What's new on Kangaroo Island this Summer?

Heading back to Kangaroo Island for the Summer holidays? There are some fantastic new experiences to be had.  We're sharing our favourite new things to see, do, taste & sip.  

Whether it’s your first visit or Kangaroo Island is your second home, our Cellar Door Trail guides help you plan out a day that has something for the whole gang to enjoy - click here to explore & download our handy trail maps.

 

Guess Who’s Back for the Summer Season?

The Enchanted Fig Tree: Gastronomo is relaunching The Enchanted Fig Tree experience at stunning Snellings Beach on Kangaroo Island’s North Coast. One of South Australia’s most memorable dining experiences from the moment you arrive. You will be invited to venture through the leafy entrance of a majestic old fig tree before it opens up into a collection of natural ‘living’ rooms. Each space is decked out with stunning table settings ready for you to experience a magical feast of the senses. The season runs from 16 December 2021 until 4 April 2022. Bookings:  www.gastronomodining.com.au

Sunset Food & Wine: Kangaroo Island foodies are doing a happy dance that Jack Ingram & Vanessa Chu are reopening the east end’s icon restaurant for the summer season. A modern bistro focusing on local produce, Sunset Food & Wine combines stunning views overlooking American Beach, a killer wine list & elegant dishes that are a work of art. The season runs from 14 December until early April.  Bookings: www.sunsetfoodandwine.com

New in Town

Home Grown Pantry on the Cygnet River Gourmet Trail: Our neighbourhood in Cygnet River just got a little more delicious with Home Grown Pantry at Frogs & Roses garden centre. Whether you want a lunch stop between wine & spirit tastings, a picnic lunch to take to nearby Duck Lagoon or to stock up on holiday provisions, it’s all delicious & homemade. Opening days & hours do vary, so check out their Facebook page before your stop in: www.homegrownpantryki.com.au.

The Shy Wren, Penneshaw: The team at The Shy Wren are kicking off 2022 in style with their NYE opening. This wine bar /kitchen /providore will be a great addition to the east end. Keep an eye on their socials for more info on opening days & offerings: www.facebook.com/theshywren.

The Odd Plate, Kingscote: Quickly becoming the favourite dinner haunt in Kingscote. Located in a charming heritage guesthouse built-in 1927, overlooking the beautiful Napean Bay in Kingscote, offering a shared plate concept with a menu receiving rave reviews.  Bookings:  www.theoddplate.com.au

New Ways to Experience Kangaroo Island

Cellar Door Touring: Let a local do the driving; there’s a range of local guides now offering unique cellar door trail experiences. One of our favourites is hosted by our team’s own Luca Lovison at Kangaroo Island Hire A Guide: https://kiguide.rezdy.com/415123/gourmet-food-wine-tour

Gin, Wine & Wildlife E-Bike Tour: Exceptional Kangaroo Island are constantly innovating new ways to connect visitors with Kangaroo Island. Their Gin, Wine & Wildlife E-Bike tour is a one-of-a-kind & a new discovery for even regular visitors: www. kangarooislandebikes.com

Walk this way: Also from the team Exceptional Kangaroo Island, Walk Kangaroo Island consists of 11 diverse independent walks, exploring a range of island landscapes and habitats, each with its own unique story. If slowing down & reconnecting with nature is your aim, this is the experience for you: www.walkkangarooisland.com
 

Coming Soon:

Kangaroo Island Wool at Cygnet River: We are so excited to be welcoming Kangaroo Island Wool to the Cygnet River trail in early 2022. They have been championing local wool for many years. Their new venture will bring visitors to KI in touch with our agricultural heritage with wool garments handcrafted on-island from the sheep to the lucky wearer. Keep an eye out for announcements on their opening date: www.facebook.com/KangarooIslandWool

 

Our favourite Spring food and wine pairings

Here on Kangaroo Island, Spring is in full fling and as the days get longer and warmer, we start to think about wines to match the season.  Our team are sharing their favourite Islander Estate wines for Spring and the dishes they love to pair them with.

Tempranillo and Tapas

All About it:

Spain and Portugal are home to Tempranillo, the fourth-most planted variety in the world. It’s a very old variety thought to have been introduced to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) by the Phoenicians over 3,000 years ago – that’s 1100BC!

