Month: October 2018

Champagne Fest: a day of champagne, great food and dancing

Matilda Marseillaise
Reading Time: 2 minutes

This Sunday, the National Wine Centre in Adelaide will again host the Champagne Fest. It’s a day to indulge in French Champagne and stunning Australian Sparkling Wines from the world’s best bubble-producing regions. You can enjoy locally sourced seafood and fresh produce with tunes provided by DJ Driller to entertain you all afternoon.

 

If you want to learn more about champagne and to taste some special champagnes, you can at Champagne Fest! There will be two sessions of 45 minutes, each costing $40 per person in addition to the Champagne Fest entry ticket. Bookings are a must.

The first, the ‘Grower‘ Champagne Session starts at midday. During this session, you will taste singles origin wines. Among the growers will be Agrapart and Egly Ouriet.

 

The second, the Vintage Champagne Session starts at 2pm. This session will look at the art of vintage champagne, which requires at least 3 years of ageing in bottle. But most champagne houses only release their bottles after 7 or 8 years in bottle. You can taste champagne from small and larger makers in this session.

 

There is also a special VIP package called  “Let us take you on a bubbly journey” but it has long sold out. For $150 per person, you have entry to Champagne Fest as well to the VIP zone where you can drink as much as you like from a selection of champagne, sparkling wine, red and white wines, beer, cider and soft drinks over 5 hours. You will need to book these tickets fast next year so as to not miss out.

 

Tickets

You can buy your Champagne Fest tickets as well as for the champagne sessions here.

 

Entry ticket:  $25 per person or $30 on the day), which includes your first glass of sparkling wine up to a value of $8.

 

What are your favourite champagnes? 

Two foodie festivals together in Adelaide this weekend: Cheese Fest and Ferment the Festival

Matilda Marseillaise
Reading Time: 3 minutes

It’s been two years since Adelaide had Cheese Fest – largely because of the O’Bahn works in Rymill Park. Last year, the Festival’s organiser decided to give us a brand new festival that went beyond cheese with Ferment the Festival, which was very well received.

 

This year, Cheese Fest is back but will take place in the same place and at the same time (so with the same ticket) as Ferment the Festival. On the weekend of 27 and 28 October, Rymill Park in Adelaide’s city centre will host these two festivals.

 

What’s on at these festivals?

Your entry ticket gives you a keepsake glass, a tote bag and access to hundreds of Australian cheeses and their producers, and free tastings of 17 of them, wine from South Australia, local beers, ciders and spirits, live music, cooking demonstrations, unique Cheese tastings, the Fermented Dome, face painting for the kids, cheese oriented quizzes, and more.

 

On previous years, Cheese Fest was strictly only for South Australian produce. This year, for the first time, there will be a French dedicated area called The Pol Roger French Quarter. There, you can expect champagne and French sparkling wines, brie and baguettes.

 

Who will be there?

The following producers will be at CheeseFest and Ferment The Festival.

 

Cheesemongers:

Udder Delights

Alexandrina Cheese Company

Woodside Cheese Wrights

Kris Lloyd Artisan

Vannella Dairy

Meredith Dairy

La Casa Del Formaggio

Boatshed Cheese

La Vera Cheese Company

Warrnambool Cheese & Butter

Olympus Cheese

Milawa Cheese Company

Shaw River Cheese

Robe Dairy

Red Cow Organics

The Dairy Man

 

Craft brewers:

Little Bang Brewing Co (Stepney)

Big Shed Brewing Concern  (Royal Park)

Left Barrel Brewing (Balhannah)

Clare Valley Brewing Company (Clare)

Mismatch Brewing Co. (Nairne)

Western Ridge Brewing (Barossa)

Lobethal Bierhaus (Lobethal)

 

The Sparkke Change Beverage Co (Gypsy)

Libation Army (Gypsy)

Vale Brewing

Fox Hat Brewing

Lobo Cider

 

Wine makers:

Shinglebackk Wines

Kimbolton Wines

Beresford Wines

Vineyard Road Wines

Coriole Vineyards

Pikes Wines

Dune Wines

Pol Roger

Smallfry Wines

Charlotte Dalton Wines

BK Wines

 

Distillers:

23rd St Distillery (with its gin bar).

Kangaroo Island Spirits

Never Never Gin

Ambra Liquers

Chesterfield Whisky

 

Restaurants:

Salopian Inn

A Hereford Beefstouw

Sprout Cooking School

Frencheese

Ragini’s Spicery

Level One @ Electra House

Kings Head

 

Food stalls:

Lost Loaf

The Fermentary

Singing Magpie

Geraldton Hill

Dot Chocolate

Matchetts

Beach Organics

Tuckers Natural

Les Deux Coqs

Popsicool

Skara Smallgoods

Spring Gully

Red Cacao Chocolatier

Smelly Cheese Shop

 

Additional tastings

Sponsored by RAA Travel and Les by Paul Wood et Dougal Mc FuzzleButt, there will also be RAA Travel Tastings. You have the choice of MasterClasses/tastings of cheese and wine, cheese and beer, cheese and gin, or canapés and wine, led by tasting experts.

At the RAA Travel speed tastings you’ll get three drinks and 3 bites which will all be from South Australian producers. Each selection will be carefully matched and you will also get to meet the maker in an intimate setting but with enough time to go back and enjoy everything else the festivals have to offer.

These tastings cost $20.

 

TICKETS AND INFO:

 

When?

The festivals will be open:

Saturday 27 October from 11am to 8pm; and

Sunday 28 October from 11am to 6pm.

 

Price?

$25 for either the Saturday or Sunday (purchased online or $30 at the gate.

$40 for both days , the “weekend pass” (the same price online and at the entrance)

Free for children under 15 years old accompanied by an adult.

The price for the RAA Travel Tastings is additional to the entry ticket. These cost $20.

 

What’s your favourite cheese or fermented product?