‘Chardonnay May’ kicks off 1 May

International Chardonnay Day is on Thursday 26th of May, but the Adelaide Hills Wine Region has deemed its cool climate Chardonnay worthy of the whole month.
May is the month to experience the wonders of Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills region, by drinking Adelaide Hills Chardonnay at home, in restaurants and bars around Australia, or by visiting the Hills wineries to join their annual “Chardonnay May” celebration.
The region is renowned for the high quality of its Chardonnay wines and has chosen the month of May to shine a light on this fact, with thirty exciting events across the Hills. Wine lovers can immerse themselves in all things Chardonnay with vertical tastings, indulgent long lunches, and a let-your-hair-down Chardy party.
Starting on the 1st of May, cellar doors will hold special Chardonnay tastings every day throughout the month.
One event not to miss is ‘Adelaide Hills Chardonnay Heroes’ on Friday 6 May – a masterclass tasting of trophy-winning Chardonnays hosted by the entertaining and indomitable wine writer Nick Ryan; also part of the Tasting Australia program.

Things really heat up during the 10 days from Friday 20 to Sunday 29 May 2022, with the two weekends offering a myriad of incredible tasting experiences.
There are small bites perfectly paired with Chardonnay or a big bite of a lobster sandwich with Hesketh Wines at Grünthal.  If a relaxed lunch with fine Chardonnays is on the wish list, choose between K1’s Autumn Asian banquet; Ladies who Lunch at Barristers Block; or Simon Tolley’s Long Lunch.  Dinner is not out of the question either: there’s Synergy at Anderson Hill or the Rocket Launch at Murdoch Hill.
For sparkling lovers, discover Blanc de Blanc – the sparkling white wine made solely from Chardonnay. Lighten yourself at Lobethal Road’s Sparkling Sunday Brunch, or experience Effervescence across two venues: Golding and Croser at Petaluma, matched to tasty morsels.
Fashionistas! Dress all in white to get into Picnic en Blanc at Cobbs Hill Estate, or dig out your 1980’s shoulder pads and go wild at Anderson Hill’s Ultimate 80s Chardy Party. Or avoid dress codes and bookings entirely at Lot 100’s May Day pop-up wine bar.
For those seeking depth, some wineries have selected prized back vintages from their cellars with special museum releases and vertical tastings on offer including Petaluma, Howard’s Vineyard, Ashton Hills, Lofty Valley Estate and Tapanappa.
Finally, to understand what makes Adelaide Hills’ Chardonnay so unique, explore beyond the Hills with a comparative tasting. Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard’s Chardon-Nation showcases Adelaide Hills among other Australian regions while Shaw+Smith benchmark their best Chardonnay against international examples.
Alex Trescowthick, President of Adelaide Hills Wine Region comments, “We are pleased to launch Chardonnay May 2022. Last year’s inaugural Chardonnay May was hugely successful despite the pandemic and was enthusiastically received by consumers and our members. It is the best opportunity to showcase this magnificent grape variety and the amazing things our winemakers are doing with it here in the Hills. For ten days this May, we are welcoming locals and visitors to have some fun while learning about this fascinating, complex and flavourful grape called Chardonnay, immersed in the beautiful Autumn colours of the Adelaide Hills.”
Adelaide Hills’ Chardonnay May runs during May 2022. Details of events and booking are available on www.adelaidehillswine.com.au/events/chardonnay-may