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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2013-02-21 Daily Xml
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CELLAR DOOR WINE FESTIVAL

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:10): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries a question about the upcoming Cellar Door Wine Festival.

Leave granted.

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO: Late last year the minister informed the chamber on ways for people to learn about wine characteristics and how these could be matched with premium produce sourced right here in South Australia. My question to the minister is: can she update the chamber on the initiative about to occur as part of the Cellar Door Wine Festival, and say how it fits in with one of the government's most strategic priorities?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Minister for Forests, Minister for Regional Development, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for her enthusiastic interest in this particular policy area. She is a very keen advocate of our wine industry, and I know first-hand that she also has a very keen palate and appreciation of South Australia's fine wines.

The Hon. D.W. Ridgway: That suggests she drinks a lot.

The Hon. G.E. GAGO: Unlike you, no, she does not. Mr President, as mentioned, the upcoming Cellar Door Wine Festival is an exciting initiative held at the Convention Centre. The South Australian government, through the Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia, is proud to be the major sponsor of this year's festival. The festival places a great emphasis on South Australian wine and the regions around the state where our fabulous wine is produced—and, of course, we have so many wonderful wine regions.

It seemed a natural fit to add some of our premium produce to this particular event. We all know how well food and wine go together, complement each other; indeed, our food and wine sectors make a huge contribution to South Australia's economy and are extremely important to this state's prosperity. They are a big employer as well; if I recall correctly, I believe 150,000-odd people are employed in these sectors. Almost one-third of the state's small businesses are found in the regions, and agriculture and tourism form the backbone of these.

I am very pleased to advise the chamber of the 11 emerging regional food producers that have accepted the offer to showcase their food in PIRSA's 'New Producers' area. The following successful applicants of an EOI process include:

Spice for All Seasons, spice blends from Rowland Flat, Barossa;

Talinga Grove, extra virgin olive oils, infused oils and kalamata olives from Strathalbyn, Fleurieu Peninsula;

Pankgarra Foods, wholegrain pasta products from Clare in the Mid North;

Nelshaby Capers, Yorke and Mid North;

My Divine Foods, Thai and Indian curry pastes, wine/vinegar sticky reductions, savoury and dessert dips (which I know you are particularly fond of, Mr President) from Coromandel Valley, Onkaparinga;

Marcus Booth-Remmers, chocolate products made using single origin beans, from Mylor, Adelaide Hills; and last but not least,

Kolophon Capers, from Barmera in the Riverland.

All of these up-and-coming producers will be presenting at this year's cellar event. This will provide a great opportunity for these particular food producers to directly promote and sell their products. It will give them an opportunity to directly interact with festival attendees while also obviously providing exciting opportunities for future growth.

The premium food and wine from our clean environment strategic priority recognises that South Australia's competitive advantage is in premium, sustainable foods, wines and culinary tourism. South Australia offers premium regional food and wine tourism experiences and, obviously, we need to increasingly showcase this to locals and interstate and international visitors. This event is a great example. At the 2012 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards, held in Hobart—I think it was last weekend—it was just really thrilling to see that the Cellar Door Wine Festival was recognised as one of the best food, wine and tourism experiences in the country.

I would certainly like to congratulate the Convention Centre on such an achievement and, obviously, thank them for their tireless work. These awards do not come easily. They are obviously the result of good leadership and a team of willing workers who are prepared to produce quality outcomes day in, day out, year in, year out, and they do a wonderful job. PIRSA's involvement with the Cellar Door Wine Festival underpins its commitment to the state's strategic priority of premium food and wine from our clean environment, which is about continuing to promote our great state and contributing to our economic prosperity.

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