As a student, I could stretch $30 across an entire evening on the town. Then I graduated, started on a salary and embraced the magic of a fancy wine with dinner and expensive cocktails. Cha-ching! Enter the late twenties and it’s mortgage time… back to the thrifty yet still raging nights out and time to get creative! For $30 a ticket, the Adelaide Wine Markets is a great (value) way to spend a few hours out with friends and try something new.

The AWM entry ticket includes tastings of wine and spirits (translation: bottomless vino) from more producers than you can count from all over our wonderful state, great tunes (shout outs to Rob Rowland Music) and just the right amount of the right type of feeds (carbs, cheese, sweet things and flava flave). Entry also includes a lovely wine glass to take home (bonus!)

The May 2019 edition of the AWM was held once again at the Market Shed on Holland (after a short hiatus at the Freemasons Hall) which is a lovely venue for this type of function. It was cool outside but the atmosphere inside was warming (as were the grapes I’m sure).

Wondering from stall to stall we travelled from the Eden Valley to the Coonawarra and then over to McLaren Value. There are few other events that I know of that make this sort of timeless tastebud travel so easy.

At each AWM there are always standout producers and following are some of my top picks. The sparkling Pinot Noir from Hollick Estate in the Coonawarra was actually fantastic and is one of my favourites yet! Still on the topic of sparkling, the bubbly rose and brute from Cuvee Co Wines were tastebud tingling and visiting the winery is now on my to do list. We also had some great reds from Brothers at War. The women behind Arno and Section1819 shared their knowledge about what goes into producing bio-dynamic wines. Known that the process involved moon rituals made their grapes taste event better!

When you head along, be sure to take home a bottle or two and make the evening worth the producer’s time. See you at the next one!

Words by Vanessa De Chellis