4 regional Tasting Australia events not to be missed

Posted 12 April, 2024 Sasha Oelsner

Jump in the car and let your tastebuds lead the way on a weekend getaway in one of South Australia’s fabulous regions.

Tasting Australia presented by RAA Travel is abating food cravings across the state between 3–12 May with more than 150 gastronomical experiences, many of which are being held by the producers at the source.

Treat yourself to a little holiday with a ticket to a regional culinary experience and explore a town you’ve always been meaning to see, or revisit an old favourite.

To make it easier, we’ve salivated over the program for you and chosen our top regional picks. Let the hustle of the daily grind fade in the distance knowing you have a weekend of fantastic flavour to look forward to.

Limestone Coast

What: Naracoorte Hotel – steak tasting experience
When: Sunday 5 May, 5:30pm or Friday 10 May, 6pm
Where: Naracoorte Hotel Motel, Naracoorte
Cost: $79

If savouring a divine steak holds a tender place in your heart, this Tasting Australia event is a cut above the rest. Be judge and jury as five Limestone Coast beef producers vie for your vote and present their best steak, accompanied by local wines.

Your two-course dinner features five cuts of steak, cooked to your preferred temperature, with salad and seasonal vegetables on the side.

While you’re there: Go below the surface at one of the world’s most important fossil sites, the Naracoorte Caves. Here you can marvel at the size of megafauna fossils or learn about the critically endangered resident bent-wing bats who call the area home. Explore on your own, or join a Coonawarra Experiences full-day tour featuring a guided Victoria Fossil Cave visit, wine and gin tasting, and finishing with a cuddle from a joey at their private kangaroo sanctuary.

Clare Valley

What: Ranges to Valley: A taste of two terrains
When: Sunday 5 May, 11am
Where: Pikes Beer Company, Clare Valley
Cost: $45

Get two flavours for the price of one at this unique cross-regional collaboration brought to you by Clare Valley’s Pikes Beer Co and Parachilna’s Prairie Hotel & Brew Project.

Try their limited release special collaboration beer while sampling Clare and Flinders Ranges produce from a menu cooked over an open fire. There’ll even be an eight-piece big-band vibing in the background. Ticket price includes entry, drink on arrival and a souvenir Pikes Beer Co X Parachilna Brew Project beer glass to use on the day and to take home.

While you’re there: A short drive from Clare you’ll find the historic town of Burra – one of Australia’s best-preserved 19^th century mining towns. Explore this slice of South Australia’s past with the unique Heritage Passport and receive the literal keys to the town and access to over 49 sites.

Riverland

What: Winemaker for a day – wine blending experience
When: Saturday 11 May, 11am
Where: Mallee Estate, Renmark
Cost: $150

Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or just a wine-drinking enthusiast, this is your opportunity to see how you compare to the professionals. Learn about the art and science of winemaking while tasting, experimenting and finally bottling your own unique creation to take home.

The event also includes a two-course authentic katsarola lunch of traditional Greek dishes, made by none-other than Mallee Estate family matriarch, Eleni Markeas.

While you’re there: Don your hiking boots and go wildlife spotting along the Banrock Station Wetland walk. If you’d like help identifying the native fauna and flora, join a Banrock Station guided Birdwatching Tour, learn about the more than 190 species that live there and exclusive parts of the wetland not accessible to the general public.

Eyre Peninsula

What: Breakfast on the Oyster Viewing Platform
When: Saturday 4 May, Sunday 5 May, Saturday 11 May, Sunday 12 May, 9am
Where: SA Premium Oysters, Smoky Bay
Cost: $150

Experience a pearl of a morning in Smoky Bay – the oyster capital of Australia. Learning about the life cycle of oysters and local farming techniques will be food for thought before jumping onboard the oyster punt and cruising across the bay.

When you disembark at the ocean viewing platform, you’ll enjoy a delicious breakfast of fresh plump oysters, fruit, pastries and Grant Burge sparkling wine while gazing deep into the pristine, azure waters of Smoky Bay.

While you’re there: Have your cameras poised and your finger on the shutter – don’t miss the chance to join an exciting wildlife, sightseeing and four-wheel-drive tour with Untamed Escapes. You’ll see rugged landscapes and wind-sculpted sand dunes, and locals such as emus strolling the shoreline, koalas and native birds from the well-equipped off-road vehicle.