Drinks

Nick Stock has followed his deep love of wine and all good drinks right around the world for the past decade before settling back in his home state of South Australia where he recently opened the state’s hottest new beachfront restaurant, Silver Sands Beach Club on the coast in McLaren Vale. Nick has programmed and appeared at major food and wine festivals around Australia and the world including South Australia’s own Tasting Australia Festival. Nick also pioneered bringing high quality music talent into the wine and food festival space via festivals like Margaret River Gourmet Escape and Noosa Food & Wine, as well as his own event company Wine Country. Harvest Rock = dream gig!

Join us bar-side at Harvest Rock to taste world-class expressions of South Australian terroir from our world-famous Alphabet of Wine. As well as offering our festival-wide Tarot selection, the Alpha Box & Dice Wine Bar is where you can head to sample a stacked lineup of cellar door favourites from our world-famous Alphabet of Wine.

In 1978 Phillip Broderick purchased a property in Basket Range, in the Adelaide Hills. He planted the initial small vineyard containing a selection of Bordeaux varieties in 1980 and began making wine. In the early 2000s, the Brodericks moved up the hill to the neighbouring property where they planted the larger vineyard. Basket Range is one of the steeper parts of the Adelaide Hills. Traditionally any arable and workable slopes were planted with orchards of apples and cherries in addition to other horticulture. The vineyard itself is 13.5 acres under vine and is approximately 450m elevation. It has three different aspects; two northern and one south east facing. With the steep topography these give a range of exposure and soils. The varieties grown are Pinot Noir (both 777 and MV6 clones), Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Petit Verdot and a small amount of Saperavi. The soil types in the vineyard vary, however comprise loamy red and blue clay over sandstone, with schist and ironstone and shale. The vines are grown organically. 

Small batch, premium, McLaren Vale wines, with a focus on emerging varieties. Their boutique cellar door is in a converted heritage sandstone chapel (built in 1862), located between the historical Victory Hotel and the picturesque coast of Sellicks Beach, they’re just a stone’s throw away from both. Berg Herring is focused on the future, with a particular interest in Mediterranean varieties that work well in warmer climates. Sam Dunlevy, who founded Berg Herring with his partner Chloe Fitzgerald, says “I don’t stick to any rules in the making of my wines,” he says, “I try to be as minimal as possible with intervention and additions, making wines they are fruit forward and balanced, technically sound but have enough interest to give some personality”. They won Best Small Cellar Door in McClaren Vale at the 2021 Australia’s Best Cellar Door Awards, a huge achievement considering the label was only born in 2018.

The Taittinger family has managed the Champagne House for nearly a century. Its aim has always been the pursuit of excellence. “Having our family name on a bottle places demands and responsibilities on every minute. The name on the bottle conveys both the skills and knowledge of the past and a commitment to the future”. Pierre Emmanuel Taittinger has embodied this commitment for 40 years, and today he shares it with his son, Clovis and his daughter, Vitalie who both work beside him in the day to day running of the Champagne House. Together, they create a very close-knit and complementary family trio. Attachment to the land, to those who care for it, and the constant monitoring of quality have always been the cornerstones of Taittinger’s quest for excellence, as well as the foundation for ensuring that its unique style is maintained. A love of vines and their careful cultivation is a prerequisite for the creation of great champagne.

Delinquente makes small batch, minimal intervention wines from Southern Italian grape varieties grown in the Riverland, South Australia. They were born and raised in the Riverland, surrounded by vineyards and the mighty Murray River. Delinquente is their attempt at making the best wine they can from the place they grew up. Organically grown, minimal intervention, honest, hand-made wines that not only are great fun to drink, but represent the sun, the red dirt and uniquely Australian terroir of the Riverland. The Riverland can be very hot and very dry, particularly through the vines growing season. For that reason, they chose to work with Southern Italian grape varieties – varieties that are suited to the climate, need less water and are naturally drought resistant, are late ripening and retain natural acidity. In this way, they are more environmentally sustainable, and allow them to make wines with lower alcohol levels but heaps of freshness and flavour. Delinquente is “delinquent” in Italian, which speaks to a desire to always buck the trend, break rules and do things our way. To that end, all of the incredible artwork for Delinquente, from the labels, to cartons, tees and even gifs, are created by good friend Jason Koen, AKA “Ankles”. Delinquente is his passion project, evident in the intensity of his hand drawn labels which pop from across the room, and the deeply important and personal themes that they speak of.

