Over the past decade, Adelaide, South Australia’s premier food and drink festival – Cellar Door Fest – has connected local wine, spirit and food producers with new and returning audiences by bringing them together under one roof for a jam-packed three-day annual event. It is a wonderful platform for exhibitors hailing from the Eyre Peninsula all the way to the Coonawarra to showcase the state’s finest produce to be enjoyed by festivalgoers in the heart of Adelaide, one of the exclusive 12 Great Wine Capitals of the World.
Hosting around 7,000 visitors a year at the Adelaide Convention Centre, the festival has quickly become a permanent fixture on the South Australian festival calendar. With a program that combines tastings with long table dining and educational masterclasses, the event has lots to offer wine and food enthusiasts.
Since 2013, the South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions – a member of the Adelaide, South Australia Great Wine Capital Steering Committee – has been the major sponsor of the festival, aligning with the department’s goal of championing primary industries and regional producers by enabling wine producers to showcase their products to an engaged audience, and creating an opportunity to increase consumer awareness of Adelaide’s membership in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
In 2024, as part of the sponsorship, the Department will introduce the new Great Wine Capitals Discovery Stage. Hosted by respected South Australian wine identity Nick Ryan, the stage will feature a series of free and interactive wine discussions with some of South Australia’s Best Of Wine Tourism award winners who have been recognised for their innovation and excellence in wine tourism. With sessions scheduled across the Saturday and Sunday of the festival, the stage program will cover winemakers’ stories, education about new wine varieties, and great wine conversation. The program will also highlight Adelaide, South Australia as a Great Wine Capital of the World, which benchmarks the Australian wine region against other respected regions such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley as part of the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
Adelaide, South Australia’s wine, beverage and food producers have demonstrated incredible, sustained resilience for a number of years now, through the pandemic, ongoing oversupply issues and flooding. Despite the challenges, they continue to produce a world-class product that can be enjoyed by all. Cellar Door Fest is a fantastic opportunity for local, interstate and international wine lovers to visit 100+ producers in one central place, taste exceptional fresh produce and products, discover something new or rediscover a favourite, and support local businesses through their purchases.
Cellar Door Fest is on 2-4 February 2024 at Adelaide Convention Centre. For more information, go to the website, Facebook or Instagram.
Photo credit: Simon Casson