Taking time out to taste oysters, cheese and wine

Upcoming food and wine events in SA, including more oyster season celebrations, a masterclass exploring the health benefits of cheese and pinot noir, and the Winter Food and Wine Festival at the National Wine Centre on Sunday.

Grace O'Connell

Aug 23, 2016, updated Aug 23, 2016

2KW Adelaide Oyster Festival.

2KW Adelaide Oyster Festival – September 3

Rooftop restaurant and bar 2KW is holding its inaugural Adelaide Oyster Festival celebrating fresh and locally sourced oysters. Enjoy freshly shucked premium oysters from different regions around South Australia as well as seafood canapes and paella with Arbeaumont Champagne, Sidewood wine, cider and Cooper’s beer. The event runs from 1pm to 4pm and costs $90 per person. More information and bookings here.

Cork & Pork – August 26

The Stag hotel in Adelaide’s East End is holding a Cork & Pork-themed night of food and wine featuring cheese platters, pork tasting plates and wine for $30 per person. For tickets and more information phone 8331 0392.

Winter Food and Wine Festival – August 28

The National Wine Centre’s third annual Winter Food and Wine Festival will this year feature more than 20 of South Australia’s finest food, wine, beer and cider producers. As well as tastings and masterclasses with the winemakers, National Wine Centre executive chef Tze Khaw will prepare decadent treats using seasonal ingredients on the terrace overlooking the Adelaide Botanic Gardens wetlands. The event runs from 11am to 5pm and tickets are $25 for earlybirds or $30 if purchased on the day, including a Spiegleau wine glass. Information and bookings here.

Granny & Grandpa Skills festival – August 28

Share and explore the knowledge, skills and traditions of our elders at a day of fun and food at the Migration Museum. Activities include the pickling and preserving of food, learning the secrets of pasta and lamington-making, knitting, “shed skills” with Gardening Australia‘s Costa Georgiadis, DIY wicking boxes, seed saving and balalaika playing. The event runs from 11am to 3pm at the Migration Museum, 82 Kintore Avenue, Adelaide. More information here.

Olive oil tasting workshop – August 31

Improve your tasting ability and your flavour vocabulary, and learn how to pick a good olive oil from a bad one, while enjoying award-winning South Australian olive oil and produce. Presented by national olive oil judge and sensory analyst Briony Liebich, the workshop is being held at Our Place @ Willunga Hill. Tickets are $60 per person and include a light supper.

Learn to taste the difference between a good olive oil and a bad one.

Learn to taste the difference between good olive oil and inferior examples.

Reschke Wines Degustation Dinner – August 31

Coonawarra’s Reschke wines will join with George’s on Waymouth restaurant in Adelaide to present a degustation dinner of five courses matched to Reschke Cabernets, including the 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006 vintages. Tickets are $145 for Reschke Wine Club members or $165 for non-members. For more information and bookings call (08) 8211 6960 or email [email protected].

Sean’s Kitchen Oyster Festival – until August 31

Celebrate Coffin Bay and Kangaroo Island oysters every day this month at Sean’s Kitchen’s Oyster Festival. Enjoy $1 oysters daily at the oyster happy hour, an oyster menu featuring six oyster-dishes, and five oyster-themed cocktails and shooters. On August 30, join Sean Connolly for an Oyster Festival finale dinner including of four courses of oyster-inspired dishes matched to selected beverages.

Bottega Rotolo Cheese Experiences

Fine food and wine merchant Bottega Rotolo presents cheese classes and workshops at its King William Road store exploring some of the best European and Australian varieties, styles, and food and wine matches. Classes include the Washed Rind Cheese Experience (September 8), the Goat Milk Cheese Experience (September 15) and the Raw Milk Cheese Experience (September 22).

Pizza nights at Bar Mercato

Join Bar Mercato for pizza al taglio, Rome’s most famous street food. The traditional pizza dough is made with Bar Mercato mother yeast and leavened for 72 hours before being baked on rectangle trays and served by the slice. The pizza nights will be held on September 15, October 20 and November 17 from 6.30pm. Tickets are $25, which includes unlimited pizza and live entertainment. Bookings essential by calling Julia on 8337 1808.

Pizza ‘al Taglio’ at Bar Mercato.

Sheep, Goat and Pinot – September 1

Join the Smelly Cheese Shop for a masterclass exploring the flavour and health properties of sheep and goat milk cheeses, with a range of less well-known cheeses and wine matches available for tasting. Tickets are $80 per person. More information and bookings here.

Fino Fridays – until September 1

Bring your best bottle and join Fino Seppeltsfield for Friday night dinner. Using locally produced Barossa Birds chicken, Schu Am Pork Toulouse sausage and The Dairyman heritage pork belly, Fino will prepare the ultimate winter dish – French provincial cassoulet – to be accompanied by a salad of Loralai’s lettuce and house-baked sourdough to mop up all the juices. Dinner is $30 per person and corkage is free on your first bottle (standard size, one per couple). An a la cart menu is also available. Bookings recommended.

Barossa Gourmet Weekend – September 2-4

Celebrate Father’s Day with a weekend of food and wine at the Barossa Gourmet Weekend. Enjoy breakfast in the shed at Peter Lehmann Wines, eat like a Barossan winemaker at Artisans of Barossa, head to Lindsay Wine Estate for pizza and paella with Poh Ling Yeow, indulge in chocolate and wine matching at Schild Estate Wines, or join Hentley Farm head chef for a five-course Barossa heritage-inspired dinner. Tickets and the full Barossa Gourmet Weekend program can be found here.

vineyards-edited

Mercato Club Nebb – September 10

Join Italian wine expert David Ridge and La Cantina wines for a tasting of Australian and international Nebbiolos at the National Wine Centre from 12pm to 4pm. Guests will have the opportunity to taste and compare more than 60 Nebbiolo wines along with antipasto, cheese platters and Piedmont-inspired morsels. Admission is $95 per person including a Riedel ‘Ouverture’ red wine glass. A range of ticketed Nebbiolo masterclasses will also be held, including The Many Faces of Nebbiolo, hosted by Italian wine expert David Ridge, exploring the styles and interpretations of Nebbiolo. More information and bookings here.

Clare with Fresh Eyre – October 1 to 31

This October, the Clare Valley and the Eyre Peninsula regions will again collaborate to celebrate Riesling and seafood at the month-long Clare with Fresh Eyre event. As well as the main showcase at Sevenhill Cellars on October 22 to launch the region’s freshly-bottled 2016 Rieslings and premium seasonal seafood, Clare with Fresh Eyre also includes more than 15 separate events such as dinners, long lunches and casual gatherings featuring fresh oysters, mussels, kingfish and more matched to some of the region’s best wine. The full program can be found here.