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ASOHNS 2012 ASM Saturday 31 March - Tuesday 3 April 2012 | Adelaide Convention Centre

Destination Adelaide

SA loves its food and wine – so will you!

“Drinking good wine, with good friends in good company is one of life’s most civilised pleasures” Michael Broadbent, MW

I believe that the taste, comfort and feeling of food has the magic power to inspire vivid memories, wild fantasies and perhaps noble feats of creativity and collaboration. After all, aren’t we food obsessed?

But what about the wine? Like wonderful food, it tastes good and feels good. For some of us, it may be new, vast, ancient or even mysterious. Although it can bring uncertainty, most of us can recall some memory that makes us beg the question, “can the wine make the food even better?” For this challenge, I hope we can do it for you in Adelaide next year.

Decades ago, European and Asian immigrants settled in the various regions of South Australia. Today, they continue to cultivate and nurture the land, which is abundant with grape vines, greenhouses, commercially grown flowers, herbs, vegetables and seafood from the rich oceans of the Spencer and St Vincent Gulfs.

South Australia is an aquacultural centre, specialising in fresh seafoods, whether this be freshly shucked oysters from Coffin Bay and the West Coast of South Australia, lobster and crayfish from the Limestone Coast, or fresh delicate, pristine King George Whiting from the gulf and Kangaroo Island, I am confident that you will find a seafood and a destination that will appeal to you, not to mention the wine pairing journey. Oh - and please don’t forget the freshly fried calamari, preferably prepared outside and straight from the ocean!

Adelaide is undeniably the wine capital of Australia. Its reputation and quality is renowned both nationally and internationally.

South Australia showcases a diversity of wine styles – there is one to suit even the most discerning palates. I am sure you have heard of the Barossa Valley, with its big, up front, bold “fruit bomb” styles, but there are many more than can be far more alluring and seductive.

Take a drive from the Adelaide CBD, up the freeway, through the picturesque rolling Adelaide Hills, and within 20 minutes you will find yourself in the fresh, green and vibrant Adelaide Hills cool climate wine region. Never mind the New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs – Andrew Jefford, an international wine journalist, acknowledged, while visiting Adelaide in 2010, that the Adelaide Hills wine region is probably the most highly regarded region for this variety in Australia.

While in the Adelaide Hills, don’t forget the handcrafted cheeses, or artisan style smoked meats – recipes for which have been handed down through the generations and are a reflection of the multicultural heritage we have in South Australia.

Just imagine sitting on a verandah in an Adelaide Hills café, enjoying a locally hand made French style cheese with a succulent, mouth watering cool climate Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc (a match made in Heaven)… or smoked meats, including game, with a famous Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir.

A pleasant one to two hour drive from Adelaide lands you in the Barossa Valley with its iconic wineries and brands, such as Henschkes, Lehmanns and Yalumba to mention a few. This is truly the home of Shiraz, Shiraz and more Shiraz to be enjoyed with the wide range of Barossa fine foods that are readily available.

The Barossa Valley, with its influence derived from the German immigrants, is a cornucopia of fine, delicious foods, ranging from the fare at the famous Maggie Beer’s Pheasant Farm Restaurant, right through to the enormous array of small goods, bakeries, charcuterie, etc.

Further north from the acclaimed Barossa Valley, is the equally famous Clare Valley known particularly for its styles of Riesling (not to mention the famous Clare Valley Riesling Trail), but also their own style of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The fine Rieslings produced in this region, whether they be from Watervale or the Polish Hill area, pair beautifully with the delicate, but intensely flavoured oysters from the West Coast of South Australia, or even King George Whiting caught in local South Australian waters, and lightly seared in the pan.

McLaren Vale, on the South Coast of Adelaide, is a favourite South Australian wine region. This region extends from the coast through to the hills to the east. The region’s warm maritime climate produces great Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache. For the whites, try something different like Roussanne or Marsanne – unique to this region. A wonderful place to consider in late March is watching the sun set on the horizon, atop the Port Willunga hill face cliffs, dining at the Star of Greece and forgetting all about the thoughts of returning to work!

For those who are more adventurous, a four-hour drive south takes you to the famous terra rossa soils (red soil over limestone) of the Coonawarra, the home of probably the finest Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia (my apologies to the West Australians). This unique region is surrounded by some of the prettiest and lushest countryside you could ever see and, of course, produces wonderful beef – watch out for the Wagyu infusion that goes extremely well with the mint-flavoured Cabernets from the southern Coonawarra region.

Adelaide is a vibrant food and wine scene – let’s share it with you in March 2012. We hope that these thoughts will provoke you to create wonderful memories of Adelaide - the food, the wine, and the hospitality we can share.

“A meal without wine … is like a day without sunshine” Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (Physiologie Du Gout) 1826

John Tomich
Social Program Convenor

Things to see and do in Adelaide

Festivals and food. Arts and culture. Shopping and sports. This is Adelaide - the Australian city where there's always something on.

With spacious boulevards and vibrant inner-city districts, sophisticated architecture and lush gardens, plenty of accommodation to choose from, Adelaide is the perfect venue for all sorts of holiday activities - big or small.

