspired 'mystery box' challenge; and,
- the return of the always-popular Emerging Producers zone, highlighting new talent from across the state who have been in the industry for three years or less.
Cellar Door Fest is proudly supported by the South Australian Government, through the Department of Primary Industries and Regions.
Adelaide's Great Wine Capitals Global Network membership includes PIRSA and South Australian Tourism Commission, as well as the South Australian Wine Industry Association (SAWIA), and the University of Adelaide.
The festival opens to the public from 5pm today, with festival doors also open from 11am on Saturday and Sunday.
Event details are available at cellardoorfestival.com
As put by Zoe Bettison
South Australia is known as the wine state both domestically and abroad, with wine a key driver of visitors to our state.
Latest data shows in the 12 months to September 2023, one third of all international tourists to our state – and one fifth of all interstate tourists – visited a winery during their trip to South Australia.
With 340 cellar doors in SA, 200 of which are located within an hour's drive from Adelaide, our wine regions are considered 'must-visit' destinations for visitors to South Australia.
In fact, consumer research among Aussie travellers shows South Australia is regarded as the #1 state for 'credible wines and wineries' and has recently surpassed Victoria for 'good food and wine'.
The Cellar Door Fest provides the ultimate opportunity to meet, taste and discover new brands and operators – and get inspired to start planning your next trip to one of our world-class wine regions.
As put by Clare Scriven
South Australians are rightly proud of our world-class food and beverages and Cellar Door gives festivalgoers a chance to sample and learn about our amazing produce under one roof.
Our wine tourism has been showcased as part of our membership in Great Wine Capitals, which formally recognises South Australia as one of the top wine producers and wine destinations in the world and benchmarks against prestigious regions such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley.
And now through the new Great Wine Capitals Discovery Stage program, South Australians will be able to get a free insight into some of these producers through a curated program hosted by Nick Ryan.
As put by Martin Radcliffe, Chief Executive Officer, Adelaide Venue Management, operators of Adelaide Convention Centre
We're thrilled to bring Cellar Door Fest back to Adelaide Convention Centre this weekend and shine a spotlight on South Australia's vibrant food and drink scene.
Since its inception, Cellar Door Fest has proudly championed the 'eat' drink, support local' message, providing a wonderful platform to discover new brands and producers. We understand that our wineries and distilleries are operating in a very competitive and dynamic environment. As such, we do whatever we can to help boost their profile and encourage people to get out and visit our amazing regions.
More than 90 percent of attendees at last year's festival confirmed their plans to do just that, which is important for intrastate tourism.
Cellar Door Fest is particularly proud to lend our support to the State's emerging producers. Always a popular feature, this year's Emerging Producers zone will showcase some 14 new producers from across the State including both wineries and newly-launched distilleries.
