Can we interest you in a white shiraz? A craft gin tasting in the middle of a beer-loving German town? Or perhaps a festive sparkling red, best served chilled on a hot Christmas Day?
Stay with us. This culinary journey is all about the unexpected, and the very, very tasty.
Ten years have passed since my last trip to Adelaide, and on the surface, it looks like little has changed. A proudly low-rise city with a big appetite, South Australia’s capital leaves rapid growth and gentrification to its eastern neighbours, instead prioritizing quality of life. It has one of Australia’s most historic sports grounds, the Adelaide Oval, the world’s biggest cabaret festival, the world’s second largest fringe festival after Edinburgh, and an attractive, easy-to-navigate CBD surrounded by green spaces and packed with an ever-changing roster of restaurants and bars, ranging from family-run institutions to the freshest culinary innovators.
And of course, wine!
Why Adelaide Is Australia’s Mid-Sized Overachiever
Adelaide and its surrounds are all about the wine. You can start things in the city with a visit to the Australian Wine Centre, then head up to the Barossa or McLaren Vale for big, bold reds, or the Clare Valley or Adelaide Hills for sweet whites that thrive in the cooler weather. There’s some crossover, of course, since the microclimates created by South Australia’s unique geography enable it to support most popular grapes. The shiraz might steal the show internationally, but there’s a lot more to taste here, including the popular GSM blend of grenache, shiraz, and merlot.
While it would be unfair to name favourite restaurants in Adelaide (*cough* Est Ovest Osteria), there’s one place everyone has to try at least once during their trip. Adelaide Central Market brings together fresh ingredients grown in South Australia’s temperate climate and blends them with the imaginations of up-and-coming chefs and old pros alike. The sit-down restaurants throughout the market are excellent, but if you’re feeling adventurous, it can be more fun to put together a grazing degustation of street eats, crafted to blow your taste buds away. Options range from European staples like paella, cured meats, handmade pasta and pierogies, to sizzling Asian dishes, tantalizing Latin American street food, and a rich variety of Australian favourites, all sold alongside fresh ingredients from South Australia’s farms and fishing boats. The best way to experience the market is to with friends or a small group so you can share a wider variety of dishes without filling up too quickly.
“But… wine?” you say. “You mentioned wine?”
South Australia’s Most Famous Wine Regions
The Barossa Valley has been supporting winemakers for almost two centuries, with shiraz being its most popular drop, though plenty of other varieties, both red and white, grow in the region. One winery fond of breaking the rules is Kies Family Wines, which welcomes us with a white shiraz so clear, you’d mistake it water at first glance. Their sparkling shiraz is another standout, though you’ll find variations on this throughout South Australia’s wine regions. Seeking a cold red wine to enjoy in hot weather—and perhaps inspired by Italy’s Lambrusco, but it depends who you ask—French-Australian winemaker Edmond Mazure (and possibly several others) developed the sparkling shiraz in the late 19th century. Headier than your average Lambrusco, the style is now a festive staple enjoyed cold in the dry heat of a South Australian Christmas. Another favourite is the rose at Turkey Flat Vineyard. This former butchery turned winery has some of the oldest vines in the Barossa, and one of its tastiest lunch platters too.
A little closer to Adelaide lies McLaren Vale, another region renowned for its reds, though as with the Barossa, the whites hold their own. It offers about half as many cellar doors as the Barossa, but that’s still more than 70 options, so don’t worry about things ever feeling overcrowded. Which has the better wine is all down to personal taste, though McLaren Vale is particularly noted for its Grenache. It’s also extremely photogenic, from hilly vineyards to architectural oddities such as the d’Arenberg Cube. A standout on the landscape, it also offers a rotating roster of world-class art exhibits alongside its innovative selection of wines.
Tasting South Australia’s German Heritage
No visit to South Australia’s wine regions is complete, however, without a stop in one of the many German townships that dot them. Tanunda in the Barossa is among the most famous, but Hahndorf is perhaps the most picturesque. It’s also one of the few to have returned to its German name after being renamed Ambleside during the First World War. You can still find references to its English alias if you look hard enough, including Ambleside Distillers, just to the town’s north.
So yes, there’s more to drink in this German town than beer if you don’t want to wait until you reach the wineries.
While we don’t make the trip up to Ambleside, another local distiller has newly set up a tasting room in Hahndorf, offering unique flavours inspired by South Australia, alongside its range of classic gins. The same wisdom brought to Adelaide Central Market applies here. Stepping inside the unpretentiously named Heaps Good Spirits, a shared flight lets us maximize variety. We sample our way through a dozen or so creations on offer (it’s not our fault our kind host decides to throw in a few extra!), including fruitier flavours, several varieties of "ginspresso" (exactly what it sounds like), and our ultimate favourite, Blue Lake Gin. Inspired by the vivid Blue Lake of South Australia’s second-largest city, Mount Gambier, this one’s not only a delicious gin on its own, but turns a bright pink in contact with tonic, perfect for a little low-key cocktail magic.
How Long Should I Stay in Adelaide?
Two full days is just an appetizer when it comes to Adelaide, but it allows enough time for a tour of the city’s highlights and a day trip to one of the nearby wine regions. Personally, I’d recommend an extra day in the city proper after such a tour. This allows time to see the sides of Adelaide that most interest you and explore its food and wine scene beyond the familiar landmarks. Touring the Barossa or Clare Valleys requires a full day, while McLaren Vale or the Adelaide Hills can be done in a well-planned half day, including a stop in Hahndorf for lunch (and of course, gin tasting).
Goway's Destination Specialists are experts at crafting tailor-made trips showcasing the food and wine of Adelaide and its surrounds. You can start planning your own culinary journey by requesting a free quote.
Christian’s first globetrotting adventure saw him get lost exploring the streets of Saigon. Following his nose to Asia’s best coffee, two lifelong addictions were born. A freelance writer and novelist, Christian’s travels have since taken him around his native Australia, Asia, Europe, and much of North America. His favourite trips have been through Japan, Spain, and Brazil, though with a love of off-beat, artsy cities, he’ll seize any opportunity to return to Paris, New York, or Berlin.