Cellar Door Fest – March 15-17

More than 150 SA wineries, distillers, brewers and food producers will be taking part in the Adelaide Convention Centre’s three-day Cellar Door Fest this weekend, with events including tastings, interactive masterclasses and Riedel sensory workshops, cooking demonstrations and long-table dining. The festival will feature a “dude food” stage (providing lessons in grilling, smoking and searing meats) in the Wintulichs’ Beer Garden, a “Distillery” showcasing local spirits, and a Great Wine Capitals Discovery Space. Tickets were also still available, last time we looked, for Friday evening’s $65pp Jacob’s Creek Long Table Dinner, featuring a three-course menu matched to limited-release Jacob’s Creek Wines. A range of Cellar Door Fest ticket options are available – see the website for details and to book for specific events including masterclasses and workshops.

Long Vintage Lunch at Ngeringa – March 17

This farm-to-table vintage lunch at Ngeringa in Mount Barker will be presented by Sydney chef Brendan Cato, founder of organic pop-up The Farmed Table, and comprise a five-course meal using produce from Ngeringa’s biodynamic farm, plus a selection of Ngeringa wines including current and back vintages. Guests will also get to try the new NGARTO release, described as “a playful biodynamic Cote Roti style of Shiraz/Viognier”. Tickets are $110pp, with a full vegetarian menu available if requested at time of booking. Details and bookings here.

RCC Fringe wine events – March 14 & 17

Tickets are still available to RCC Fringe’s Moon Safari Sensory Degustation – a “sensory journey across food, wine, music and lights”. The $120-a-head, 2.5-hour event (tickets here) will take place on March 17 and include food by Africola and a wine list centred around Cake Wines’ new Moon Safari rosé. On Thursday (March 14), at Roberta’s Italian at RCC Fringe (in the University of Adelaide Cloisters), there will be a $95pp Southern to Northern Italian Wine Experience featuring a three-course Italian-inspired meal and wines from six different regions of Italy.

Beresford Wines’ Lavish Lawns – March 17

Beresford Wines at McLaren Vale will this Sunday host its final Lavish Lawns event for the season. The winery will be open from 11am to 5pm, with cheese plates and pizzas available and a range of tasting options – including releases from Vale Brewing, 23rd Street Distillery and the Beresford Icon Wine range – plus live music.

Never Never Gin Tasting Masterclass – March 17

Between 2pm and 3pm this Sunday, Never Never Distilling Co will present the final guided gin tasting/masterclass hosted at its  pop-up distillery door upstairs at The Stag Public House. Tickets (here) are $22, including your drinks, and the class will end with a Fancy Fruit Cup cocktail. The “distillery door”, which has operated throughout the Adelaide Fringe, is open from 1pm-8pm on Sunday.

Autumn Days and Chardonnays – March 17

Winemaker Rob Moody is promising to pull out some stunning wines from his museum for this long-table event at Somerled Cellar Door in Hahndorf. Guests will also be able to feast on foods that pair well with Chardonnay, such as “anchovy sticks, figlets and manchego on crusty loaves dripping in olive oil as well as a few of those crispy parmesan puffs straight from our oven”. Tickets (here) are $79.

Sean’s Kitchen Crab Carnival – March 17 until April 14

This month-long celebration of the crustacean at Sean’s Kitchen begins next week, with a special menu of crab-themed dishes such as dressed spanner crab, king crab rye bagel, soft-shell crab tacos and king crab mac & cheese. There will also be a weekly Louisiana crab boil on Tuesday nights ($45), while Thursday is chilli mud crab night. Check out the full menu here.

East End Wine Down – March 23

More than 100 wines will be available to sample at this annual laneway festival hosted by East End Cellars in Vardon Avenue. You can also expect cider, gin, street-style food from local restaurants and tunes by Skin Contact. The Wine Down is on from midday until 5pm, with tickets costing $37.

Fignic at Glen Ewin Estate – March 31

Fig picking, fig cocktails, food stalls, a bar and live music will be features of this annual celebration of the fig harvest at Glen Ewin Estate at Houghton. Fignic will take place from 11am-5pm, with an $85 standard ticket including entry for two adults, a food hamper, pick-your-own fig entry and half a kilo of PYO figs ($15 for children, including hamper).

Tasting Australia – April 5-14

Themed dinners with top national and international chefs in the Glasshouse Kitchen in Victoria Square, and masterclasses and tastings covering everything from gin blending and Tasmanian whisky to Bollinger Champagne will be part of this year’s 10-day Tasting Australia Festival. At the top end of the program is The Great Henschke Vintage Dinner ($950 a head) and Tasting Australia Airlines excursions to places such as the Barossa, Coffin Bay and Kangaroo Island, but there are also plenty of more affordable experiences. See the full program here.

Vegan Palooza – April 14

One vegan festival a year simply isn’t enough, so the team behind October’s Vegan Festival Adelaide have created this autumn event to be held at the Main Assembly Building, Tonsley Innovation District. Running from 11am-6pm, Vegan Palooza promises plenty of local vegan food and drinks, with details of stalls to be released in coming weeks on the Facebook page.

Chocolate Factory High Tea – April 14

Stamford Plaza Adelaide has taken inspiration from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory for this showcase of “scrumdiddlyumptious delights”. Guests will be greeted with an espresso martini (hot chocolate for the kids), and in addition to the finger sandwiches and other savoury items, you can expect chocolate scones, white chocolate and Tonka-bean meringue tart, opera slice, dark chocolate biscuit roll and chocolate hazelnut macaroons. Chocolate Factory High Tea tickets are $59 (plus booking fee) for adults and $35 for children.

Fire & Spice Festival – April 14

Things are about to get hot and spicy with this celebration of the chilli pepper at West Torrens Memorial Gardens. Along with food stalls by the likes of Chile Mojo, Spice Girlz Gourmet, El Diablo Wood Fired Pizzas and Tacocat (see the full list here), there will also be workshops, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment and kids’ activities. It’s on from 11am-4pm.

Nutella Palooza – April 20

More than 50 food trucks and vendors will be serving up hundreds of Nutella-themed treats at this chocolate-fuelled Easter Saturday gathering at Morphettville Racecourse, with menus including cocktails, waffles, pizza, milkshakes and even beer (yes, Nutella beer, being brewed especially for the event). Nutella Palooza will also include an Easter egg hunt, cooking demonstrations and a 50SIXONE pop-up restaurant. Entry tickets are $10, and it’s on from midday until 7pm.

News, tips and information?

Please send details of any upcoming food and/or drink events to: [email protected].