Brilliant! The weather gods smiled on us and, after last year’s hot weather disappointment, the 2019 Adelaide Hills Crush summer wine festival was one of the very best yet.
If you are one of my international readers, or have been living under a rock, you might not know that here in South Australia we’ve been struggling with one of the most intense summers I can remember. Last week temperatures soared to 47C (that’s 116F) and higher in rural areas, resulting in increased heat-related hospital admissions, decimated stone-fruit crops, closed businesses, annihilated bee hives for many beekeepers (myself included) and frayed tempers – and all this was in the lead up to the annual Adelaide Hills summer wine festival, Crush.
Crush is one of two major annual Adelaide Hills wine celebrations that give my region the chance to showcase our fabulous cool-climate wines, premium local produce and our famous hospitality. Some of you may remember that last year’s event took quite a blow due to extreme heat, and I’d bet there were a few anxiously nibbled fingernails last week as the wineries prayed to the weather gods for clemency.
Well, the gods smiled on us and the weekend weather was spectacular. This year over 17,000 guests made the trip up the hill to visit more than 30 participating wineries, chill out under the vines, enjoy a glass or two of our terroir and just generally kick back and enjoy a taste of a day in the life of the Adelaide Hills.
The wineries put their party frocks on – and the visitors loved it. According to Amber Flavell of Howards Wine the mild sun and cool breezes meant that this year’s event was hugely successful, “Howard’s had the biggest Crush ever”, she said.
Lucy Golding of Goldings Wines agrees “we experienced one of our most successful Crush festivals ever, and it was great to see the crowds enjoying this region’s summer event – especially after the extreme heat we experienced last year.”
The success of the event is significant, says Kerry Trueul, Executive Officer at Adelaide Hills Wine Region, “Wine tourism is big and events like the Crush Festival and the massive effort put in by all our participating producers and cellar doors helps to ensure the Adelaide Hills continue to be an exciting place to be and that our world class wines and hospitality are being enjoyed by thousands of people!”
If you missed out on all the summer fun, you don’t need to wait until next year – it won’t be long until we fire up the Adelaide Hills wine love again, along with cosy rooms and some warming meals at the annual Winter Reds festival, so don’t miss it!
It has been really hot in Sydney too although I don’t think it reached that high (I was in Thailand at the time). Looks like a cold wine is just what everyone needed.
Crush is just one of my favourite things to attend – growing up in the Adelaide Hills, it brings back such wonderful memories when I return 🙂
I have been thinking of you with all that heat as we have been hearing about it here in NSW. Mind you, we haven’t escaped it – it’s been pretty dire here too. I’m so glad the weather was sensible for the festival. The images are gorgeous xx
I’ve never been to a Crush festival before but have attended a few wine festivals in McLaren Vale. ‘Bird in Hand’ winery looks quite interesting! It looks like the wineries were not the only ones ‘putting on their party frocks’-That young lady on the bottom photo is wearing quite a dress! Thanks for sharing.