Driving up from Adelaide along the very scenic (and potentially dangerous!) Gorge road we bypassed the first turnoff the Williamstown and instead headed up via Sprintgon, Eden Valley and Kyneton to the Barossa Valley. Being early on Saturday morning we skipped Eden Valley Hotel and the Irvine Cellar Door, instead opting to make pilgrimage at Henschke a few kilometres out of Kyneton.

Being the Barossa Vintage Festival (to my surprise) the Henschke cellar door had some backvintages but little of the current releases we were here to taste. Regardless, due to exciting hype from good sources as well as other forums took the plunge on a few bottles of 04 and 94 Edelstone Shiraz as well as a couple of 94 Cyril Henschke blends. After visiting Henschke and seeing their open concrete vats full of fermenting grapes we took the Henschke cellar door map in hand we prayed to the ‘dirt road gods’ briefly before making our way to view the Hill of Grace vineyard. To my embarrasment I’ve never taken the trip out to Hill of Grace but it was worth it. Arriving at Hill of Grace and the (heavily phorographed) Gnadenfrei Church was mildly moving. I’m not a religious man but the well tended cemetry (of both recently and far departed friends), Lutheran ethic and plentiful parrots touched me. A short walk along the fenceline with a brief moment to reflect on the nearby ruins and broken dreams shows that it’s not been an easy path. A further short drive took us to the much larger Edelstone vineyard. Impressively old vines well tended and with seemingly good balance. Both vineyards when taking the time to walk around (not in) both teemed with life. It could be a result of Prue’s vineyard management, the warm Autumn or the relative isolation of both vineyards but set the day on the right foot.

On departing the Eden Valley we headed to the Barossa via Angaston. On passing the ex site of Barr Vinum I silently saluted - I hope something takes it place soon. A quick visit to the Barossa Cheese Company in Angaston for some dinner supplies and onto a long lunch at Vintners. Vintners Bar and Grill can be excellent - but it can also be disappointing. Today however, Peter was in the kitchen and the food was superb. Being Easter Saturday floor staff were minimal but everyone coped well and there weren’t many significant problems. A daily special dish of squab was cooked especially good - warmed through but exceptionally rare, bloody without being off putting - well done! It also seems the famous VBG fries have had the ‘herb’ seasoning toned down - a good move. Fries should be covered in salt - not some ‘texmex’ flavoured carnival sideshow (Cos Restaurant are you listening?).

After lunch, there was still time for a cellar door - nearby and on the way to the accomodation was Kaesler. Having never tried Kaesler’s wines I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised with a large, modern cellar door with Riedel stems and exceptional staff. The wines were one dimensional and not to my taste - 16% monsters at the end of a long day don’t mix. Perhaps I’m being unfair? I did however leave with one bottle of 04 Touriga Nacional fortified. In hindsight, the vanillan, sweet, oaky monster has little to do with the tannic, dark touriga nacional of Portual - but perhaps this is just how it grows in the Barossa?

A long soak in the bath at the excellent Peppers ‘The Louise’ was required after all that (excellent interior design!), along with some quiet birdwatching from the rear courtyard. Hours later the stomach was rumbling and time to move onto dinner and the recently purchased cheese. Sadly, none of the cheese consumed was made by Barossa Valley Cheese - they had run out of their excellent ’saint kitts’ and ‘baby bert’ on the time of our visit. However an excellent interational selection of well ripened cheese was in front of us - as well as the first bottle of 04 Henschke Edelstone Shiraz.

Henschke’s 04 Edelstone Shiraz is a deep red with a touch of dark purple on the edge. An intense nose of ripe red fruits some oak influence and little spice kick. No alcohol or VA is noticeable even on such a young shiraz - buxom in the best kind of sense! Sensational savoury multilayered red currant flavours a touch of creaminess and licorice. Seductive mouthfeel, impecable balance and firm but fine tannins. Ended up having far too much of this and other less memorable wines as I was to find out the following morning.

Waking up slightly fuzzy it was time for a walk. Off to Sandy Creek outside of Lyndoch. With binoculars, patience and the right time of day you’re bound to see honeyeaters (and perhaps a particularly lovely Eastern Spinebill) along with kangaroos and plenty of bull-ants. Make sure you check the ground before stopping - ouch!

