Spring is finally here, which means McLaren Vale’s annual Spring Affair is back. The event will be held on Sunday 6 October for the 2019 October Long Weekend, and we are (almost) ready.
Now in it’s sixth year, the annual food, wine and music festival celebrates the bud-burst of Spring and some of the region’s exceptional wines and fresh produce. There will also be a line-up of live music and party tunes from Fresh 92.7 DJs to kick off the party atmosphere.
Festival-goers have a choice to either choose their own adventure and visit three wineries on their own, spending all day at one venue, or joining an organised pub group tour.
Wineries taking part in the event include Maxwell Wines, Paxton Wines, Coriole Vineyards, Mollydooker, Penny’s Hill and Serafino.
To make things easier for you, we have complied a guide of all the wineries and a full list of the pubs involved that will take care of the work for you.
Maxwell Wines
Join this renowned, five-star Vale winery for a ‘Sparkling Spring’ and the launch of their refreshing new Sparkling Mead. If you’ve never tried honey wine (yes, wine made from honey), then start with the best and taste one of their family treasures. They have also called on some of the locals to bring you the best experience possible. Food will be provided by the one and only Pizzatecca and Little Rickshaw, with live music from Jimmybay and a few other DJs.
Paxton Wines
Leaders in organic and biodynamic winemaking, Paxton Wines is once again excited to participate in this year’s Spring Affair. Experience the taste of their delicious wines, along with beverages by Vale Ale and Bickfords to quench your thirst. All that drinking will have you stomach growling, but don’t worry because the team from Flatiron will be there to tempt you with delicious gourmet toasties, along with spicy goodness from Satay Hut and Okonomiyaki for mouth watering Japanese street food. Tunes will be provided by Maverick Experience, mixing classic and current tunes with live percussion and sax for you to have a boogie to.
Coriole Vineyards
Kick back and enjoy the spring sunshine whilst taking in the stunning views of the Vale’s rolling hills at Coriole Vineyards. Indulge in a glass of their newly released wines such as this year’s Prosecco and Rosè, accompanied by Coriole’s own delicious food from the kitchen. With live music by DJs, as well as sounds produced by saxophone and bongo players, the day seems pretty sorted.
Mollydooker
Join Mollydooker for one big party at the Spring Affair festival with their award-winning wines and stunning scenery of the gorgeous Willunga hills. Enjoy a relaxed day sipping on some of the finest wines with a picnic rug and games on the lawn, or get your dancing shoes on and hit the dancefloor where A&E will provide relaxed acoustic vibes in the morning, before Fresh FM’s DJ Ryley amps up the tempo with some up-beat tunes. Food on offer includes gourmet breakfast burgers and a variety of lunch options which set up for one cracker day.
Penny’s Hill
Located in front of their magical original 1888 stables, Penny’s Hill winery is the perfect venue to relax and soak up the sun. Along with their delicious range of wines, they will be introducing the new flights gin bar featuring Madmen Gin and a selection of KIS gins that will be available on the day. You can rest assured your tummies will be looked after as well with everyone’s favourite South East Asian food stall Sooki La La will offering scrumptious dishes, whilst Mr Donuts food truck will take care of your sweet tooth. Music will be supplied by locals Jesse Francis and DJ Es’Ay for an epic day of food, wine and dancing.
Serafino
Nestled amongst the Vale’s 200-year-old gum trees, vineyards and a tranquil lake, Serafino is once again inviting you to party with them this spring. The picturesque setting will allow you to indulge in a variety of their award-winning wines and their very own wood-oven pizzas, because who doesn’t love a good wine-pizza combo. Sit back and relax to tunes from Fresh FM DJs and take part in traditional lawn games for a fun day in the sun.
Pub Group Tours
If you want the work done for you, a number of pubs around Adelaide are creating bus tours for you to enjoy. Simply grab a group of your mates, arrive at a pub in the morning, get on the bus, travel to three chosen wineries, and get dropped off back at the same destination. It’s as easy as that! The pubs participating include:
The Edinburgh Hotel and Cellars
Tickets are still available but they’re selling fas. For more info, and to book, visit http://www.springaffair.com.au.
Spring affair will be held on Sunday 6 October during the October Long Weekend in McLaren Vale.