Raise a glass to South Australia’s premium festive wines and spirits
Good food, good wine and good company – welcome to the Friendsmas experience.
Food & Wine
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food & Wine. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Christmas is all about tradition – putting up the tree, hanging the stockings, buying presents and gathering together for that festive feast.
And now there’s a new tradition to add to the list – Friendsmas. The Urban Dictionary describes Friendsmas as “that special time of year when close friends get together to consume large quantities of delicious food stuff and exchange gifts”.
Add to that a good selection of South Australia’s world-beating wines, beers and spirits – including a good selection of non-alcoholic – and it’s time to get the party started. There’s nothing like a bottle of wine to bring people together – just ask South Australian wine icon Martin Shaw, co-owner of the award-winning Shaw + Smith winery in the Adelaide Hills.
“I think wine and food go hand-in-hand – the idea of sitting down and sharing a plate of food and a bottle of wine with friends and family seems to make good sense,” he says. “We’ve been doing it around the world for generations.”
Elderton Wines and Small Victories Wines Co digital marketing manager Jess Ruciack agrees. “The great thing about wine is there are so many different styles, so even if you’re coming together as friends with diverse tastes, there’s always a wine that everyone will enjoy. And you don’t need to be an expert – it’s about finding wines you enjoy that go well with your meal and add to the frivolity.”
No matter what’s on your festive menu this Christmas, there’s a wine for every palate. “All the Small Victories wines are vegan,” Ruciack says. “We launched a sparkling wine in early September which would be great for Christmas breakfast. Our Vermentino would go with an avocado and citrus ceviche with hearts of palm, while the Sangiovese is a great match for a vegan-style Aussie BBQ with some eggplant schnitzel and charred corn and zucchini.
“Elderton’s wines lend themselves to more traditional pairings,such as Eden Valley Riesling with a seafood platter with oysters and prawns, or lamb chops on the barbecue with homemade tzatziki matched with our Barossa Cabernet. And our Golden Semillon is the perfect dessert wine to pair with Christmas pudding.”
Shaw + Smith wines are also perfectly suited to festive dining. “For those who tend to go for a cold seafood-type Christmas platter, it’s pretty hard to go past our Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling – they are fresh, fruity and unwooded and go very well with those types of food,” Shaw says. “For people who go for the more traditional roast turkey then maybe a slightly richer wine like our M3 Chardonnay or Pinot Noir are more suitable.”
Beer lovers are also spoiled for choice. South Australia is home to dozens of craft breweries, among them Woolshed Brewery, one of the oldest in the state. “We have been operating since 2009 and were one of the first and original small breweries to start up in South Australia,” owner Sarah Freeman says. “Back in the day when we started there was only a handful of small breweries and now there are more than 100.”
Launching with its Amazon Ale followed by Judas the Dark, the Riverland brewery now produces a thirst-inspiring range of craft beers – including ones to complement a South Australian festive feast. “Because it’s usually hot at Christmas, I would recommend leaning towards our sour beers – the Big Orange or Tropical Sour,” Freeman says. “They are really light, refreshing and so moreish. They go well with cold foods and seafood.”
There’s also options for the non-beer and wine drinkers. “Our Hard Lemonade and Pink Lemonade are always really nice to have as a summer drink, and being a wine-based product appeals to those not into beer,” Freeman says.
12 DRINKS OF CHRISTMAS
Purple Hands Wines 2022 Colours of the South Pinot Gris, $28 – A refreshing fruit-driven wine perfect for the warmer months when you just need to sit back and chill in the afternoon or evening as the sun sets.
Chaffey Bros Wine Co. 2021 Not Your Grandma’s Barossa Rose, $23 – Aromatic, juicy and dry. Brilliant with food or simply with friends.
Wangolina 2022 Birds Of A Feather Prosecco, $25 – Suited to every moment of Christmas from wake-up to midnight digestives. Crisp and dry, it’s what we like in quality bubbles, that ripeness of fruit.
Tapanappa Wines DAOSA Natural Reserve, $55 – There’s no better way to start a Christmas celebration than a bottle of remarkable sparkling.
Small Victories Wine Co NV Sparkling, $30 – A great bottle of bubbles for celebrating the festive season.
Reillys 2019 Watervale Riesling, $40 – The perfect gift for a white wine lover who deserves the best! Enjoy chilled with fresh seafood or Asian cuisine.
Shaw + Smith 2021 Pinot Noir, $55 – The perfect festive drink for all red wine lovers. This wine is packed with flavour and is suitable for vegans.
Elderton Wines 2021 Neil Ashmead Grand Tourer Shiraz, $65 – A tasty wine that can be enjoyed with any Christmas meal. The perfect gift for car lovers as it comes complete with a gear-stick-inspired bottle top.
Accolade Wines Hardy’s Zero chardonnay, shiraz and sparkling, $13 – For wine lovers who don’t want to compromise on taste, style or miss out but without the alcohol.
Ambra Spirits Ambra Limoncello, $40 – The perfect summer drink to be enjoyed either by itself or in a spritzer. This tasty liqueur is made from South Australian lemons.
Prohibition Liquor Co Christmas Gin, $125 – All manners of Christmas spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves work in harmony for this true spirit of Christmas.
Australian Distilling Co Adelaide Gin, $79 – Complete with the beautiful richness of Kangaroo Island lavender. This unique spirit encapsulates the flavours of South Australia.
It’s time to Celebrate SA and support South Australian businesses these holidays. Proudly brought to you by BankSA. #WeBackSA
That’s a wrap: Adelaide’s ultimate late-night yiros hot spots
Whether you call it a kebab, a yiros or just the perfect hangover cure, there’s nothing quite like it after a big night on the town.
Ciao for now: Why this SA food institution will close its doors
An Italian food icon will close its beloved store in Adelaide’s northeastern suburbs as it makes a huge move into a new multimillion-dollar development.