Canard-Duchene Champagne Dinner – April 12

Join French Champagne producer Canard-Duchene’s export director Antoine Huray for a four-course degustation dinner at The Edinburgh Hotel’s Victoria Dining Room in Mitcham. There will be canapes matched with Cuvee Leonie NV, Hervey Bay scallops matched with Charles VII Blanc de Blancs & Authentic Brut Organic Green, Provencal Seafood Bisque matched with Charles VII Blanc de Noirs, confit duck matched with 2008 Vintage Brut, and pear and almond tart matched with Charles VII Rose NV. Tickets are $150 per person. Bookings essential by phoning 8373 2753.

French Film Festival wine degustation – April 14

The Alliance Francaise French Film Festival is hosting a special French wine-tasting event at Palace Nova East End Cinemas before the screening of the film Premiers Crus (First Growth) directed by Jerome Le Maire. At the pre-screening tasting, seven wines will be showcased from six different French wine regions: Chablis, Provence, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Alsace and the Rhone Valley. After the film, viewers are invited to Mother Vine wine bar in Vardon Avenue for further discussion about French wine. Ticket price includes both the wine tasting and film and is $40 per person ($35 for Alliance Francaise and Palace Movie Club members). The tasting starts at 6pm with the film screening at 7pm. Bookings can be made online or by phoning the box office on 8232 3434.

A still from the French film “Premiers Crus”.

Haigh’s ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory’ screening – April 15

Haigh’s Chocolates is hosting a special viewing of the 1971 classic film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, with part proceeds from ticket sales going to Young Variety to assist disadvantaged youth in South Australia. The event is being held at the Capri Theatre in Goodwood, and guests are encouraged to dress as their favourite character from the film. The Wurlitzer Theatre Organ will play songs from the film soundtrack. The event starts at 6.30pm for a 7pm screening and tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for children aged 12 and under. Bookings here.

Aperitivo Evening @ Bar Mercato – April 15

Aperitivo is the Italian way to wind down after work and before going home to dinner. Traditionally, it was simply a drink, but it has now has grown to include appetizers (or stuzzichini) offered as an accompaniment to a drink before dinner. On Friday, April 15, Bar Mercato is holding an Aperitivo Evening from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. The cost of $15 per person includes one beer, wine or spritz and stuzzichini, then happy-hour prices continue throughout the evening. Booking are essential and can be made here.

Langmeil Winery Wine Dinner – April 15

The National Wine Centre’s first wine dinner of 2016 will feature a four-course venison and duck-themed menu prepared by executive chef Tze Khaw matched to wines from the Barossa’s Langmeil Winery. Langmeil winemaker Paul Lindner will take guests on a journey through the Barossa’s culture of farming, food, wine and community in which his family has been immersed from six generations. Tickets are $150 per person and bookings can be made by emailing [email protected].

Sprout Cooking at Gawler Farmers’ Market – April 16

Gawler Farmers’ Market shoppers will be treated to a free cooking demonstration by local MasterChef celebrity Callum Hann and accredited practising dietician Themis Chryssidis from Sprout Cooking on the release of their new cookbook Quick. Easy. Healthy. Copies of the book will be available for purchase. The demonstration starts at 9am. The Gawler Farmers’ Market is held in the Gawler Visitor Information Carpark (2 Lyndoch Road, Gawler).

The World of Champagne Course – April 19 and 26

The Ed Cellars is hosting a two-night tutored Champagne-tasting course presented by Vin de Champagne award winner James Smith. Smith is a wine education consultant, wine writer, lecturer and presenter of short courses and seminars on Champagne for the Comite Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (France) and the Champagne Bureau (Australia). Cost is $300 for the two-night course. For bookings and information, phone 8373 2753.

Jamie’s Ministry of Food school holiday programs – April 19 to 29

Jamie’s Ministry of Food, a community-based cooking program based on Oliver’s beliefs about the benefits of cooking fresh food from scratch, is hosting cooking classes for children and adults at its Noarlunga pop-up kitchen. Running in two blocks from April 19 to 22 and April 26 to 29, the program aims to teach basic home cooking skills, kitchen safety and nutrition, while passing on Oliver’s hints, tips and cooking shortcuts. Jamie’s Ministry of Food school holiday programs comprise four 3.5-hour sessions over four days, with up to 12 participants in each class. Course costs are $80 for students 12 to 16 years old, $120 for students 16+ and $160 for adults. Bookings are open now and can be made here.

