Uncorked – January 22

The National Wine Centre’s first Uncorked event for 2016 will feature Adelaide Hills winery The Lane’s release of its 2013 Reunion Shiraz, as well as Adelaide Hills cheesemaker Kym Masters, who will be offering tastings of his Section28 Monforte and Mont Priscilla French Alpine-style cheeses. Uncorked is a free event from 4.30pm, but the masterclass with The Lane’s Ben Tolstoshev from 5pm to 6pm costs $25 per person. Bookings and more information can be found here.

Section28 Mont Priscilla cheese. Photo: supplied

Crush – January 22 to 24

Don’t miss out on all the excitement about Adelaide Hills wine at the region’s annual wine and food festival, Crush 2016, this weekend. Enjoy twilight drinks and tapas on the decks at Lenswood’s Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard or a European wine bar vibe at Woodside’s ArtWine on the Friday night. Saturday will see new Adelaide food truck Daisy Burger and the renowned Vietnam restaurant serving up treats at Woodside’s Tomich Wines, and Sunday is the day when street art meets wine at the annual The Piece Project (pictured top) at Macclesfield’s Longview Vineyard. For more information about these events and more, download the Crush Festival program here.

Taste Eden Riesling Festival – January 23

Join Taste Eden Valley at its Angaston wine room for a celebration of world-renowned single-vineyard cool-climate Rieslings at the 2nd Annual Taste Eden Riesling Festival. The festival is an opportunity to taste one of the largest portfolios of single-vineyard Rieslings from the Eden Valley, with more than 20 aged and current-release wines being poured. The festival runs from 11am to 4pm; platters and wines by the glass will be available for purchase and tickets are $20 per person.

Taste Eden Valley is hosting the Taste Eden Riesling Festival.

Tour de Fork – January 24

Fork on the Road is back for 2016, starting with a partnership event with the Santos Tour Down Under at Elder Park this Sunday from 11.30am to 4pm. Watch Stage 6 of the race while enjoying a range of handmade savoury and sweet dishes from 30 Adelaide food trucks, including Burger Theory, Chimichurri Grill, Phat Buddha Rolls, Sneaky Pickle, Cheesy Street, Delectaballs, Skwish, The Little Cake Tin, Bodri’s Bakery, LocaPops, Four Seeds and The Rolling Pizza Oven, plus  a host of free entertainment.

Kangaroo Island Gourmet Gallop – January 24

Food, fillies and fashion will come together at the KI Gourmet Gallop, which promises trackside treats that highlight island produce such as smoked meats, olives, cheeses, honey and wine. Food vendors will include Two Birds and a Squid, KI Tru Thai and Kevin’s KI Catering, with wine from Dudley Wines (pictured below). Hannaford and Sachs will also supply meals based on co-founder and chef Rachel Hannaford’s recipes drawing on her family legacy and experience of international food cultures.

Gawler Farmers’ Market official opening – January 30

The first Gawler Farmers’ Market will be held this month, with the official opening including cooking demonstrations and kids’ activities alongside more than 30 produce stalls. The market will be held every Saturday morning from 8am until midday at the Gawler Visitor Information Centre car park. It will also include stallholders from the Showground Farmers’ Market, and new producers from the Mid-North and Clare regions.

Home Fermentation – February 5

Gut Feeling and Dirty Girl Kitchen will present another workshop at The Market Shed on Holland teaching participants how to make natural fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, ginger beer and kombucha. Learn about the history and health benefits of fermented foods and how to make your own at home. The workshop starts at 6.30pm and runs for around three hours. Cost is $70 per person and bookings can be made by phoning Dirty Girl Kitchen on 0439 546 200.

Passata Day @ Mercato – February 20

Learn how to make passata di pomodoro (tomato sauce) the Italian way with Mercato’s Imma and Mario Caporaso. Participants will spend a full day with the family making passata from scratch, share an Italian-style morning tea and a tomato feast for lunch with Italian wines from La Cantina, and enjoy entertainment from Crispino the Accordion Player. They will also take home a bottle of passata and a jar of pelati (peeled tomatoes) made on the day and a recipe booklet. Tickets are $120 per person. Bookings and more information can be found here.

Cellar Door Fest – February 26-28

“Cheesepert” Valerie Henbest and chocolatier Steven ter Horst will join forces for a Cheese, Chocolate and Bubbles event pairing two of our favourite foods with wines from the Adelaide Hills at the Adelaide Convention Centre’s Cellar Door Fest next month. Other master-class events include a Saturday Arvo Wine Down, SA’s Best Brews, and The Supreme Cheese Experience, with dedicated cheese lovers able to buy an Ultimate Cheese Experience package that gives them entry for all three days plus access to one cheese-themed master-class each day. You can also book now for a series of Cellar Door Fest Long Table Dining Experiences at The Lane Vineyard, Skillogalee and Howard’s Vineyard, where up to 60 guests will be guided through menus highlighting SA produce.

Details of all events can be found on the Cellar Door Fest website.

Tasting Australia – May 1 to 8

While the full Tasting Australia 2016 program won’t be released until the New Year, bookings are open for some of the exclusive events.

They include: the Barossa Regional Roving Lunch – a progressive lunch tour of Hentley Farm, Appellation and Fino at Seppeltsfield, hosted by celebrated chefs who know how to capture the flavours of the surrounding Barossa landscape; Lamb Tasting at Rawnsley Park – an authentic lamb-inspired dinner in the historic Flinders Ranges woolshed; the Cheong Liew Retrospective –a showcase dinner at which Liew’s team of apprentices are brought back to the Hilton to reinterpret and celebrate the iconic dishes created by their mentor and teacher; The Barossa Camino – a 7km guided walk through the vineyards of Mt Edelstone, Hutton Vale Farm and Hill of Grace with the Henschke and Angas families before a big Barossa lunch; and a Wild Mushroom Forest Feast in the Adelaide Hills with expert mushroom guides to learn the secrets of the local fungi before sitting down to a lunch of wild mushrooms and natural wine.

The full program will be released soon, but first-release tickets to the above events are on sale now. See more details here.

Chef Cheong Liew’s iconic dishes will be celebrated in a retrospective event.

Losing the plot – until June 26, 2015

Losing the Plot: food gardening in South Australia explores the history of growing food in South Australia. It examines the stories behind the food on our plates from Aboriginal food production and school and community gardens to the home garden and market gardens in SA, and is accompanied by a program of workshops and talks focussing on food gardening and the use of garden produce in preserving and cooking.

News, tips and information?

The Forager would love to hear about your news, events and suggestions. Please contact us at [email protected].