You might want to immerse yourself in the culture of Adelaide's North Terrace, with its museums and city cafes. You might want to indulge in retail therapy while shopping at Rundle Mall, sample the tastes on offer at the famed Adelaide Central Market, or sip award-winning wines at the National Wine Centre.

You might prefer to follow in the footsteps of sporting champions at the world-famous Adelaide Oval. Or enjoy a retreat to the cosmopolitan seaside suburbs of Glenelg, Henley Beach and Semaphore.

Alternatively you can visit the Art Gallery of South Australia, visit Coopers Brewery, stock up on fine chocolate at Haigh's Chocolates, or visit the handsome statue of Light's Vision; which points to the heart of the city.

In Adelaide, there is a brilliant blend of things to see and do.

Touring Adelaide

Take a guided tour of vibrant, elegant Adelaide. You'll find a wide range of tours here - including heritage walks through North Adelaide and the city centre, go swimming with dolphins off seaside Glenelg, enjoy a tour of the bustling Central Market, sit back for limousine tour of a wine region, and much more.


For a comprehensive guide covering all that Adelaide has to offer, please visit the South Australia tourism website:
www.southaustralia.com

Adelaide Food and Wine

You will be spoilt for choice with the range of food and wine options.

Adelaide's Culinary Culture

In Adelaide, you'll find entire streets devoted to dining. These 'eat streets' are a mix of cafes, pubs and restaurants.

Gouger Street is Adelaide's key eat street. It's the gateway to the Adelaide Central Market and the exotic, bustling mall and foodhalls of Chinatown. Take a five-minute stroll and you'll be embarking on a world tour of restaurants. Traditional Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Japanese, Asian fusion, noodle bars, regional Chinese and yum cha, French and Argentine cuisine, and a number of first-rate seafood restaurants.

Rundle Street, in Adelaide's East End, has a popular casual atmosphere and is recommended for lunch and night dining. It's bursting with alfresco dining - a vibrant food, wine and coffee experience not to be missed. Nearby Hutt Street is a great breakfast spot and home to GoodLife Modern Organic Pizza (you'll also find a Good Life in Glenelg's Jetty Road).

Hindley Street is home to Apothecary 1878, an elegant wine bar that must be seen to be believed. And the award-winning Red Ochre restaurant has views of the River Torrens and famed cuisine to try.

O'Connell Street and Melbourne Street are fashionable dining locations in North Adelaide, five minutes drive north of the city. You'll find The Manse restaurant in North Adelaide - one of Adelaide's finest and oldest established restaurants, located within a beautiful Victorian Mansion.

Just ten minutes from the city centre, The Parade in Norwood is alive with cafes, Italian and Thai restaurants, pubs and more.

Coastal suburbs Glenelg and Henley Beach are also popular dining precincts. Dine outdoors while you watch the sun set over the ocean. Henley Beach Road has a cornucopia of food stores and eateries - Asian, African, Mediterranean and Indian.

Of course Adelaide's shopping hub, Rundle Mall, has an excellent range of food courts and dining venues when you need to take a breather from shopping.

Adelaide's Fine Wine Culture

Adelaide is the centre of South Australia's booming wine industry. And the closest vineyard is a cork toss from the city centre.

The National Wine Centre is a showcase for Australia's wine industry and includes a wine-tasting gallery, an interactive exhibit that covers all aspects of winemaking and a working vineyard. You'll find Penfolds Magill Estate in the Adelaide foothills. Drop in for tastings, or join a winery tour - including one about Australia's most famous wine, Grange.

South Australia is renowned throughout the world for its award-winning wine. In fact, around half of Australia’s wines are grown and made here in a number of tourism regions, the Barossa, Clare Valley, Fleurieu Peninsula, Limestone Coast, Adelaide Hills, Riverland, Hindmarsh Island and even Kangaroo Island and our newest wine region The Southern Flinders.

Shopping in Adelaide

Adelaide Shopping Hubs

If you really want to experience Adelaide's shopping, don't miss the bustling Adelaide Central Market, coastal Jetty Road and King William Road, Hyde Park. These are just some of the popular Adelaide shopping precincts we've listed below for you:

  • Rundle Mall - explore its elegant arcades including Adelaide Arcade, its department stores and boutiques, cafes, flower stalls and
  • Adelaide Central Market for fresh food and speciality stalls, Asian grocery stores, cafes and food halls and South Australian products.
  • King William Road at Hyde Park for fashion and design.
  • Glen Osmond Road at Eastwood for designer seconds and clearance shops.
  • The Parade at Norwood for cafes, restaurants and boutiques.
  • Jetty Road at Glenelg - a good excuse to mix shopping with a stroll on the beach.
  • Harbour Town at West Beach for more than 50 quality brand outlets.
  • Suburban shopping centres at Tea Tree Plaza, West Lakes and Marion have enough shops to browse and things to do to take up a whole day.
  • Mile End Homemaker Centre offers furniture, bedding, sporting goods and homewares and nearby Bunnings covers your hardware and gardening needs