Tasting Australia 2026 starts this Friday and offers a feast of food, wine, and culture across South Australia. Here, we’ve curated our selection of standout events with strong French links, whether it be Stéphane Brizard’s classical cooking and immersive VR with Hélène Darroze or Rhône explorations and Chablis tastings. Read on to discover them, and book fast because many events have already sold out!
A CENTURY OLD FRENCH TRADITION
17 May, Town Square, FREE
A century-old tradition that started in Paris celebrating front-of-house teams and their grace under pressure comes to Tasting Australia 2026.
Media personality Mark Soderstrom will send entrants on their way, with each waiter carrying the same set of items on a tricky course around and across Victoria Square. Who will earn the title of fastest waiter when the heat is on?
Waiters from South Australian cafes, hotels, bars and restaurants can register to participate in the race here
FOOD & WINE EVENTS AT TASTING AUSTRALIA 2026
Best of SA with Stéphane Brizard and Honeymoon Vineyards
8 May, A Prayer for the Wild at Heart, $249
Join multi-award-winning French-born chef Stéphane Brizard and sommelier Mathilde Tytgat from A Prayer for the Wild at Heart for an exquisite pairing of Stéphane’s classical cooking with the elegant, stylistically French wines of Honeymoon Vineyards, as Jane Bromley and Hylton McClean join to showcase their beautiful drops on a culinary odyssey highlighting favourite South Australian producers.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: meal prepared by chef Stéphane Brizard
- Beverages: wine pairings by Sommelier Mathilde Tytgat
Crably yours: For the love of Crab & Chablis
14 & 15 May, Paloma Bar and Pantry, $150
Crably Yours: The Cult of Crab & Chablis Flirty, untamed, and a little bit French.
Crably Yours is Paloma Bar and Pantry’s tongue-in-cheek love letter to Chablis and crab, where just 14 guests will enjoy an indulgent, wine-soaked tasting celebrating shell and Chardonnay. You’ll have three pours of rare Chablis, three crab-inspired snacks, and a room full of serious wine lovers in a moody Mediterranean-meets-Basque bar—a fancy, untamed, and unforgettable night of flavour and fun.
INCLUSIONS –
- Expect three pours of rare Chablis, three crab-inspired snacks, and a room full of people who take their wine seriously, but not themselves.
9 May, Station Road, $249
Join leading South Australia sparkling wine producer Deviation Road for a celebration of bubbles, craftsmanship and regional charm led by Champagne-trained winemaker Kate Laurie. Private transport will take you from the Adelaide CBD to the picturesque Deviation Road winery in the Adelaide Hills where you’ll go behind the scenes to taste the 2016 base wines straight from the tank, witness the artistry of a Beltana 2018 disgorgement, and sample freshly disgorged sparkling – the ultimate expression of the house style that’s made Deviation Road one of Australia’s most celebrated sparkling producers.
The experience continues back in the city with an exclusive four-course lunch at Station Road, paired beautifully with both still and sparkling wines. This promises to be a day of fine food, fizz and effortless sophistication.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Four course lunch
- Beverages: Paired wines
Learn: Modern food and drink pairing
9 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $55
Join hospitality leader and award-winning sommelier, owner of Etta and Daphne, Hannah Green, and winemaker Adam Foster of cool climate shiraz winery Syrahmi and white wine focussed Garden of Earthly Delights, for a modern deep dive into food and drink pairing—featuring matches like fried chicken and chardonnay, plus beer pairings—to build confidence, inspire culinary adventure, and revolutionize your home repertoire in this immersive session at Drinks Academy
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: tasting plate
- Beverages: three beverage tastings
An evening with Yangarra Estate Vineyard
14 May, National Wine Centre of Australia, $169
This event celebrates Yangarra Estate Vineyard’s wines and honours winemaker Peter Fraser.
Yangarra’s Southern Rhône varieties will be paired with a stunning four-course meal, complemented by a visit to the largest open-air cellar in the southern hemisphere.
