Words: Lara Pacillo // Photo: Saige Prime
As harvest 2026 winds down, The Scenic Hotel sends the fruits of the season into ferment with the third instalment of its annual harvest party.
On Sunday 19 April, the Norton Summit pub hosts an end of vintage celebration where winemakers pour their latest releases alongside a gourmet barbecue and a full day of DJs.
Twenty producers from across Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Barossa and Clare will offer tastings among the festoon lit garden set against unmatched views of the city.
Guests can meet the makers and taste more than 60 wines from producers including Ochota Barrels, Gentle Folk, BK Wines, Spinifex, Worlds Apart, Whip Wines and Moorak, with tastings running from 1pm to 3pm.
“These small batch producers, especially in the state the wine industry is in, they slog it out. They’re doing everything off their own back. There’s a real DIY nature to it,” says events manager Benny Marwe.
“Harvest Party is about celebrating them and literally the fruits of their labour before attention turns to bottling and pruning.”
The lineup reflects the diversity of South Australia’s modern wine scene, spanning conventional and organic approaches while highlighting some of the state’s most exciting small batch producers.
“Vintage is the busiest time of the year, so its completion marks a natural moment to pause, celebrate and reflect,” says co-owner Rob Denisoff.
“The producers pick it, process it, then going out on the road and sell it. Them being involved from start to finish makes it special.
“The Scenic is also in a unique position geographically and acts as a gateway of sorts to the hills and lot of these local producers – we like to celebrate that too.”
Between tastings, guests can grab a plate from the gourmet barbecue led by Scenic Hotel executive chef and co-owner Angus Love, joined by Staġuni chef and owner Clare Falzon.
The pair have become good friends across their culinary journey. They share a deep respect for native ingredients, place and story, making the collaboration a natural reunion.
“They’ll be keeping it honest and simple, done in an elevated way in the same vein as we try to keep the pub,” Benny says.
The day will be soundtracked by some of Adelaide’s most tasteful selectors, with Mehdi, Prince Aaronak, Lonely D and Sharni B2B Hollandaise playing from midday through to midnight.
Harvest Party reflects the ethos The Scenic Hotel has built over the past few years.
Almost 160 years old, the pub’s commitment to local and sustainable producers came into focus in 2020, when hospitality figures Jay Marinis of Son of Dot Drinks, Enoch Yates of Golden Boy and Alistair Wells elevated the food and soul of the place while keeping its historic feel.
The latest chapter began in October 2025, doubling down on that ethos under the new ownership of Rob of Sunny’s Pizza, Angus formerly of The Prairie and Roma, and Koen Janssens of Bink Wines.
“The focus has been on returning the venue to its roots as a true public house, a welcoming space for locals and visitors alike, much as it was intended when first built over 150 years ago,” Rob says.
That philosophy carries through the food and wine menus. The pub champions South Australian producers who shape the elevated take on pub fare, with dishes such as kangaroo schnitzel, beer battered Coorong mullet and duck and pistachio terrine on the menu.
SA producer connections run deep, with Woodside Cheese, Something Wild, Pendleton Olives, Lauke Mills, Marino Fine Foods and many more all credited on the menu itself, and that is before reaching the extensive wine list.
“Any given day we’ve got local producers dropping by with tastings or delivering boxes of wine themselves,” Benny says.
“There’s huge intention behind focusing on local producers, especially from the Adelaide Hills region.”
Despite the evolution of its food and wine menus, Rob says the essence of the pub has remained the same.
“As an establishment, it hasn’t really changed, and that’s what people like about it,” Benny says.
“It’s still the same bricks and mortar that were here 150 years ago, warts and all. There’s a real spirit here for sure and an unbeatable view – something you don’t really get at any other Hills pub.”
Harvest Party is one of many community-focused gatherings that fill the hilltop pub’s calendar, from weekly trivia and bingo to passata-making parties and Inside Out raves. The firepits and newly installed pavilion ready to keep people warm and cosy as winter approaches.
Benny says Harvest Party only comes around once a year. It’s the one not to miss.
“When you come to Harvest Party, it’s a full-blown celebration of hospitality in Adelaide. It’s a small city but it punches well above its weight,” he says.
“People can come and taste a vast array of wines from across the state, from some of the best wine regions in the world, producers who are modernising the industry as they see fit, award-winners and newcomers alike.
“It’s an event to be a part of and we’re happy to play host.”
Harvest Party III: Sunday 19 April 12pm-12am // The Scenic Hotel, Old Norton Summit Road, Norton Summit 5136
