The lowdown
Adelaide’s southern beaches have a buzzing wine funhouse, thanks to the creation of the Silver Sands Beach Club, which brings an extensive collection of 400 wines – from McClaren Vale grenache to Chablis and Barolo – into a smartly upgraded surf lifesaving clubrooms.
The regular’s tip
Be aware that the owners keep a few dozen bottles that are off-list, which are rare, older or special bottles to share with people that are really into wine. Don’t be shy, just ask what’s tucked away.
A picture-perfect location nuzzled next to the sand that stretches into the azure Gulf St Vincent has inspired the most idyllic type of wine bar on the beach.
Silver Sands Beach Club has been created by wine writer Nick Stock and Mark Kamleh as the type of wine clubhouse that will ideally serve the neighbouring McLaren Vale region and the Fleurieu Peninsula beach community, plus a steady stream of wine nerds making the pilgrimage south from Adelaide. Their combined talents set the tone, with Mark responsible for music, Nick overseeing the wine with sommelier Lachlan George, and food from head chef Stefano Longhi, who was born in Lombardy and has settled in the region with his family.
A list of about 400 wines cover notable local winemakers (with a lot of McLaren Vale grenache), riesling from great Australian and German makers, grower Champagne, chardonnay (especially Chablis), rosé, a lot of red Burgundy and plenty of nebbiolo from Piedmont. “We try to keep it fun,” says Stock.
This extends to casual dining that’s appropriate for the beachfront location. “We feature a lot of locally-caught wild fish and we serve lot of shellfish, but we also reference Italian cuisine, which pays homage to the many Italian families that settled here. We make our own pasta, churn our own gelato, and sling a tight selection of pizzas. But there’s no judgement, just good times. You can call in for a glass of wine, a few beers, a coffee or a bottle of Corton-Charlemagne. You can eat chicken nuggets with your Corton-Charlemagne, or we can shuck fresh oysters and perhaps create a fresh pasta dish featuring local calamari.”
Built during lockdown in 2020 as part of a surf lifesaving club upgrade, the casual restaurant and bar can host a big crowd, with 160 seats and a spacious deck that seats 80, plus picnic tables and a lawn out front that runs down to the sand. “You can literally go and have a swim from your table,” says Stock. “Bare feet and wet bathers are just fine when you’re drinking a great bottle.”
Reinforcing the festive mood, regular DJs are featured inside and out on the deck. “Music is very important to us and many of our regulars have spent time in the music industry. We’re lucky to have talented DJs and musician friends that all love to play regularly at the beach club, some with incredible collections of vinyl.”
The Beach Club employs a lot of young locals to help promote hospitality as a rewarding, enjoyable career. “This is something we believe in so strongly,” says Stock, “and we hope we can give people a start that sets them on a course to a be future leaders in the hospitality industry.”