Cheese and Chocolate with Steven ter Horst – April 20

Chocolate is often paired with wine or spirits, bit it is also a great match with cheese. Chocolatier Steven ter Horst will take you through some complex and intriguing combinations of cheese and chocolate from a soft triple cream filled with chocolate paste to hard cheeses matched with mild milk and dark bitter styles at The Smelly Cheese Shop in Wright Street, Adelaide. Cost is $70. Information and bookings can be found here.

Langmeil Wine Dinner at 2KW – April 21

Join James and Paul Lindner and Emma Shaw of Barossa’s Langmeil Winery as they present five Old Vine Garden vintage-release wines matched to a menu prepared by 2KW chef Dan Lawrence. Tickets are $165 per person and places are strictly limited. Information and bookings here.

Kaesler Wines 2015 Vintage Barrel Tasting and Lunch – April 23

Join Kaesler winemaker Reid Bosward in the Barossa Valley for this pre-release masterclass and barrel tasting of 2015 vintage wines followed by a long-table lunch from the winery’s restaurant Kaesler Kitchen. Sample wines include Shiraz from the Old Bastard and Alte Reben vineyards, and from barrels which will eventually form The Bogan and Old Vine Shiraz, as well as other premium wines. Tickets are $70 per person. More information available here.

Kaesler winemaker Reid Bosward. Photo: supplied

Ochota Barrels Dinner – April 27

Hosted by winemakers Taras Ochota (Ochota Barrels) and Mark Reginato (Man Of Spirit) at Apothecary 1878, the Ochota Barrels Dinner features a selection of wines taken from Ochota’s personal collection matched to a menu by Apothecary head chef Frank Hero. Expect confit octopus, finger lime and river mint matched to ‘Weird Berries In The Woods’ Gewürztraminer 2014; soused scallops, radish, dill oil and lilly pilly matched to the ‘+5v ov’ Chardonnay 2015; Onkaparinga Valley venison carpaccio, carob, muntries and blackberry matched to the ‘A Forest’ Pinot Noir 2015; wallaby shanks, blackened pumpkin, turnips, baby carrot and saltbush matched to ‘Fugazi’ Grenache 2015; and chargrilled alpaca, parsnip cream, alpaca pastry, ‘Brussels and bacon’ and alpaca juices matched to ‘I Am The Owl’ Syrah 2015; a cheese course matched to ‘Sense Of Compression’ MJ Keenan Collaboration Grenache 2015; and silken chocolate torte, macadamia, sour cherry and coconut marshmallow matched to ‘Man Of Spirit’ Old Fashioned. Cost is $195 per person. Contact The Apothecary 1878 for information and bookings.

Sangiovese masterclass at La Cantina – April 28

Italian wine merchants La Cantina presents an in-depth exploration of Sangiovese, the wine that challenges, delights and intrigues winemakers. Through this comparative tasting, participants will discover what makes this wine variety so special and how the variety responds to different regions throughout Tuscany and Australia. The tasting starts at 6pm and includes 13 wines with antipasto platters and Tuscan-inspired Pizza al Taglio. Cost is $50 per person. Bookings are essential.

The Great Mylor Bakeoff – May 1

Inspired by television’s The Great British Bake Off,  this new Adelaide Hills baking competition offers 22 entry categories. Entry forms are available from the Mylor General Store or by emailing competition organiser Sue Laundy on [email protected] before the closing date of April 22, with judging to take place on April 30. On Sunday, May 1,  the winning entries will be on display at the Mylor Hall, where there will also be  garden stalls, old recipe books,  cooking utensils and cakes available for purchase. See InDaily‘s story here.

Italian Cheese and Wine with Luigi Guffanti – May 3

Take a tasting tour of Italy through some of the world’s best known cheeses paired with wines from the same region with The Smelly Cheese Shop’s affinatore Luigi Guffanti. Regional cheeses aged and hand selected by Guffanti for the tasting include Parmigiano Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna, Gorgonzola and Taleggio from Lombardy and mixed milk white moulds from Piedmont. Cost is $80 per person. More information and bookings available here.