Tempranillo draws its name from the Spanish word temprano, which means early.  It’s usually one of the earliest ripening red varieties.  By avoiding the hottest ripening period the wine is balanced and lower in sugars and therefore alcohol.

Tempranillo is one of our team’s favourite drops for Spring, when you might want to stick with reds but move to lighter style.  We love it for its medium body, easy drinking style and great food matching potential.

Tasting Notes:

Our Tempranillo is made to honour the traditional lighter Spanish style - light, fresh and supple with easy drinkability the primary focus. Ideal as a summer wine, it tastes like a mouth full of fresh berries with hints of liquorice and tobacco leaf in the background.

We’ll be drinking it with:

As you’d expect with its Spanish origins, Tempranillo is a great picnic wine paired with tapas dishes like cured meats, grilled vegetables, and sheep’s cheese.  It’s also delicious with grilled meats when it’s time to break out the BBQ.  Or try a bottle of Tempranillo with your next Mexican feast.

 

Sangiovese and Napoli Pizza

All about it

Italy’s most planted wine variety and the pride of the Tuscan regional wine Chianti, Sangiovese is a sensitive soul, changing its character to reflect it’s growing conditions, it’s a variety that truly expresses regionality.

Tasting Notes

“In so many ways, The Islander produces wines that are more European than Australian. Note the degree of savouriness in its wines & the use of fruit as a conduit for complexity & not necessarily an end in itself. Sangiovese is such a wine. Fragrant with black cherries, capers, anise, bitter chocolate. It runs smooth across the palate, supple oak playing its part & imparting sweet mocha. Cherry pip, chalky tanning still melding” Halliday Wine Companion 2021

We’ll be drinking it with:

With its Italian origins, Sangiovese is our go-to variety for antipasto platters & pizza nights. Not too heavy, just enough savouriness & tannins to pair with those Italian flavours and it even lends itself to some light chilling as the evenings heat up.  It’s also a perfect pair for vegetarian dishes, especially tomato, red peppers and grilled vegetables.

 

The White Chardonnay and BBQ Chicken

All about it:

The White is our “House Style” wine created by Jacques Lurton to complement our Estate Range of premium wines.   Leave behind all your perceptions of heavily oaked chardonnay, this is a modern Australian style with just a little nutty creaminess but fresh and clean on the finish.

Tasting Notes:

Our 2019 Chardonnay is a classic example of the variety when grown in South Australia: fresh, fruity, and delicious with beautiful notes of nectarine and white peach underscored by refreshing acidity. This is Chardonnay for Pinot Gris drinkers with the fruit doing all the talking in a wine made for simple enjoyment and all occasions. An ideal choice for that midweek “Hump Day” tipple, or the first bottle with friends on a weekend afternoon.

We’ll be drinking it with:

We love it paired with a roast or BBQ chicken, If you’re heading alfresco it will pair beautifully with a charcuterie platter or a soft cheese like a ripe brie and nuts would be hard to beat too.

 

SoFar So Good Sauvignon Blanc and Asian Salads

All about it:

The SoFar SoGood range is all about preservative-free wines produced with minimal processing.  The result is not your average Sav Blanc, our cellar door guests love it for its fresh take on the variety.  A little more texture, fresh citrus & tropical fruits notes and classic crisp acidity on the finish without being overwhelming

A popular wine with those who are looking for a something different to the usual Sav Blanc.

Tasting Notes:

Our no added preservative Sauvignon Blanc is complex, medium bodied and easy drinking.  The nose is intense and typical of the variety with herbaciousness, tropical fruit, citrus and grapefruit. This wine flows in the mouth with fresh, crisp acidity and a long finish. 

We’ll be drinking it with:

A delicious match for fresh herbaceous Asian salads, prawn & oyster dishes, BBQ spring vegetables & soft goats’ cheese.  Classic pairings like oysters, abalone, and fish but we especially love it with spicy Asian dishes with some herbaciousness and spice, think Bao buns or Vietnamese coleslaw.
 

Stock up on our Spring wine selections now