Summer in the city doesn’t get much better than food, wine and beer on the banks of the Torrens River at the annual Cellar Door Wine Festival. As a veteran CDWF attendee, and veteran wine, food and beer lover, I’ve figured out how to maximise your Cellar Door Wine Fest experience so you don’t miss any of the best bits.
10 Tips to Rule Cellar Door Wine Festival
Wine, wine, everywhere! Photo: Willunga Wino
Social Butterfly
Have your smartphone charged, and your twitter hashtag at the ready (it’s #cdfadelaide).
Up on the wall of fame you can see your tweets up in lights.
At Cellar Door Wine Festival 2015, there was even a marriage proposal on the big screen via Twitter (She said yes!).
Spot my tweet! #allthewines Photo & Tweet: Willunga Wino
Pre-Order, Pre-Book
Masterclasses, lunches, and the famous Goodie Bag always sell out, so do your research and pre-purchase these upgrades to standard entry.
I especially love the goodie bag, which sells out every year.
Collect your bag at the entrance, then you follow the trail to gather your goodies!
Gourmet delights include a bottle of Howards Vineyard wine, Woodside Cheese Wrights smokey goat cheese, Dickins Delights sweet treats, Bottega Rottolo McLaren Vale olives, Clare Valley regional produce, Barossa Pizza, Electrolux apron, Smelly Cheese Shop cheese voucher, blingy wine accessory and much more- all this for $35, with a retail value over $260.
Grapes at the ready. Photo: Willunga Wino
You’re Gonna Need Patience and Time
To do it right.
The Fest is popular and gets busy. So relax, settle in, and politely wait your turn to chat with the friendly winemakers, owners and winery crew.
There are also great cooking demonstrations to see at the Meet The Maker stage, hosted by my mate and man-about-town Dougall McFuzzlebutt.
It will take time to get around to all of the stands, so allow at least 3 hours for your visit, and ideally more like 5.
Take your time. Photo: Willunga Wino
Start with Beer, Then White, Then Red
Heard that old nugget, beer before wine, you’ll feel fine? It also makes sense from a tasting perspective.
Start your day with hops and malt. Craft brews tackled, move on to the White wines.
My method is to go region by region, targeting the varieties which are known to grow well in each. For example, for bubbles, head to the Adelaide Hills, for Fiano you want McLaren Vale, for Riesling the Clare Valley.
Once you’ve worked through the whites, it’s time for round two as you make your way through the festival once more sampling the reds. Hit up McLaren Vale for Grenache, Shiraz and alternate Italian varietals, and Coonawarra for Cab Sauv.
Don’t forget to refresh your palate with a splash of water every taste or two as well!
Not just wine, plenty of Beer. Photo: Willunga Wino
Taste Like A Pro
Number one tip to taste like a pro – is to spit.
And it’s fun too!!
Practice in the shower to get your technique right, then wow your mates with your prowess. Getting off your trolley is not what it’s about, so by spitting, you taste the wines, can compare them, and still remember your favourites at the end of the day!
See, Sniff, Swirl, Sip, Spit! Photo: Willunga Wino
Don’t be a Fruit Fly
Fruit flies hang about near spittoons.
Don’t be one.
Especially if you are wearing white.
People will be emptying glasses and spitting red wine everywhere in the vicinity of the spittoons, so do your outfit a favour and steer clear of chilling around the slops bins. But do use them for what they are intended! (see Taste Like A Pro above).
Lego winery as part of Brickalaide. Photo: Willunga Wino
Eat
Keep yourself fuelled up with the foodie offerings at the Cellar Door Wine Fest.
Last year, our pick of the grub was the freshly made paella.
Pick of the eats: Paella. Photo: Willunga Wino
Vegetarian offerings were a bit more limited, I’d skip the wraps, leave your diet at home for the day, and opt for cheese and chocolate (see Matchy Matchy below).
Choose from four food zones, or chill out in the beer garden to enjoy your tasty treats.
Beer Garden partakers. Photo: Willunga Wino
Matchy Matchy
Throw out the rule book.
If you indulge in a cheese platter – and lets face it we all do while at CDWF – beer is a better match than most wines, with the notable exception of bubbly, a hot tip I picked up from Kris Lloyd of Woodside Cheese Wrights.
Don’t restrict your matching to cheese. New this year is artisan chocolate!
Pick up some truffles from Red Cacao or Steven ter Hoorst, and have fun creating your ultimate chocolate and wine match. My favourite is a cherry kirsch truffle and a peppery shiraz. Be creative, a dark choc ganache is also great with a stout beer or dark ale!
Match a tangy relish to an aromatic or off dry white like Gewurtz. Photo: Willunga Wino
Lock It Up
If you find something you like, don’t muck about, buy some, and send it over to the Pick & Pack stand.
Friendly Cellar Door Fest staff will collect your wines into a case (or cases!) and then post them to your door.
No lugging bottles, nice.
Into the box with you. Photo: Willunga Wino
Look After Your Mum
Every silky drop, every tasty crumb has come from mother earth.
Give her your respect by recycling while you are at the festival.
Do the resident worms a favour and donate your food scraps at the bright and easy to use recycling stations.
Eco Friendly to boot! Photo: Willunga Wino
I know which I’d rather. Photo: Willunga Wino
Pinnable Image:
Comments make my day – so tell me – What are your hot tips to enjoy Cellar Door Wine Festival? Have your say below!
Saaaaooooo excited for Cellar Door Fest 2016!
My tip, time permitting, is to break your CDF experience up over the three days and take your time. Friday, be about the beers. Saturday, get your white wine on. Sunday, all about the reds. With over 150 wineries, there are so many different wines to try – why not give each broad category a day and test each of them out with all of the amazing other SA produce available?
Brilliant tip, Sarah! Make a weekend of it and travel the wine regions without having to leave Radelaide 🙂