Adelaide locals can sample the Langhorne Creek Wine Festival for free at the National Wine Centre from 4-7pm on Friday before the annual festival moves south in mid-August.

“It’s going to be an opportunity for people to try the wines, representatives for the wineries will be there, and our program will be launched on the night”, said Kate Horstmann, Project Coordinator for the Langhorne Creek Festival and the winemaker behind XO Wine Co.

Horstmann said the launch event is running as part of the National Wine Centre’s weekly ‘UnWined’ event.

“So, this time it [UnWined] is going to be themed with Langhorne Creek wines. There are five wineries pouring complementary tastings of one of their wines,” she said.

Horstmann said their 5255 Prosecco will be on show along with Chardonnay from Watkins family wines.

“[There will be] Kimbolton with their Montepulciano, which won the Alternative Other Variety(s) Langhorne Creek Wine Show; Lake Breeze, which needs no introduction; and Metala Wines, which owns some of the oldest cabernet vines in Australia,” she said.

Horstmann highlighted that the event is not ticketed, and everyone is welcome.

“However long they want to spend is welcome, whether they just want to pop in for an after-work drink, or if they want to stay for dinner,” she said.

The rest of the 10-day wine festival will be in Langhorne Creek, an hour’s drive from Adelaide, spanning from 11-20 August and featuring over 40 events and more than 10 different wineries.

This year’s festival also has a new look, with events catered for both the connoisseur and casual enjoyers of quality food and wine.

Langhorne Creek’s 10 Days of Treasures includes:

• 4 August: National Wine Centre launch, showcasing fantastic Langhorne Creek wines to the city, with live music and roaming canapes;
• 11-20 August: Cellar Treasures’ 10 Days of Treasures, diverse tasting experiences at cellar doors
• 14 August: Viti and Vino, immersive hands-on experience digging deeper into the region’s history, followed by exclusive lunch with leaders in viticulture and winemaking;
• 18-20 August: Light Up Langhorne Creek, free and family-friendly light display and wintery treats in Alfred Langhorne Park; and
• 20 August: Hangout at the Hangar, day of world-class wine, food, live music and kids’ activities.

Greg Follet, the executive chair of Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine (LCGW) and winemaker at award-winning Lake Breeze Wines, said the change to the program will allow more people to experience the region’s globally recognised wines.

“Langhorne Creek already has a global reputation for our excellence in producing great Cabernet and Malbec, but we’re doing much more,” he said.

“The ‘10 Days of Treasures’ program will open up our cellar doors to people keen to explore new tastes and new immersive wine experiences.”

As a younger face on Langhorne Creek’s wine scene, Horstmann said that showcasing the variety of wines available in the region is important when reaching the next generation of drinkers.

“The region is renowned for its red wines, but it’s not all that Langhorne Creek does, and you know with this new demographic coming through who like crisp whites or lighter reds, we want to showcase this is a variety we also do really well,” she said.

For those with less expertise in wine, Horstmann recommends the ‘Hangout at the Hangar event on Sunday 20 August.

“There will be well-known wine producers there, less well-known producers, as well as a DJ, a musician, food shops and so on,” she said.

“If you don’t know much about wine, but you want to hang out with your friends, have food, listen to cool music, that’s a cool one to come along to.”