Adelaide

NEWS

Botanic Gardens restaurant to undergo makeover
Next month, the Botanic Gardens Restaurant will be undergoing the first of a two-stage revamp. This new makeover will see the white tablecloths removed to reveal new, solid oak tables with Carrara marble tops and the plastic chairs replaced with timber seats with gold framing. Head chef, Paul Baker is promising a whole new magnificent look for the restaurant by the end of the year.

Jock zonfrillo wins culinary prize
Jock Zonfrillo from Orana and Bistro Blackwood has won the Casque Culinary World Prize for his work championing Australian indigenous culture and culinary traditions. The prize is awarded to chefs that improve society through gastronomy, and this year Jock was the only Australian finalist out of the top-10 chefs from around the world.

KI Spirits opening warehouse in Port Adelaide
KI Spirts are setting up a warehouse in Port Adelaide to provide a mainland base for its expanding operations. The warehouse is said to be an integral part in the distribution of KI Spirit's gins both internationally and nationally.

Art Gallery of SA has record attendance
The Art Gallery of South Australia had unprecedented attendance figures for the Colour of Impressionism: Masterpieces from the Musee d'Orsay. With 159,442 visitors (34,449 of those from outside of the State), the exhibition attracted audiences of all ages and had a 200,000-visitation increase.

Shobosho chef is Young Chef of the Year
Shobosho's chef Max Sharrad has been named Australian Young Chef of the Year in the 2018 Appetite for Excellence Awards. At only 27 years of age, Max can usually be found in the fire-powered kitchen of Leigh Street's Shobosho, where he prepares Japanese/Korean cuisine for guests.

Adelaide Festival announcement
Earlier this week the 2019 Adelaide Festival announced Mozart's The Magic Flute as the highlight of its program. Since its premiere in Berlin six years ago, The Magic Flute has played to more than half a million people in 22 cities.

Adelaide Fashion Festival
The Adelaide Fashion Festival presented by Mercedes Benz Adelaide & Unley has released its 2018 program for the highly anticipated event. The 2018 AFF will see some new homegrown brands make their debut and bring new genres of apparel into the mix.

Tasting Australia applications open
Tasting Australia applications for associated events are now open. As one of the country's longest-running food and drink festivals, Tasting Australia is the perfect platform to show foodies and event lovers what you're made of – and why they should keep coming back. Tasting Australia gives participating businesses two full weekends of trade and events to take advantage of during the festival.

Penfolds win best in show
Penfolds has won the Best in Show trophy at the Sydney Royal Wine Show with their 217 Reserve Bin 17A Chardonnay. While the label is best known for its iconic reds, the Adelaide Hills Chardonnay beat more than 2,300 entries. Meanwhile, Bleasdale Vineyards won the red winter counterpart for Best Red in Show with its 2016 Wellington Road Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon.

OzAsia program revealed
The OzAsia's program has been revealed with over 800 artists coming to Adelaide for the festival that celebrates rich Asian culture. The festival runs from 25 October – 11 November.

Applications for Best of Wine Tourism are open
Applications for The Great Wine Capitals Best of Wine Tourism Awards are open until 7 September 2018. Celebrating innovation and excellence in wine tourism in great wine capitals, the awards give wineries the opportunity to gain exposure and recognition for their commitment to providing leading wine tourism experiences.

Orana best in adelaide
Gourmet Traveller has released their top 100 restaurants list  with South Australia's Orana taking out third spot and Magill Estate taking out number nine. Seven other SA venues made it into the top 100 list including, Botanic Gardens Restaurant, Africola, d'Arenberg Cube, Hentley Farm, Shobosho, The Pot by Emma McCaskill and The Summertown Aristologist.

EVENT

Chocolate and whisky
This month, in a bid to make whisky more accessible and palatable, Hains and Co have matched their whiskies with candy and chocolate bars. The bar on Gilbert Street promotion is being dubbed "The Candy Bars Are on Us" and will culminate on 22 August with a ticketed sensory immersion event that will feature handcrafted chocolate by Adelaide's Chocolat by Daniela.

Lucky Dumpling Market returns
As part of OzAsia, Lucky Dumpling Market will be returning this year from 25 October - 11 November. Set alongside the beautiful River Torrens, next to Adelaide Festival Centre, the markets offer guests the chance to eat their way around Asia without leaving Adelaide.

Adelaide Central Market's Producer-in-Residence
The Adelaide Central Market producer-in-residence from 28 August - 15 September will be Nathan Bakes by pastry chef Nathan Schubert. Nathan Bakes is a catering company that offers vegan and gluten-free desserts that have in the past popped up at Plant 4 Bowen, Guild Marketplace and Gathered Market. Nathan Bakes is looking to open a shop front in the near future.

