Australia’s only fortified wine festival returns to McLaren Vale this weekend

South Australia proudly wears the title of the Festival State, and one glance at the events calendar shows we’ve earned it. From the recent World Gin Day celebrations to Winter Reds this July, and everything in between, fantastic food and drink festivals are a constant. But when it comes to fortified wine, there’s been a noticeable gap. Until recently.

Neat Sips, which is considered Australia’s first and only dedicated fortified wine festival, is returning to McLaren Vale Distillery on 6 and 7 September after a massively successful debut last year. It’s a weekend of tastings, open-fire cooking, live music and family-friendly fun.

Festival Director Velvet Oakes says, “Neat Sips is all about exploration, education and celebration of this diverse and historically significant wine style.”