South Australians to crash New Zealand wine party

Winetopia has always been a celebration of New Zealand wines - but this year South Australia is crashing the party.

South Australian winemakers will be the first overseas producers to present at the popular Auckland event.

This time around the Kiwis can enjoy a new dedicated area, Tasting South Australia, offering Barossa shiraz and Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon, among others, and there will also be a Kangaroo Slider Bar, serving burgers from Macro Group featuring kangaroo and wild game meat.

South Australian wineries taking part include: Thorn Clarke Wines, Rymill, Unico Zelo, Metala, Dandelion Vineyards, Sisters Run, Yalumba, Geoff Hardy, Portia Valley, Organic Hill and Levrier Wines by Jo Irvine

Wine journalist and educator Tony Love will be presenting at the event and says: “South Australia’s wine makers are among the most innovative in the world, creating world-class styles from its famed traditional varieties like shiraz, cabernet, and grenache, and now forging a new generation of wines from a wide range of regionally adaptive and climate-suitable Mediterranean and Iberian varieties.”

Love will host a series of masterclasses.

Other wine gurus in attendance will include Master of Wine Bob Campbell and wine writer Joelle Thomson, while wine and film buffs will also relish in the opportunity to meet American novelist and filmmaker Rex Pickett, best known for his novel Sideways, which was adapted into a 2004 box office hit of the same name.

He is currently in New Zealand, writing a follow up to Sideways.

In addition to the food and wine exhibited within the Tasting South Australia area, visitors will have the opportunity to ‘tour’ each region of New Zealand to try more than 300 wines from 60 of New Zealand’s most celebrated wineries, spanning nine wine regions and 20+ varietals.

Dine Social will be showcasing five pop-up eateries, featuring a range of culinary styles.

Rob Eliott of Lemongrass Productions, which is hosting the event, said: “South Australia is renowned for its rich history of winemaking and for producing spectacular, signature reds which are very different from the wines we make so well here in New Zealand.

"Given that many of New Zealand’s pioneering winemakers learnt their craft at the Roseworthy campus at the University of Adelaide, there is a natural friendship between Australian and New Zealand wine producers."

Winetopia will be taking place at Shed 10 Auckland over three event sessions: Friday, October 28: 5pm-8:30pm and Saturday, October 29: noon-3:30pm and 4:30pm-8pm.

Early Bird tickets start at $37 + $2 booking fee available until October 7 unless sold out prior. Premium Tickets are $87 + $2 booking fee for those wanting an elevated experience.

To find out more, and to book, visit www.winetopia.co.nz.