Sommeliers will guide you through Yangarra Estate’s signature wines, revealing the meticulous care, innovative techniques and expressive purity that defined Peter’s biodynamic and organic winemaking philosophy.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Four-course meal
- Beverages: Eight paired wines
16 May, Le Mas Barossa, $295
Experience the laid-back charm of Barossa meeting southern French elegance at Le Mas Barossa with a handpicked selection of wines from Eperosa, Henschke, Le Mas, Levrier, Murray Street Vineyards, Riesling Freak, Rockford, and St Hugo, paired with a French-inspired six-course menu by Executive Chef Ryan Edwards in this intimate dinner celebrating land, season, culture, craft, and connection.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Six-course dinner.
- Beverages: Eight paired wines.
A Tale of Two Kitchens: When France met Japan
13 May, Crafers Hotel, $295
At Crafers Hotel, immerse in an exclusive one-night-only six-course dining experience where Head Chef Mat Grant unites French finesse and Japanese precision, reimagining classic French techniques with the Japanese tradition of elegant restraint and balance. Each course is paired with premium sake or wine from France or Japan for a refined, daringly original journey of global gastronomy in the Adelaide Hills.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Six-course dinner
- Beverages: Paired premium sake/wine
WINE EVENTS AT TASTING AUSTRALIA 2026
16 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $200
Host Cassandra Charlick, best known for her work as a wine writer, emcee and speaker, explores Australia’s most exciting grape, chardonnay, with winemakers Peter Dredge of Dr Edge and Meadowbank, and Michael Downer of Murdoch Hill—whose Rocket chardonnay won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Trophy. In this masterclass, you will taste 12 impressive Aussie and international wines to showcase its value and quality.
INCLUSIONS –
- Beverages: 12 wine tastings
- Food: Cheese plate
9 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $240
A bottle of bubbles is there for all our big life wins – celebrations cued with every popped cork.
Masterclass host Sam Taylor of Mitcham’s Edinburgh Cellars, who has studied viticulture and oenology and worked as winemaker at Sidewood is joined by award-winning trailblazing American sommelier André Heuston Mack, somellier Mathilde Tytgat of French-inspired restaurant A Prayer for the Wild at Heart, and Champagne trained winemaker Kate Laurie of Deviation Road. You will taste nine sparkling wines, celebrating fabulous fizz for life’s big wins in this apt showcase of fun, accessible, elegant sparklers.
INCLUSIONS –
- Beverages: nine wine tastings
- Food: Cheese plate
Matchmakers: Riesling – SOLD OUT – JOIN THE WAITLIST
16 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $49
In this casual speed-dating-style tasting, meet Sydney sommelier Caitlyn Rees and seven South Australian riesling producers—Gentle Folk’s Gareth Belton, Limus Wine’s Kyatt Dixon, Mount Horrocks’ Steph Toole, Wines by KT’s Kerri Thompson, Kenny Wines, Seppeltsfield, and Louis Schofield’s Worlds Apart—to sip eight delicious rieslings and chat variety, vintage, and food-pairing prowess.
INCLUSIONS –
- Beverages: eight wine tastings
Learn: Secrets of the Sommelier
16 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $55
Learning at its most immersive.
Sydney-based Caitlyn Rees, wine director of Fratelli Paradiso and former Gourmet Traveller Sommelier of the Year, and Cyndal Petty, former chef turned wine communicator from Margaret River, break down wine selection, storage, glassware, pairing, and restaurant sommelier tips to refine your wine game and elevate home and dining experiences in this immersive session.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: cheese plate
- Beverages: three wine tastings
15 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $125
Explore wine’s culinary language at the Aroma Bar with sommelier and Fratelli Paradiso wine buyer Caitlyn Rees, wine communicator Cyndal Petty, wine waiter Chayse Bertoncello, winemakers Peter Edge, Amelia Nolan, Guy Palmer-Brown, and Matilda Innes of Ottelia, plus Never Never gin distillers. There will be tasting eight stations of drops evoking featured ingredients for flair in choosing and sharing drinks.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Two snacks
- Beverages: Eight tasting stations
17 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $55
In this immersive learning and tasting session, join award-winning wine journalist Cassandra Charlick chats with charismatic winemaker Owen Latta of Eastern Peake and Latta Vino—a Young Gun of Wine finalist who steered his first vintage at just 15 —to demystify winemaking’s science and art beyond jargon, sipping fundamentals with fun for all questions in this engaging session. Learn about modern food and drink pairing, how hops influence beer, sommelier secrets and winemaking basics.
