A century after an Italian immigrant accidentally found his way to South Australia and established what would become a beloved local winery, Patritti is celebrating 100 years with a huge long weekend birthday party.
This year marks a major milestone for the family-owned South Australian business, which traces its beginnings to 1926, when Giovanni Patritti established the winery after arriving in Adelaide the year before.
And if the celebrations are anything to go by, Patritti is planning to mark its centenary the same way Giovanni did, surrounded by good food, wine, family, friends and plenty of people.
The October long weekend will see the winery transformed for its 100th Birthday Party, with five days of events, live music, food and giveaways planned from Thursday, October 1st through to Monday, October 5th. The winery is especially unique as it is Adelaide’s last remaining fully operational, 100% family-owned winery located in the metro area.
For Patritti, the milestone is a chance to celebrate not only its history, but the people who have helped shape the business over the past century.
“Reaching 100 years is an incredibly proud and meaningful milestone for our business,” shared
James Mungall, Senior Winemaker & Third Generation Patritti. “It represents a century of hard work, resilience and commitment, beginning with Giovanni Patritti’s arrival in South Australia and the winery’s establishment in 1926. It is a chance to thank our loyal customers, employees and local community, whose support has been central to our journey.”
Patritti’s story began with a twist of fate. When Giovanni Patritti left Piedmont in Italy at just 25 years old, he believed he was travelling to America to see his sister. Instead, he mistakenly boarded the wrong ship and ended up in South Australia.
By 1926, Giovanni, who became known as John, had settled in the Marion district and established the winery.
In those early days, the winery quickly became a lively gathering place for the local community, with large celebrations bringing people together over food and wine. There was even a famous tradition of preparing spaghetti and meatballs in the bathtub for big gatherings.
That style of bringing people together remains a part of Patritti today.
The winery has since evolved from a small producer surrounded by vineyards into a modern South Australian business sourcing premium fruit from some of the state’s best wine regions, while continuing its long-standing production of premium non-alcoholic juices.
The original suburban site remains home to the business, with Cellar II offering a contemporary take on those early gatherings. The space was created as a place for friends, families and the wider community to come together over wine, food, live music and celebrations, a nod to the way Giovanni himself enjoyed spending time with those around him.
The celebrations will officially begin on Thursday, October 1st. “We’re celebrating with five big days of food, wine and live music. The festivities begin on Thursday night with an exclusive event for our Club.1926 members,” said James. Club.1926 is Patritti’s wine club.
The celebrations will then open to the general public on Friday, October 2nd, with the first major birthday event running from 5pm to 10pm.
Tickets are $20 per person and include a commemorative 100 Year stemless wine glass to take home, as well as a first pour of Patritti’s Lavoro label wine or beer. Children aged under 18 can attend for free.
There will also be two food trucks, a live five-piece band and a special 100 Year cocktail menu created specifically for the occasion. And yes, dancing is encouraged.
“The fun will continue on Saturday, Sunday and Monday with a rotating selection of food trucks and live music for a whole weekend of celebration.”
There will also be 100 bottles of wine given away across the weekend, one for every year of Patritti’s history. Giveaway tickets will be available with drink purchases, with prize draws happening every day, giving you plenty of chances to win. To be in the running, guests simply need to be at the winery when their number is called.
After a century of changing with the times while remaining connected to its roots, Patritti says its longevity comes down to evolving without losing sight of the values it was built on.
“The secret to Patritti’s longevity is our ability to evolve while staying true to the values the winery was built on. Over the past century, we have continued to adapt, innovate and respond to changing tastes, while maintaining our commitment to quality, hard work and community,” said James.
“Just as importantly, we have built strong, lasting relationships with our customers, employees, growers and local community. Their loyalty and support have helped shape Patritti over the past 100 years and will remain central to the business as we look towards the future.”
So as Patritti looks towards its next century, there’s clearly no shortage of reasons to raise a glass. Check out all the fun throughout the October long weekend.
Patritti 100th Birthday Party
When: October long weekend, October 1st to 5th
Where: 13-23 Clacton Rd, Dover Gardens SA 5048
Price: $20 per person Friday Night, Free Entry Saturday to Monday
For more information, click here.