The Elderton Vineyard was first planted on the banks of the North Para River in Nuriootpa in 1894, and purchased by Samuel Elderton Tolley in 1916. New owners Lorraine and Neil Ashmead purchased the property in 1980 and restored the vineyard to its former glory, producing the first wines under the Elderton label in 1982 and quickly became a success. The winery is now celebrated as a major reason for the rejuvenation of the Barossa Valley. The wines of the Elderton Nuriootpa vineyard are enjoyed globally for their richness, vibrancy and uniqueness. They are celebrated for being traditional examples of the best of the Barossa’s wines. Through the use of sustainable practices, the hope is that the next generation of the Ashmead family have a lot to work with when they are at the helm.

First Drop was born in 2004. Conceived with a desire to make wines to drink, not just appreciate. Based at the ‘Home of the Brave’ in the Barossa, First Drop is making wines with flavour, texture and a splash of funk; from fruit sourced from unique vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Barossa to bring you a diverse, deliciously exciting and thought provoking line up of flavours. Seriously fun!

After calling the Barossa Valley home for most of their youths, Scotty and Justin decided to do what all Vallians dream of: create a unique wine label for the people. If you don't know, the first thing you need to know is that Scotty is well-travelled. Just ask him – if you haven't heard the dive master story, you don't know Scotty. Justin, or "Juz" to the team, played footy, has four kids, and hasn't travelled further than the coastline of his home state. It's a true yin and yang partnership. That friendship has held them in great stead by having all bases covered. Scotty, an outgoing extrovert, loves to grin and welcome you with open arms, talking to anyone and selling you a bottle of wine along the way. Juz, on the other hand, is the creative one who is well and truly behind the curtain – some might say he doesn't even exist – but he always manages to produce when needed. Both have a true passion for saying "yes," which has led them into many projects that have fed their enthusiasm for helping out their community and initiatives that particularly help people experiencing hardship. The true "glass half full, half empty" type, they operate with the mentality of making some delicious vino with the greatest impact on the community and the smallest impact on the environment, and somehow remain friends most of the time.

Harrison Wines defy convention - the convention and constraint of a nine-five job led Riley Harrison to seek a creative outlet, and in 2015, with a humble tonne of Grenache, this vision became a bottled reality. In pursuit of perfume, texture, and drinkability, Riley crossed regional boundaries to secure small parcels of fruit from vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. With an emphasis firmly on fruit quality and varietal expression, Riley’s winemaking style weaves between the lines of conventional and minimal intervention. “Minimal intervention winemaking can be divisive and can focus too much on the minimalist process, rather than the outcome of the final wine. Strangely, doing less requires far greater attention to detail in the winery. It's the complex interaction of science, creativity and environment in a bid to generate flavour that I find intoxicating". The resulting creatively charged wines are the outlet Riley was searching for. Harrison Wines has been an exploratory journey into the world of aromatic excitement and textural pleasure. He won’t be returning to the nine-five anytime soon. 

Brothers Damon and Jono Koerner are wine lovers from way back. They grew up in the Clare Valley but have spent time working and living around Australia and overseas. Making wine from both the Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills, they work with both traditional and unique varieties and focus on staying honest to the variety and the vineyard. Their winemaking philosophy is simple – to make wines that reflect their place in the world, wines that are made in the vineyard. An understanding of the terroir and the individual varieties enables them to produce unique wines using nothing but the grapes and a small amount of sulphur. Ultimately, they want to produce wines they enjoy drinking. Generally these are light, fresh, textured, and well structured – easy drinking wines. With a focus on fruit quality and transparent winemaking, Koerner wines are approachable, light and fresh.