Single Sites Dinner – Tasting Australia – May 5

Join seven of South Australia’s award-winning winemakers for dinner as the pour and describe their single vineyard wines matched to a degustation menu created by seven of the state’s outstanding chefs to complement the flavour profiles of the showcased wines. Winemakers and chefs have been working collaboratively on the food and wine matches on the menu and include Kate Laurie (Deviation Road) paired with Lachlan Colwill (Hentley Farm Restaurant), Jeffrey Grosset (Grosset Wines) with Paul Baker (Botanic Gardens Restaurant), Kym Schroeter (Penfolds) with David Swain (Fino at Seppeltsfield), Stephen Pannell (SC Pannell Wines) with Duncan Welgemoed (Africola), Stephen Henschke (Henschke Wines) with Mark McNamara (Food Luddite); Sue Hodder (Wynns Coonawarra Estate) with Andy Davies (Press; Osteria Oggi), and Dudley Brown (Inkwell Wines) with Karena Armstrong (The Salopian Inn).  Hosted by Tasting Australia creative director Paul Henry (pictured below), the Single Sites Dinner at the Adelaide Convention Centre is a rare opportunity to experience storytelling, esteemed company and true South Australian flavours. Tickets are $350 per person and bookings and more information can be found here. 

Other highlights of the 2016 Tasting Australia program include cheesemaking with Udder Delights ‘cheese queen’ Sheree Sullivan, a decadent chocolate and coffee experience at Red Cacao Chocolate Cafe, dinner with Royal Mail Hotel executive chef Robin Wickens at The Lane Vineyard, ‘Figstation’, an fig immersion experience at fig farm Glen Ewin Estate including a three-course fig-starred menu, ‘Fizzology’ a lesson in tasting and making sparkling wine with Sinclair’s Gully, a long, lazy lunch at Art Wine created by My Kitchen Rules champion Bree May, lunch in the company of The Agrarian Kitchen’s Rodney Dunn at Ngeringa Farm, ‘She’ll be Apples’ a five-course apple-oriented lunch menu matched to Mount Lofty Vineyards single vineyard wines, and ‘Taste our Story’ vineyard walk and lunch by Locavore at K1 wines. Tasting Australia runs from May 1 to May 8.

Tasting Australia creative director Paul Henry. Photo: Nat Rogers/InDaily

Stone Ground at Leonard’s Mill Restaurant – May 13

Step back in time at Leonard’s Mill Restaurant for Stone Ground, a three-course candlelit buffet dinner of 1880s fare celebrating the 2106 History Festival. Guests, who are encouraged to dress in a costume from the era, will enjoy a night of food, music and glimpses of performance from Sealand Theatre. The event starts at 5.30pm with the launch of Leonards Mill’s historic plaque at the start of the Second Valley Historical Walking Trail and a welcome glass of mulled wine; the dinner will then be hosted in the 1880s Wheat Shed with entertainment including live music by The Fiddle Chicks. Tickets are limited to 80 guests and cost $65 per head. For information and tickets, phone 8598 4184.

Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend – May 13 to 16

The annual Clare Valley Gourmet Weekend offers a variety of events highlighting the region’s food, wine and hospitality. As well as cluster events such as the Gourmet Hub and Clare Valley Cuisine’s Gourmet Market Day, there are ticketed culinary events and day-trip options, weekend packages and more. Mitchell Wines of Sevenhill and Terroir restaurant of Auburn are teaming up to host a breakfast picnic at the winery on Sunday, May 15, featuring grilled Moroccan-style merguez sausages with broccolini, mushrooms, baked beans and corn bread; haloumi with minted pea yoghurt and fattoush salad; crab and potato cakes with sourdough, smoked almond slaw and citrus creme fraiche; and two Riesling cocktails created with the help of Lotus Lounge. The Mitchell Wines breakfast picnic begins at 8.30am. Dishes are $12 each or $20 with a cocktail. Visit the Clare Valley Wine Facebook page for details.

Howard Twelftree Memorial Stir – May 22

Mushrooms are the ingredient of choice for the seasonal South-West City community cooking competition at the Duke of Brunswick Hotel. Chef Cheong Liew will judge the autumn competition, which will take place at 12.30pm on May 22. Information and expressions of interest for entries can be directed to the hotel manager.

Waywood Wines Long Table Lunch Series #4 – May 28

Celebrate Aussie Wine Month with Waywood Wines at its McLaren Vale cellar door in May and enjoy a four-course banquet prepared by caterers Luscious Red, matched with a selection of Waywood’s favourite McLaren Vale Cabernets. Limited tickets are available at $120 per person. Bookings and more information here.

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].