With South Australia making some of Australia’s greatest wines, I was intrigued and eager to experience the friendly competition of the Arkaba’s Battle of the SA Regions event. Some of the most iconic and award-winning wineries from across the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Limestone Coast regions bring carefully selected examples of their talents to the public arena, with the goal of being awarded best of the best.

For the affordable ticket price of $35 (pre-sale, $45 at the door) the event offers the opportunity to sample over 200 wines from your complimentary tasting glass. When you are ready to admit combat fatigue there are waiting voting stations for you to nominate your favourite region and the wine you believe was the finest of the day.

A decorative feast is also provided for all attendees, spreading across tables laden with delicious cheeses, fruits, nuts and chilled water. Set up in front of the live band it is a tableau which would make Dionysus proud.

So many notable wineries were in attendance this year that it was hard to select favourites on the day. The Lane’s Block 14 Shiraz was my pick of the reds, showing off its single vineyard provenance and stylish finesse with plush plum tones ending in a velveteen rasp of dry tannins. For the white I was enamoured by Mollydooker’s Verdelho, which bursts forth from creamy origins into fresh tropical fruits, honeysuckle, spice and citrus.

The Battle allows guests to causally campaign through an impressive selection. Each winery is eager to tell you about their processes and final products, so it’s perfect you’re looking to improve your knowledge of what the wine regions surrounding Adelaide are capable of producing for the palette. Look out for tickets when it returns in 2019!

Words by Danielle Clarke