The Lloyd Brothers, David and Matthew are third generation South Australian vignerons. Their grandfather started planting vines and making wine in McLaren Vale in the 1960’s. David and Matthew now have their individual vineyards in the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. David owns and operates Lloyd Brothers Wine and Olive Company with his 65-hectare McLaren Vale Estate being home to the winery and cellar door.  The Lloyd Brothers McLaren Vale Estate comprises 16 hectares Shiraz, 3 hectares Grenache and just under 1 hectare of Mourvèdre and is home to the first commercially planted Kalamata olive grove in South Australia. Lloyd Brothers wines and olives are hand crafted to highlight the best fruit grown on the Estates with their McLaren Vale property also playing host to impressive festivals and events. Matthew’s vineyards are located in the Adelaide Hills sub region of Lenswood giving Lloyd Brothers contrasting characteristics when creating and defining the range of cool climate wines they produce.

Ministry of Clouds is a toast to the pursuit of a life well-lived, and those who savour the freedom it affords. The business was borne of this desire – to carve out their own path by relinquishing the security of the past and embracing the unpredictability of life. The partnership of two corporate refugees, the wines speak of the land and distil the essence of the season, embodying a spirit of independence and adventure, each one true to their style and place. McLaren Vale is their heartland, where their reds are made with grapes from their own 11ha plot and other carefully selected, often ancient vines. They favour a modern take on classic styles and meticulous attention to detail. Through their wines, they celebrate those growers who persisted while others begged them to turn their land to other pursuits. Their reds revel in Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro and Tempranillo – restrained and poised, of modest build and delicate balance, while their whites – a crystalline, dry Clare Valley Riesling and Tasmanian Chardonnay – hail from these distant but proven regions. The culmination of a dream without borders, this is a tale of discovery, of finding their voice, and embracing the uncontrollable. Their hands get dirty, their backs sore and their hearts full. The result is wines that beg to be shared at the convivial table, alongside friends and flavours from far-flung corners of the globe. Pull up a seat and drink deeply.

From scratch, a literal few tonnes of grapes in 2018, Jordan Hein created Moorak — named as an ode to his birthplace, the small town of Moorak, South Australia. A first-generation winemaker from self- study, experimentation and learning from experience, Jordan developed the label to encompass his stylistic approach to traditional and left-field winemaking techniques. Experimenting and researching more varieties and regions in an ever- developing portfolio of unique and considered wines. These are important elements of Jordan and Moorak’s ideology towards winemaking, while having a low impact to the land itself. Each vintage, Moorak strives for partnerships with sustainable and organic growers, each with a progressive focus on regenerative viticulture. The underlying aim is to present fruit from those with knowledge, a deep understanding of the vines and vehement respect for the land from where it grows. A negotiate style, purchasing grapes from the aforementioned growers, has risen to unique adaptability — allowing Jordan to source, produce and present varieties with more creativity. Not limited by single vineyards, Moorak continues to offer a dynamic range of multi-regional wines produced solely in the one facility. Located in McLaren Vale, South Australia, the winery is a minimal carbon-impact facility, completely off-grid, using Solar power, rainwater and bore water throughout production.

