Calling all longtime lovers, sometimes sippers and those yet to fall for fortifieds.
Join us for a fun-filled and enriching weekend (24–25 August 2024) celebrating all things fortified at McLaren Vale Distillery.
General admission tickets include a take-home RIEDEL tasting glass and up to 10 producer tastings of your choosing (equivalent to 2 standard drinks).
The weekend offers free daily Q&As held by Katie Spain with our festival patron, James Godfrey—on Saturday and Seppeltsfield head winemaker, Fiona Donald—on Sunday. You can also buy tickets for a variety of fun and educational masterclasses held by industry experts across both days.
DJ Tommy Tequila will be spinning the tunes on Saturday, and we’ll have a live jazz band on-site for Sunday sippers.
In terms of food, we’ve teamed up with a range of gourmet producers, ensuring you’ll have too many options. Choose from fresh oysters, wood-oven pizzas, fried eggplant goodness, beef Bourgogne, cheese plates, chocolate, and even churros.
Not a fortified fan? No worries. Our bar will be fully stocked with cocktails, still wine, beer and some softer stuff, too. We’ll also have coffee and hot choccy on offer, thanks to Bracegirdles!
Why a fortified festival?
Neat Sips is a sweet new fortified festival on a mission to prove fortifieds are back in a big way! From uncasking rare drops long hidden in private cellars to mixing up flavourful new cocktails, we’re here to shake up your sipping, revive a South Aussie icon and flor you with all things fortified.
After all, South Australia has a long and proud history of fortified production dating back to the 19th century and covering all corners of our great state. However, when table wines became the cool new thing in the mid-1900s, fortifieds lost their lustre and were pushed aside like forlorn lovers.
If you, too, think that’s a shame, join us in McLaren Vale this August for the inaugural Neat Sips Fortified Festival—and help us share the fortified love!
