A Taste of the Hills serves up a carnival of culinary experiences
Winding through the Adelaide Hills, there’s a treasure trove of hidden gems around every corner – from breathtaking backdrops to unique experiences and gastronomic delights.
This weekend, savour some of the Hills’ finest offerings all in the one place, with fabulous local food and award-winning beverages, produce, art and entertainment, as the region serves up its second Taste of the Hills Festival.
Hosted against the scenic vista of Heysen – The Cedars at Hahndorf, the two-day event kicks off Saturday at noon with an abundance of food choices. Grab a grazing platter or pizza, Red Cacao locally crafted chocolate, pair some quality Hills wine with a treat from Cheesy Street or the newest Italian taste sensation to hit the hills from the team at Project Burrata.
The Festival is the ultimate showcase of what the Adelaide Hills region has to offer, and to ensure a great weekend, there are a range of ways you can go about basking in the carnival of culinary creativeness.
Pre-book tickets online from just $29, grab them at the gate for $39 or check out the added experiences available, including wine and oyster pairing with Nepenthe Wines and Cowell Oysters, a Native Australian Cuisine Sensory Experience, Paint and Sip Art classes, wine and chocolate and wine and cheese pairing.
Or you can elevate your experience by pre-ordering a dozen SA oysters, a grazing box packed with local produce or a relaxing day bed – so you can eat, drink, relax and repeat.
To give you a tiny taste of what’s in store, we’ve compiled a guide to introduce you to some of the creators of fancy food and beverages, who look forward to sharing their passion and products with you from 12pm this Saturday and Sunday.
Taste the success of Amadio’s Award-Winning Wines
Amadio Wines blends a rich Italian heritage with three generations of winemakers producing premium quality wine from vineyards in the Adelaide Hills and on Kangaroo Island.
Embracing the best fruit flavours and “terroir” characteristics, Amadio offers a variety of wines, from classic Shiraz, Pinot Grigio and Cabernet, to emerging stars like Pecorino, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo.
And for the lover of bubbles, third generation wine maker, Danniel Amadio, has produced an exceptional NV Sparkling Brut and a traditional crisp and delicate Prosecco, and holds an equally sparkling Gold Medal from Wine Showcase Magazine for his Single Vineyard Chardonnay.
The Amadio team will be on-site at Taste the Hills, bringing a great range of delicious wines, available by the glass and bottle, including the fruity, daring and alluring Ruby Rosé.
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Berrigan uncorking the famous Shining Rock range
Discover more deliciousness with Berrigan Wines – family owned and operated Artisan producers of premium, cool climate boutique wines.
The secret to Dan Berrigan and Wendi Ticao’s celebrated success is sustainably growing and producing high quality wines that are harmonious, clean and fresh, with complexity and balance.
They’ll be uncorking the sumptuous “Shining Rock” range, harvested from their Nairne vineyard, including the deliciously soft, complex and fruit-driven Sangiovese, which has picked up a trifecta of State and National Awards.
The blackberry, cherry, pepper and plum flavours of the Gold Medal winning 2022 Shining Rock Shiraz will also be on show, as well as the beautifully light and fresh, trophy-winning-Grüner Veltliner.
Get into the spirit with Robbers Dog
Cath and Rob Davies are passionate about their pursuit to make high quality spirits from their Mount Pleasant distillery. Their story is about as local as you can get – serving spirits out of an old bank that was robbed three times by the infamous Bicycle Bandit! Producing small-batch, high-quality spirits with a focus on as much locally grown grain and fruits as possible, recycling organic waste products back into livestock feed, recycling their own still water, and using solar to power their venture.
If you like variety when it comes to spirits, you’ll want to pull up a spot and sample the wide range of heavenly flavours Robber’s Dog are serving up.
Limecello – a little like limoncello, only better. According to the distiller, whatever a lemon can do, a lime can do better. A “lovely little sipper”, or refreshing with some lemonade and a dash of Robber’s Dog Orange Bitters.
There’ll also be Moonshine, Ruby Rum, Vodka, and a couple of their signature Gins, including the RGma Gin, with big red wine notes, followed by juniper, citrus and earthy botanicals.
Be first to try Project Burrata’s exquisite cheese pairing bowls
Making a delectable debut to the delight of cheese lovers, the boys from Project Burrata are super excited to premier a modern twist to a traditional Italian delicasy.
Complementing the delicious array of wines on offer, this will be the first major event for the Calderisi crew, who’ll be serving up a trio of exquisite cheese pairing bowls like nothing you’ve ever tasted before.
The magnificent Burrata, with its delicate shell of fresh mozzarella encasing a rich and creamy Stracciatella, is a popular dish on the bustling streets of Puglia, Italy, and now Project Burrata is bringing the taste of their homeland to the Adelaide Hills food scene.
Their three Burrata offerings for the event include a delectable savoury experience, paired with tomato, balsamic glaze and garnished with basil, and then there’s a slightly sweeter pairing, with honey, peach and fresh mint. But the Crème de la crème, is the dessert-style Burrata, drizzled with balsamic glaze, topped with a mix of fresh berries and a garnish of basil to tantalise the taste buds!
Tin Shed spices things up with new release and trio of Cocktails
Tin Shed Distilling will be bringing plenty of spirit to the festival of fabulous food and drinks, ahead of their exciting expansion to the Adelaide Hills, with a brand new cellar door at Nairne just around the corner.
To celebrate, the artisan spirits specialists invite you to sample a Whisky or two, and will be serving up a delicious concoction of cocktails, including the Whisky-based, raspberry flavoured Easy Raz, a Rum-infused Storm’s ‘a Comin’ and the Coco Choco – a special vegan chocolate milkshake spiced with Rum.
The event will also debut a brand new Whisky Liqueur the blending team have been diligently working on, which is sure to spice things up a little, with its herbal infusion and orange-driven flavour.
Tin Shed’s philosophy is to make the very best spirits we can, because they only want to sell and drink the best. Their offerings have been awarded “Liquid Gold” status by world renowned Whisky critic and Author of the Whisky Bible, Jim Murray.
Sunshine, Cocktails and an exclusive Taste of the Hills Gin label
Get into the spirit of the weekend and take your taste buds on an adventure with delicious Gins and Vodka crafted by Sue and James Tilly from the aptly named distillery, HillTilly.
Crafted with sunshine and love, the Adelaide Hills distillery is completely off-grid, using South Aussie sunshine and Hills spring water to produce the purest form of bliss in a bottle.
HillTilly is teaming up with BrushFlicks’n’Chill this weekend, providing exquisite Gin cocktails to artists taking part in the Paint ‘n” Sip experience. Plus, they’ve created an exclusive Taste of the Hills Gin label, available to purchase in a special 250ml bottle for $35 – the perfect event souvenir!
Stop by and introduce yourselves to the Tilly’s and sample their extensive range of Vodkas and Gins, ask them to mix you up a cocktail, or find out about their special hand-crafted “Tequila”, sunshine and love.
A Taste of the Adelaide Hills
When:- March 23 and 24
Where: – Heysen – The Cedars, Hahndorf
For Ticketing & Info: – Click here