The Murdoch Hill vineyard and winery are located behind the township of Oakbank in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. The farm was purchased in 1939, with the first vines planted 60 years later in 1998. The same family continues to care for this land now, three generations on. Youngest brother Michael Downer is the Chief Winemaker, older brother Andrew Downer oversees marketing, and eldest brother Henry sits on the board. The brothers nod to their family history with their Artisan Series – each wine is named after a vintage horse-drawn carriage, as their grandfather was an avid collector. They are dedicated to only making Adelaide Hills wine, managing two family vineyards and sourcing high-quality grape from cool climate blocks across the Adelaide Hills. Michael has explored top winemaking regions across Italy and France, cementing his knowledge and unique flair working alongside some of the finest winemakers in Australia and beyond. He’s been at the helm of Murdoch Hills since 2012, and has focused on producing outstanding Adelaide Hills wines – approachable, adventurous, and always of the highest quality.

The Ochota Barrels tale began on a surf trip, late 2000 along the Mexican west coast in a Volkswagen campervan. A final destination after traveling some of the world’s most amazing wine and surf regions, Taras and Amber Ochota conceived the idea to make beautiful holistic wines back home in South Australia. Over his decades long career, Taras worked in many parts of the world with many great winemakers (and of course lovely people) who have in some way influenced their wine style. It is from this smorgasbord of collective experience that they have picked the eyes out to craft the Ochota Barrels wines. A holistic approach from autumn to autumn in the vineyard, with the philosophy of going back to basics to create something delicious and unique with Mother Nature. Finding that those pretty nuances you experience directly from a fresh barrel siphon in the mid hills foggy winter are extraordinary, they have been experimenting with much lower sulphur levels to find the perfect medium to suit each cuvee. Basically, we just want to produce something delicious and gorgeous for all of us to enjoy with none of the nasties and more of the love.

Brad Moyes and Kendall Grey established their award-winning vineyard and winery in the heart of McLaren Vale in 2018. Along with their children, they are the proud custodians of this very special vineyard- Orbis wines is breaking new ground adapting to climate and environmental challenges, while taking a collaborative approach working with many experts in our fabulous wine region. Overlooking the valley floor at around 150m above sea level, and just 10km from the waters of St Vincent Gulf, the Orbis Vineyard is one of the coolest and highest in the McLaren Vale Wine region. They are committed to preserving the biodiversity of native flora and fauna, protecting the precious water sources and building long term soil fertility on the special site. The vines grown at Orbis include varieties that originate from the warmer, drier wine regions of the Southern Rhone, Southern Italy and Spain. Their commitment to new varieties is matched by their passion for preserving McLaren Vale history, by regenerating the productivity and health of their old vine Shiraz. Planted in the 60’s and 70’s, these old vines were established by Rycroft and the Leask and Hardy families.

Creating wines that reflect our sense of place and our way of life is what Pannell Enoteca do best. They love the unusual, celebrate provenance and encourage exploration by making wines that suit the food they make and the way they live. Their approach brings together decades of winemaking experience with growing insights, to create wines that offer a new way of thinking; inspiring a generation of winemakers that delight in the different, trusting what the land can produce. Their wines tell the story of region and vineyard – the journey of Pannell Enoteca. Established in 2004, S.C. Pannell is a celebration of Stephen and Fiona Pannell’s adopted region of McLaren Vale.  Influenced by Stephen’s experience as Chief Red Winemaker at BRL Hardy, McLaren Vale was to prove the place from which the S.C. Pannell story began. While recognising, and celebrating, the region’s established styles, Stephen’s belief that a benign, Mediterranean climate and a complex mosaic of ancient geology could foster a palate of varieties has led to signature wines such as Grenache, Tempranillo, Touriga Nacional, Aglianico, Nero d’Avola and Fiano, among others. All reflecting the region’s climate and the Australian way of life, S.C Pannell wines are made to share with food and the people you love

Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They focus on varieties that suit the cooler Hills climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Shaw + Smith own three vineyards, in Lenswood, Piccadilly and Balhannah. Growing the best possible grapes, managing vineyards sustainably, and valuing vine health, soil health, and low yields are central to the Shaw + Smith approach. In the pursuit of quality the wines are fermented, aged and bottled on site at Balhannah. The wines are vibrant, modern expressions of their varieties, their sites and the season. Shaw + Smith’s first vintage was in 1990 and in 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage. As the business has grown Michael and Martin have built a formidable team - including Master of Wine and Joint CEO David LeMire, Senior Winemaker and Joint CEO Adam Wadewitz, CFO Grant Lovelock and Group Viticulturist Murray Leake.

