The best of South Australia's wine, spirits and food will take centre stage in the city this weekend for the return of the annual Cellar Door Fest.
More than 150 wineries, distilleries and food producers from across the state will come together under one roof at Adelaide Convention Centre - with a spotlight on supporting Riverland producers, as well as on South Australia's status as a Great Wine Capital of the World.
Festival goers will be encouraged to sample and buy wines and spirits from the Riverland region, in a bid to support growers and producers impacted by the Murray River flooding.
Operators from across the Riverland, from Cadell to Loxton and Renmark, will be showcased - including 23rd Street Distillery, 919 Wines, Bassham Wines, Mallee Estate, Needle & Pin Spirits, Oxford Landing, Salena Estate Wines, Sixty Eight Roses, Spook Hill Wines, Starrs Reach Vineyard, and Winesmiths.
Consumers are also being encouraged to visit the Shop Local SA website to continue to support producers and businesses across the Murray River regions, beyond the life of the festival.
The event follows latest data showing three of the state's best-known wine regions have seen record-high visitor expenditure levels - with Adelaide Hills, Barossa and Fleurieu Peninsula alone driving almost $1.2 billion in tourism spend in the year-end September 2022.
A Great Wine Capitals 'Discovery Space' at Cellar Door Fest will celebrate Adelaide, South Australia as one of 11 globally renowned wine destinations. The dedicated area will feature tastings and masterclasses with past winners of the Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards, such as 2023 winners Sidewood Estate in the Adelaide Hills, Paulett Wines in the Clare Valley, and a masterclass by Tony Love profiling the 2023 Global Best of Wine Tourism Award winner Grapes for Good and Zoos SA from Langhorne Creek.
A popular fixture on South Australia's vibrant events calendar, Cellar Door Fest is one of the state's premier food and drink festivals, each year attracting around 10,000 attendees over the weekend.
From internationally renowned to boutique brands, the event offers the chance to learn about South Australia's unparalleled wine regions, buzzing distillery scene and incredible local produce.
Attendees are encouraged to explore the regions, enjoy complimentary tastings, take part in masterclasses and cooking demonstrations, and chat with the makers themselves. An 'Emerging Producers' zone offers a dedicated area to highlight new talent across the state.
The event is proudly supported by the South Australian Government, through the state's Great Wine Capitals Global Network membership - which includes the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) and South Australian Tourism Commission, as well as the South Australian Wine Industry Association (SAWIA), University of Adelaide, and University of South Australia.
Cellar Door Fest opens to the public at 5pm today, with festival doors also open from 12noon on Saturday and Sunday.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said thanks to the state's standing as a Great Wine Capital of the World, South Australia is known as the wine state both domestically, and abroad and is a key driver of visitors to the state.
"The Cellar Door Fest is a great platform for producers and growers from across South Australia to come together under one roof in front of thousands of consumers," Minister Bettison said.
"With the return of the event this weekend, it is wonderful to be able to showcase so much of our state's wine, spirits and food in the heart of our CBD and also support growers from all over the State, particularly the Riverland wine region that has been going through challenging times due to the floods.
"According to latest data three of our best-known wine regions have seen record-high visitor expenditure levels - with tourism spend in the Adelaide Hills, Barossa and Fleurieu Peninsula in the 12 months to September 2022 reaching an all-time high.
"We're working to continue this strong momentum across the state and are focused on driving the recovery of businesses along the Murray River."
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Clare Scriven said it is fantastic to see the Cellar Door Fest showcasing the best South Australia has to offer.
"It's especially important to be including the Riverland wine region, which is the nation's largest wine growing and producing region, given the uncertainty and angst the communities and business operators have experienced during the last few months," Minister Scriven said.
"The Riverland wine region exports to 109 countries across the globe and produces more than 30 per cent of Australia's total crush.
"Wine is just one part of Cellar Door Fest - there are also locally made spirits and food - and it all helps showcase South Australian produce.
"There will be 38 distilleries from all over the state, along with breweries, cheesemakers, and artisanal foods on offer, so come along and have a taste of our regions."
General Manager Adelaide Convention Centre, Martin Radcliffe said Cellar Door Fest is all about creating experiences which link to all the amazing things that are happening in South Australia's wine regions and across the state.
"We're thrilled to bring the event back to Adelaide Convention Centre in 2023 with a record number of participating producers," Mr Radcliffe said.
"Since its inception, Cellar Door Fest has proudly championed the 'eat, drink, support local' message, encouraging festivalgoers to meet, taste and discover some of our state's leading producers, and then visit them in the regions following the event.
"From surveying past attendees, we've found that 95 percent of festivalgoers do just that, which is fantastic for intrastate tourism.
Executive Officer Riverland Wine, Lyndall Rowe said it is exciting to have some of the fantastic Riverland wine producers showcasing their distinctive wines at Cellar Door Fest this weekend.
"Our Riverland producers and growers have been affected by one crisis after another over the last two years, with the latest being the flooding in the Murray River region. But the Riverland is full of passionate, incredibly talented producers, who will be at Cellar Door Fest highlighting just how bold, innovative and diverse Riverland wines are," Ms Rowe said.
"We encourage you to come along and support these amazing producers, and don't forget to visit them next time you are in the region. Now is a fantastic time to visit the Riverland with the high river flows providing amazing scenery and flourishing wildlife, and we encourage all Australians to visit the region and support our local producers and wineries."
Event details at cellardoorfestival.com.
