Tasting Australia 2024 starts in less than 3 weeks and there are so many exciting events with links to France to enjoy. In this article, we share with you the Tasting Australia 2024 French wine events, champagne events and Belgian beer events. Read on to find out about them. If you’re also keen on French food, you may also like to check out our article about French food events at Tasting Australia 2024.
French Wine events at Tasting Australia 2024
PALOMA BAR AND PANTRY PRESENTS THE WORLD SERIES OF WINE
Tuesday 7 May & Wednesday 8 May
$79
Paloma Bar and Pantry is tackling the wine world’s biggest questions in the World Series of Wine. On Tuesday 7 May its World Series of Wine will consider whether Chablis or chardonnay reigns supreme, also pitting nebbiolo against Barolo on Wednesday 8 May.
Tastings will be led by 2KW sommelier Dan McEvoy, who will take you through a flight of wines to compare, discuss and ultimately determine a victor. Raiding the cellar, McEvoy will present true gems of each variety to ensure all put their best foot forward. Don’t miss this very special wine event.
INCLUSIONS –
Food: bar snacks
Beverages: six wine tastings
TASTING TABLE – HEDONISM – SOLD OUT (WAITLIST AVAILABLE)
Fri 10th May 2024 at 11:30 AM
$150
The French know how to live well. A passion for eating and drinking – for conversation, for the human experience – is woven through national culture. Make like a bon vivant and join host Jonathan Hersey at Adelaide restaurant and bar Fino Vino, loved for its close ties to producers, seasonal menus and impeccable service.
Hersey works across two wine worlds. He grows grapes near Kuitpo in the Adelaide Hills and produces wine under his family label, specialising in light, fresh and textured chardonnay and pinot noir. Since 2018 Hersey has also owned import business the French Wine Centre in Norwood, with about 20 remarkable producers represented across its portfolio. Two trips to France each year allow him to meet with winemakers in their homes and domaines.
Bring a little hedonism to your life and share French treasures alongside a passionate local advocate.
INCLUSIONS:
Six tastings of French wine
Champagne and sparkling wine at Tasting Australia 2024
SOFITEL ADELAIDE’S 2024 SIGNATURE CHAMPAGNE DINNER
Thu 9th May 2024 at 6:30 PM
$495
Sofitel Adelaide’s Signature Champagne Dinner will be a luxurious, one-of-a-kind degustation experience combining local South Australian produce and high-end French cuisine.
Each of its courses will be paired with some of the world’s most exclusive champagne, with a brand representative to host the evening. Diners are set to gather on the ninth floor of the Sofitel Adelaide, loved for its sweeping views to the city and coast.
INCLUSIONS:
Food: five-course dinner
Beverages: paired champagne with each course
MASTERCLASS – TASTING THE STARS: CHAMPAGNE
Sat 4th May 2024 at 4:00 PM
$240
The best bubbles transcend it all: time, place, everyday cares. What is this magic? Winemaker Kate Laurie, importer-distributor and master sommelier Sebastian Crowther, wine buyer Sophie Carbonneau and The Point Group Food and Beverage Director Alex Kirkwood will explain. Sip premium champagnes, discover their nuances and treat yourself to a little luxury.
Adelaide Hills vineyards supply fruit for the cool-climate wines Laurie makes under her Deviation Road label. Creating bottle-fermented, aged Australian sparkling is a passion, one that emerged from oenology training in France.
Crowther launched Real Wines, whose portfolio includes the kind of vibrant, expressive champagne sought by leading international restaurants. He has deep experience on that front too, being only the third Australian to achieve master sommelier status and later serving as beverage director for Sydney’s Rockpool Group.
Carbonneau, meanwhile, is head buyer at wine importer and distributor Bibendum. Brilliant champagnes – often from family-run producers – are constantly on her radar. Kirkwood oversees drinks for restaurants including Sydney’s two-hatted Shell House, wine list of the year winner at the 2023 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards.
Expect remarkable wine and lively conversation as our panellists share their knowledge.
INCLUSIONS:
Food: tasting cheese board
Beverages: three tasting brackets with three champagnes in each; a total of nine champagne tastings
MASTERCLASS: A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE (SOLD OUT – WAITLIST AVAILABLE)
Sat 11th May 2024 at 12:00 PM
$33
Cheers! Sparkling wine is synonymous with celebration, so the University of Adelaide is celebrating its 150th year with the most heralded sparkling winemakers coming together and raisng a toast. This masterclass will celebrate all things bubbly – the hero of all celebrations – whether it be blanc de blanc, cuvée or rosé.
Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, The Honourable Catherine Branson AC KC, will welcome winemakers representing labels that produce some of Australia’s best and most loved sparkling wines. Guests are set to include Shane Holloway and Fran Austin of Tasmania’s Delamere Vineyard, Natalie Fryar of fellow Tasmanian label Bellebone, and Ella Hoban of Accolade and Croser in South Australia.
INCLUSIONS:
Food: cheese tasting plate
Beverages: selection of sparkling wines
Belgian Beer at Tasting Australia 2024
TASTING TABLE – FARMHOUSE ALES
Sat 4th May 2024 at 4:00 PM
$95
Take a walk on the wild (and sour) side. It’s a celebration of craft brewers doing spontaneously fermented in style. Beer from Lone Gum Farmhouse, Robe Town Brewery and the Pajottenland region of Belgium will feature. Ash Huntington of Tasmania’s renowned Two Metre Tall Brewery will host the session.
Savvy South Australian beer lovers may know Lone Gum Farmhouse – but, if not, consider this an introduction. Owner Ryan Bickley specialises in alternate ferment beers and wines, taking cues from global styles to craft sour barrel-aged ales using local fruit.
Robe Town Brewery, meanwhile, uses old-school and low-tech methods to produce more than 20 unique beers. It remains Australia’s only wood-fired brewery, with easy-drinking options joined by stouts, sours and red ales.
Gather at Rundle Street favourite Hellbound for this ode to farmhouse brewing – one sure to spark some new ideas.
INCLUSIONS:
Six beer tastings
MASTERCLASS – BEERS FROM HERE, BEERS FROM FAR
Sat 4th May 2024 at 12:00 PM
$110
Love a brew? Us too! Settle in for beers you simply have to try. South Australian standouts – some flying under the radar – will be joined by finds from further afield.
Briony Liebich, local beer expert, educator and judge is your host. She’ll chat with brewers Ashley Huntington and Tim Kenny about differing beer style and the leaps and bounds South Australia has made in the past few years.
Huntington founded Tasmania’s Two Metre Tall brewery, which features a range of spontaneously fermented ales. He arrived in the Derwent Valley intent on making wine, but was soon captivated by the potential for craft beer. Kenny, meanwhile, is based at Port Adelaide favourite Pirate Life, founded almost 10 years ago and today among the state’s most beloved beer brands.
An occasion to chat about great brews with these three minds at the table.
INCLUSIONS:
Food: tasting cheese board
Beverages: four beer tasting brackets with four beers in each; a total of 16 beer tastings
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KEY INFO ABOUT TASTING AUSTRALIA 2024
WHAT: Tasting Australia 2024
WHERE: Various locations in Adelaide and South Australia
WHEN: 3 – 12 May 2024
HOW: View the full program and book tickets on the official website
HOW MUCH: Ticket prices vary depending on the event
Which of these 7 Belgian beer, champagne, French wine events do you want to attend at Tasting Australia 2024?
Don’t forget to check out our article about 10 unforgettable French food events at Tasting Australia 2024. Next week, we will let you know about the French wine varietals celebrated at Tasting Australia 2024.