Sip, muse and ask all the questions you like – they’re proudly putting the fun in fundamentals.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: cheese plate
- Beverages: three wine tastings
16 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $95
Chayse Bertoncello, wine waiter and maître d’hôtel at two-hatted O.My, hosts this neon-lit Saturday night wine party with DJ, low lights, skin contact wines, and wines served in non-traditional glassware, beer, surprises, and a welcome wine shot. It’s a night for embracing fun “big grape energy”.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Two snacks
- Beverages: Welcome drink, wine shot and multiple tastings throughout the evening
8 May, Drinks Academy @ Town Square, $100
Join winemakers and hospitality leaders at Drinks Academy at Town Square for a worldwide vino tour of nine grape varieties, each showcased in international and South Australian versions. You’ll be guided by award-winning American sommelier André Heuston Mack with Tasting Australia curator Banjo Harris Plane on USA wines, Syrahmi winemaker Adam Foster (Heathcote, Victoria) on France, 2025 Good Food Guide Sommelier of the Year Caitlin Baker from Canberra’s Such and Such on Germany, McLaren Vale’s Ministry of Clouds winemakers Bernice Ong and Julian Forwood on Spain, Corner 75 restaurant manager Alice Tremayne on Hungary, Merivale head sommelier Piotr Szewczuk on Austria, wine and hospitality consultant Marcell Kustos on Italy, Barossa-based winemaker Belinda van Eyssen of The Cutting on South Africa. Finish the night with Seppeltsfield Para Tawny for a nod to Portugal.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Two snacks
- Beverages: 18 tastings
9 May, Longplay Bistro, $95
Multi-talented Adam Foster—chef, sommelier, and Syrahmi winemaker from Heathcote’s granite sites—shares highlights from his Rhône-inspired label, plus significant French syrahs and grenache like 2022 Pierre Gaillard Côte Rôtie, reflecting his unconventional path from chef at Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe and London to sommelier to winemaker in this event at intimate Longplay Bistro.
15 May, Fino Vino, $80
The Adelaide Hills flourished with stone fruits before it had grapes. James Erskine, organic Lenswood farmer and natural wine pioneer behind Jauma since 2010, shares back-vintage treasures, cherry-infused fizz, chenin blanc, grenache, red blend, apple-pear cider, and more at this event at Fino Vino, where he will also talk about his path from top sommelier to award-winning winemaker proud to follow his own path.
INCLUSIONS –
- Beverages: six tastings
FRENCH-LINKED FOOD EVENTS AT TASTING AUSTRALIA
Immersive Bites: A VR Culinary Exploration
15 & 16 May, Alliance Française d’Adelaide, $105
Alliance Française d’Adelaide hosts this multi-sensory VR journey into Michelin-starred French chef Hélène Darroze and sushi master Yumi Shiba’s kitchens, with their techniques, flavours, and stories, interspersed with savoury and sweet tasting dishes by South Australian chef Benjamin Sharp using local ingredients and regional wines. This is not a mere tasting experience but a celebration of global gastronomy, local craftsmanship, and the future of dining.
INCLUSIONS –
- Immersive VR storytelling.
- Between each virtual encounter, guests will enjoy tasting-sized dishes — one savoury, one sweet — carefully crafted by South Australian chef Benjamin Sharp.
Le Goûter Luma – The best time of the day
9 May, Luma Restaurant & Bar, $98
Gather friends for a bespoke high tea at Luma with a signature cocktail on arrival, exquisite sweet and savory delights by award-winning Chef Hugh Hazelwood celebrating South Australia’s produce speaking purity, provenance and perfection. Sip on unlimited loose leaf tea and coffee, and take home a housemade gift.
INCLUSIONS –
- Food: Three-tiered high tea of sweet and savoury items, house-made takeaway gift to finish
- Beverages: Cocktail on arrival, unlimited tea and coffee
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Whether you’re craving a Rhône exploration, a neon-lit wine party, or a high tea with French echoes, our picked French-linked gems from Tasting Australia’s 2026 lineup deliver intimate, flavor-packed experiences for every palate and budget. Book soon as seats are filling fast! Santé and bon appétit!
KEY INFO FOR TASTING AUSTRALIA 2026
WHAT: Tasting Australia 2026
WHEN: 8-17 May 2026
WHERE: Various venues across South Australia
HOW: Purchase your tickets via the links above
HOW MUCH: Prices depend on the event