Alex Sherrah developed a love of the winemaking lifestyle after returning from his travels around the world when he was young. Having completed a BSc in Organic Chemistry & Pharmacology came in handy when he started a Graduate Diploma in Oenology when he first started working at Tatachllla in McLaren Vale. He worked across some of Adelaide’s best wineries, as well as some stints in Burgundy and Austria, before settling in McLaren Vale and Coriole at the end of 2011. He remained there as Senior Winemaker until 2017, before starting Sherrah. He sees winemaking as a very hands on and gut instinct, the skill learnt doing the job. Intelligent and considered handling of fruit in the winery is crucial. The purpose of Sherrah is to showcase the varieties Alex believes are best suited to the amazing region of McLaren Vale, one of the finest places to grow grapes in the world. Wine to Alex is about how the wine feels to drink. Flavour is obviously a big part of this, but how does the wine flow from front to back palate? Alex believes in balance, a great wine should have no sharp edges, it should have beautiful smooth curves from front to back. Working with excellent sites farmed by first rate growers – many who he has worked with for many years – allows Alex access to small parcels of quality fruit.

Balanced between natural and conventional, Stoke Wines take a considered and minimal intervention approach to winemaking. Maybe it’s cliched to some, but it’s honest. A twelve acre vineyard on Kangaroo Island is the beating heart of the Stoke. We’re farming regeneratively and its bloody hard work. Put simply, get the faming part right and good wine will follow. The Stoke family and the generations to come are paramount to what they do. An incredible bunch of humans make up the Stoke family; mum and dad, the kids, and rag tag bunch of friends, mentors, cellar and vineyard hands gathered along the way. You’re part of the family too – if you hang around long enough. Island life on Kangaroo Island is rugged and honest – a culture reflected in their winemaking. Island grown grapes, turned considered wines, with short stories told.

The Joinery is a wine room with no rules, no pressure. Located on the outskirts of Port Elliot at Factory 9, a row of unassuming sheds home to artisans, producers, and artists. The wine bar is a hub of activity, full of live bands, colourful chalk boards, and of course wine! The Joinery was started by respective winemakers Charlotte Hardy and Ben Cooke, partners in both work and life. Charlotte has a relaxed attitude, an energy that translates into the vibes of the venue. It’s a place where you can hang out, play some pool, drink beer, share simple plates of local produce, and of course, try and buy delicious wine.

Torbreck is on a quest to become one of the world’s great wine marques. A critical part of this journey is remaining unwaveringly true to their core vision and not being diverted by trends and fashions. Provenance is everything to Torbreck. They believe the Barossa is the most exciting place to make wine in the world, with its gentle Mediterranean climate and 175 years of Silesian and English commitment to winemaking and grape-growing. Torbreck pays tribute to these vineyards with minimal intervention, creating wines of richness, structure and length that age gracefully. The multi-generational growers, whose descendants arrived here nearly two years ago, are the backbone of Torbreck’s winemaking aspirations. In 2008, this long-term commitment to the Barossa was cemented when they completed their winery and bottling line, enabling them to achieve maximum quality control through 100% estate vinification, maturation, and packaging. Torbeck has achieved a lot in less than three decades, but the journey is a long way from complete. In fact, they remind themselves every day that the best Barossa grapes are yet to be picked and the finest Torbreck wines are yet to be made. Join them on this road to perfection.