Cheesefest + Ferment
Cheesefest + Ferment is returning to Rymill Park on the 27 - 28 October. Now under a merged name the new program will include, chocolate, kimchi, sourdough and more. The festival will also be putting in place G&T bars and Beer and BBQ Gardens to pair with the delicious cheeses on offer.

FOOD AND WINE

Henley to get new bar
West, a small bar above Melt at Henley Beach, will be opening its doors towards the end of August. Ollie Margan from Adelaide's Maybe Mae is responsible for the seaside suburb's newest bar and is aiming to breathe new light into the area. West will be looking to complement the menu of Melt's pizzeria downstairs.

Maybe Mae transforms
Maybe Mae has undergone a transformation and is now the only bar in the city that offers table service. The venue has also released a new 24-drink cocktail list and has increased their capacity to be able to accommodate for 75 individuals, all seated. 

Little Bang brewery on Henley Street
By Summer 2018, Little Bang brewery will be moving to Henley Street in an upgraded home for their craft beer. The new fit out will include 20 beer taps, a function area, and beer garden. The space will cover 1,000-square-metres and is barely five minutes walk from their Union Street brewhouse in Stepney.

The Noble Gentleman in topham mall
Topham Mall has welcomed The Noble Gentleman to its laneway. The new bar stocks South Australian wines that don't have their own cellar doors, along with locally sourced meats and cheeses to accompany their drink selections. The Noble Gentleman is the newest addition to the precinct and will continue to help build its reputation as an up and coming laneway in Adelaide.

Ginbucha at Electra House
Electra House in Adelaide has launched "The Ginbucha" - gin infused with kombucha from UTONIC. The pairings aim to bring a healthier, low-sugar cocktail onto the market, with five flavours including pomegranate, lemon & lime, mango, ginger & turmeric, and mixed berry.

The Moseley Beach Club returns
South Australia's beach club, The Moseley, is returning from November 2018 through to March 2019. With a capacity of 350 guests, The Moseley offers a casual dining area, bar, live acoustic music during the week and DJs on the weekends.

Q Viet in Adelaide's north-west
Q Viet, a new Vietnamese restaurant in Woodville Gardens, has recently opened in Adelaide's north-west. Owned by four Vietnamese families who supplement classic dishes with homestyle cooking the menu has items that often don't make it into traditional Vietnamese restaurants.

SeaSalt launches new menu
Located beneath Melt at Henley Beach, SeaSalt is re-opening after its winter closure with a new weekend brunch menu. The seafood focused menu will hero South Australian favourites like Coffin Bay Pacific oysters, blue swimmer crabs and other fresh produce from surrounding regions.

Fleurieu Peninsula

NEWS

Tour Down Under finishes in Fleurieu
The 2019 Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) race routes have been announced featuring new additions and fan favourites. For the first time in the 20-year history of the race, the TDU will see the Be Safe Be Seen MAC Stage 6 finale move from the city to a regional hill top finish, with the McLaren Vale to Willunga Hill stage taking place on Sunday 20 January 2019.

ACCOMMODATION

Cadoles at the vineyard retreat – by Escapod
A new luxury accommodation has been welcomed in the Fleurieu Peninsula. The Cadoles (a product of Escapod) is part of The Vineyard Retreat at Blewitt Springs and is a self-contained pod that is fitted with 5-star luxuries. Escapod aims to bring quality accommodation to regional areas and is designed to bring guests closer to nature.

Adelaide Hills

NEWS

Crafers wins Best Overall hotel
The Crafers Hotel has been recognised as the Best Overall hotel in South Australia at this year's 2018 Hotel Awards for Excellence. It also won four other categories, Best Superior Hotel Accommodation, Best Bistro Dining - Metropolitan, Best Redeveloped Hotel, and Best Apprentice Development and Training. All winners from the night will go on to compete in the national AHA Awards held in September.

Woodside Cheese infuses gin
Woodside Cheese Wrights have teamed up with five local South Australian distilleries to produce the G&C (gin & cheese) collaboration. Working with Settlers Gin, KI Spirits, Ambleside Distillery, Applewood Distiller, and 23rd St Distillery, to create the perfect flavour of mild cheddar infused with gin.

Mount Lofty House transforms
Mount Lofty House is in its final stages of redevelopment to transform part of the accommodation into a new boutique hotel. The development, named Sequoia, will sit separate to Mount Lofty House and will include 15 luxury villas that have unparalleled views of Piccadilly Valley. Sequoia is part of a $14 million upgrade for Mount Lofty House.

