Experimental wines, craft beers, excellent food trucks and eclectic DJ sets come together in a former church just five minutes from central Adelaide, making for a unique urban cellar door.
There’s so much to love about Oddio, one of Adelaide’s only urban cellar doors, and certainly the first to be housed in a heritage-listed former church. Foremost, the venue is a working winery for Delinquente and Frederick Stevenson wines along with Bizzarro, South Australia’s answer to Campari – some of the most exciting emerging lo-fi producers in the state. For much of the year the space is a flurry of activity – forklifts, fermenters and grape-soaked, gumboot-clad winemakers are not uncommon sights.
But for eight to 10 non-consecutive weekends each year (advertised exclusively on Oddio’s social-media accounts, but shared widely) a new kind of congregation, comprising natural-wine fanatics, disco groovers and food lovers, descends on the venue for a party like no other. Informal tasting room meets picnic party meets dance floor – and it’s gloriously unholy.
Housed in a heritage-listed former Methodist church built in 1851, Oddio oozes intrigue. The building has lived many lives since the last sermon was delivered in 1949 – first as a chemical paints and resins manufacturer, then an artists’ cooperative, construction storage facility, and finally a squatters’ residence and venue for illegal raves. When owners Greg Grigoriou and Steven Crawford took it on, the rot had truly set in. The pair have honourably restored Oddio (“oh god” in Italian) into a lofty, whitewashed shrine to wine. In artsy, liberally minded Bowden, it sits proudly within the fabric of the suburb and for that alone it’s worth a visit.
But you’re here to party, and party you will. The DJs – a revolving cast of local talent playing vinyl from their personal collections – are legendary. It’s rare there isn’t a hazy, lucid dance party happening by mid-afternoon. The food trucks are criminally good. And the wine walks that delicate line between experimental and crowd-pleasing, keeping everybody in good spirits.
There’s something about the gentle decay of the church set against its lofty ceilings, disco ball, and trailing greenery that, despite the party inside, brings a peaceful air. So, while you might normally consider hopping to another bar after a drink or two, this rarely happens at Oddio – once you’re there you’re in for the day. The pace of service, friendly crowd and vibey DJs all speak to lazy days spent over bottles of wine and snacks, with friends milling in and out as the sun slowly sinks. And, yes, we’ve sometimes waited up to 40 minutes to get in, but by the time you’ve chatted in the line with your mates, caught some rays and decided between a bottle to share or a couple of glasses it’s almost like the wait never happened. Oddio is, quite simply, a really nice place to hang out.
We get it – queueing for a drink is so 2010. But Oddio’s great vibes combined with the irregular opening hours and social media-only advertising make it one of Adelaide’s worst-kept secrets – the parties are incredibly popular with, well, everybody. Do yourself a favour and go early (like, midday early) or risk finding yourself at the back of a queue that sometimes snakes right down the gravel driveway to Drayton Street and around the block.
People tend towards the cavernous indoor space in winter, but with the braziers burning you’ll find rugged-up revellers in packs on the wooden benches outside. In summer, the leafy sun-drenched courtyard is so full of bucket-hatted scenesters they almost form a built-in umbrella, so nab a seat fast.
Once your posse has their place sorted, lean into something clean and fresh from the makeshift bar – we’re partial to the tight acid and bold texture of a Fredrick Stevenson chardy. Wines walk the line between comfort and intrigue, and bar staff are happy to make recommendations – many have had a hand in the drops you’ll be drinking, so they’re endlessly knowledgeable. Trust them and settle in for an afternoon of sweet grooves and laid-back vibes.
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