From Blue Cheese to Brie, Chevre to Camembert, Udder Delights is passionate about making, sharing and eating cheese. Their handmade artisan products are created at our cheese factory in Lobethal, in the beautiful Adelaide Hills. Working with South Australian dairies, from the Hills and surrounds, they value our relationships with local producers. Deep in the heart of the Adelaide Hills, tucked away in the valley township of Lobethal is where the magic happens. Their charming cheese factory resides within the historic walls of the Onkaparinga Woollen Mill that has stood since 1872. Once a manufacturing hub for quality textiles – now a new source of employment to the surrounding community and the birth-place of their handmade artisan cheese. Their cheese is made by people and their local community is a huge focus of how and why we do business. The staff base has continuously grown over the years, and they are lucky to have a fun-loving team that is made up of talented cheesemakers, wrappers/packers, warehouse workers, and their management team. Their team’s mission is to create exceptional Australian cheese and make it accessible to as many of our fellow Australian’s as possible.

As with many great stories, VANGUARDIST was born of humble beginnings. Ideals harmonised over a table littered with empty bottles. Laughs that rolled late into the evening, not realising the impetus forming; a relentless ‘fire in the belly’ that sent Michael bouncing across the equator, chasing international harvests for most of his adult life. While its first release surfaced in the Hunter Valley, VANGUARDIST launched in South Australia in 2014, with two painstakingly crafted, single vineyard expressions. Two wines made from what Michael deemed to be the best varieties, grown in the best soils in the best sub regions the state had to offer. Herein lies the ‘V’ obsession: an unwavering temperament that now finds VANGUARDIST wines in Australia’s most relevant independent bottle stores, bars, and in the secret arsenals of many a fine-tuned Sommelier. Years on, the VANGUARDIST focus has both broadened and deepened, illuminating new sites of intrigue with the same degree of captivation, while LA PETITE VANGUARD reflects the unbound and experimental (but ever-so quaffable) side of Michael's character. As of 2021, the VANGUARDIST family seems to have finally settled. Michael and Claire, now live and thrive in the Barossa Valley, where the wines are hand-made, bottled and labelled. Michael's dear friends and partners, Ali and Edouard, with whom this journey began, now distribute the wines in France and other pockets of Europe, taking the VANGUARDIST story abroad.

Artisan wines made from the best vineyards in South Australia. After more than a decade working in fine wine retail and the world’s best restaurants, Louis Schofield created Worlds Apart Wines in 2017 with a simple goal: to make wine thoughtfully that was also delicious. Sourcing sustainably grown grapes from significant sites in Eden Valley, McLaren Vale and their own backyard in the Adelaide Hills, Louis and Hannah are delivering on a promise to make beautiful wine that is eminently drinkable and downright delicious. Louis draws on his training under winemaker Taras Ochota, and makes wines inspired by cult Australian and European producers, great Burgundies and peers and friends in the Adelaide Hills and surrounds.

Mate Maker are back on the Harvest Rock beverage line-up this year, bringing you organic hard kombucha made with 100% real fruit that's as crisp and smooth as this year's juicy lineup!

Home-grown distillery Archie Rose Distilling Co. will be back this year at Harvest Rock. Head to the Archie Rose bar and check out their range of award-winning Gin, Vodka and Australian Canned Cocktails packed with local ingredients. Summer starts here and Archie Rose is bringing good spirits, in good company.

If whiskey is more your style, step into Jack’s Recording Studio. Surrounded by records, speakers & instruments you’ll feel right in the heart of music culture, as you sip on Jack Daniel’s delicious range of RTDs & cocktails.

Join us bar-side at Harvest Rock to taste world-class expressions of South Australian terroir from our world-famous Alphabet of Wine. As well as offering our festival-wide Tarot selection, the Alpha Box & Dice Wine Bar is where you can head to sample a stacked lineup of cellar door favourites from our world-famous Alphabet of Wine.

Pirate Life Brewing is stoked to be back at Harvest Rock for the second year running. Find us at the bar serving all your favourite ice-cold tins from start to finish. Let’s boogie!