ACCOMMODATION 

B&B in Lobethal            

A new bed and breakfast has opened in the Adelaide Hills. 1965 is a restored retro house that has been fitted out to follow the same theme. Located in Lobethal, 1965 received its first booking within the first hour of its listing going live.

Relaunch for Adelaide Hills Retreat
The Adelaide Hills Retreat has relaunched after formally being known as Adelaide Hills Country Cottages. Now with two completely refurbished, luxury, and self-contained villas, both properties include a private outdoor area, spa bath, wood fire and breakfast provisions.

FOOD AND WINE

Ten Miles East in the hills
Ten Miles East is a new cellar door that has launched in the Adelaide Hills. A small, lush and intimate boutique cellar door only 20 minutes from Adelaide, the estate-grown fruit makes a limited batch of unique fine wine. Currently only open on weekends, the cellar door is tucked away within a valley in North Summit.

Longview tasting room
Longview Winery in the Adelaide Hills has a new tasting room to cater for private events. Offering breathtaking views, rustic chic surroundings, delicious food and award-winning wine, Longview has beverage packages, catering and even accommodation available for those wanting to hire out the space.

Fox Gordon opens in Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills cellar door Fox Gordon opened its doors a few months early for last weekend's Winter Reds festival. Set to open in September this year, the winery wanted to be up and running for the annual festival. Although Fox Gordon already have a city cellar door in Adelaide, the owners wanted to showcase the vineyards at the Kuitpo property and is currently open by appointment.

Flinders Ranges & Outback

NEWS

Woolshed Restaurant gets new menu
Hospitality duo Cameron Chan and Shane Johnson from Onred in Canberra have recently taken on the management of Woolshed Restaurant at Rawnsley Park Station in the Flinders Ranges. The new menu launched on 18 August and is a five-course dinner matched with Clare Valley Wines.

ACCOMMODATION

Apartments arrive in the Flinders
The southern Flinders Ranges has a brand-new accommodation offering. The North Laura Hotel has built 11 4.5-star apartments that are situated directly next to the hotel. Offering combinations of two and three bedrooms, two accessible and four apartments for bigger bookings, the North Lauran Hotel will boost the township of Laura by offering a new accommodation experience.

Barossa Valley

ACCOMMODATION

Glamping in the Barossa
Discovery Parks Barossa Valley has recently opened safari tents to offer a glamping experience amongst the vines at a new eco-luxe site in the heart of the Barossa. The 12 luxury safari tents have ensuite bathrooms, a kitchenette, and a king-sized bed. They are also 100% waterproof with a private heated spa, pool, barbeque and lounge area on site.

EVENTS

Vine & Vibes at Seabrook
Seabrook Wines are hosting Vine & Vibes as part of the Barossa's Gourmet Weekend on Sunday 2 September. With live music and street food on offer for the afternoon, Seabrook are encouraging visitors to pre-book for an intimate and relaxed day amongst the vines. 

Murray River, Lakes & Coorong

EVENTS

SALA showcases region
The (South Australia Living Artists Festival)  (SALA) is currently underway. As part of the calendar of events, the Murray River Lakes and Coorong region will have its talented artists on show. Sculptures, photography, and paintings will be on display, with highlight exhibitions include Water: Our Life Source, SALA in the Coorong, Whistle Stop and Rapture.

Riverland

NEWS

New tastings at Twenty Third Street        

Twenty Third Street Distillery in Renmark is introducing two new tasting flights in partnership with two iconic South Australian brewing companies. 'A Crafty Partnership' showcases beers from Vale Brewing and Fox Hat Brewing Co. The new offering is a great addition to experiences in the Riverland.

Riverland taste trail
The Riverland has launched their River Tastes Food and Beverage Trail. With food and wine being a key driver for tourism visitation in the region, the Riverland's tear off maps in their Visitor Information Centres will showcase produce from across the region. An interactive online version is also available where further information is offered for each highlighted place.

EXPERIENCE 

Gin blending at Twenty Third Street
Twenty Third Street distillery is now offering guests their own Gin Blending Experience. Guests will leave with a 200ml bottle of their own handcrafted, signature blend of gin, signed by their Master Distiller. Included in the experience is a tour of the distillery and knowledge on the history of gin and how it's made by Twenty Third Street.

Kangaroo Island

NEWS

KI distills first single malt whisky
In the coming weeks, Kangaroo Island Spirits are preparing to distill the island's first single malt whisky. With the help of local collaborators, the hog-head barrels will be ready in a little over two years before it can be called whisky.