Some unmemorable cellar doors (I should have made time for Burge Family, Torbreck and Charles Melton instead) and a simple lunch was just a prelude to dinner at Appellation. Mark McNamara was in the kitchen Easter Sunday cooking for guests. Clientele ranged from international visitors, locals for a big night out, guests in residence, food lovers and… well lets not go there. The wine list is very good with representation of more food friendly wines. 1999 Ravenau Chablis ‘Butteaux’ a delightful match for the generally elegant food from the kitchen. A fuller bodied 2002 AF Gros Vosne Romanée ‘Maizières’ finished the fuller red based dishes (with a particularly exceptional snapper in a sticky reduce red wine sauce). Australian wines were again well represented with sensitive choices and range intended to suit the food. Wine was handled expertly (by Bec - well done!) and ensured wines were served at ideal temperature. The white was decanted (after consultation) to great effect! Food was possibly too simple to be the experience it purports to be - but for those who can appreciate the simple handling of great produce Appellation is a great and reasonably priced destination for the quality and entire package ($110 for eight course chef menu pp - or $180 with matched Barossa and Eden Valley wine).

Monday arrived and it dawned on me the end of the weekend was near. It was time to head home, skip the other cellar doors calling my name, get back home and do the washing.

Grange Restaurant is inside the Hilton Hotel Adelaide – this means a trip through the foyer on Saturday evening is always a moderate adventure. Tonight, a wedding was in full swing, along with the usual patrons seeking toilets, lifts or the restaurants. However, once at Grange and seated the hotel chaos nearby seems far away and not at all intrusive.

In reward for fighting through the foyer it was time to celebrate with a cooling glass of 1996 Gosset. A little time in glass and an opportunity to warm really allowed its full spectrum of aromas to release. The 1996 Gosset is drinking wonderfully at present, fine gentle mousse, secondary nutty pastry aromas all backed up with great acidity. The complimentary olives where eschewed - something so Mediterranean does not compliment fine wines of the north.

The first course was a variation of Cheong’s famous ‘Four Dances of the Sea’. This was entitled ‘The Sea Dance’ and consisted of delicate seaweed marinated Kingfish belly, calamari, a saffron mussel with real spicy kick, and the superb green peppercorn kingfish. This was an evolution of the ‘Four Dances of the Sea’ - both the classic and this version are excellent but for me tonight, the current incarnation had the edge.

Highlight of the food tonight was either the incredible roasted suckling pig (served at room temperature), chicken liver terrine and red capsicum anchovy bruschetta or the latter grilled hogget. The stuffing in the pig was a most fragrant contrast to the rich, oily pork. The balance of the bruschetta brought the dish to another level after some initial fishy hesitation.

Halfway through the pig it was time to move onto one of my favourite young white Burgundies at the moment the 2002 Domaine Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet ‘Boudriotte’. A very youthful, focussed wine with outstanding balance, structure and harmony. It’s not the most complex but has great length of flavour and a real food-friendly level of acidity than is typical for lots of young white burgs.

The third course of steamed Snapper, oyster, in duck mushroom broth was refreshing and lightweight - I’d call it a ‘modern palate cleanser’ if it wasn’t for the sublime textures.

Marron is usually a real treat, and the Mamak style marron, with coconut fish peppers and fried spaetzle was very good but not in the same league as the earlier courses. If you’re looking for the best marron in Adelaide I’d lean in direction of Bridgewater Mill in the Adelaide Hills.

Now it was time to move onto the 1990 Château Pavie Decesse. It’s a hard act to follow the beautiful Ramonet but the Pavie did an admirable job. It offered up a lovely nose of plums, a hint of charcuterie and a whole bouquet of other hard to pin down aromas. Surprisingly forward fruit flavours, supple well-integrated tannins and mature.

First ‘red course’ of the evening: duck breast, woodfungus, cherry vinegar sauce, duck leg sausage in turnip, almond saffron duck liver in pastry was wonderful. It is bold to serve such unadorned duck liver without the but this really worked (if not for the sub-par pastry). Breast was wonderfully pink with just a touch of blood. Such harmony with the mid-weight Pavie.

Equal top-billing went to grilled saltbush Hogget (mature lamb) with fava bean puree, cumquat witlof salad with muscatel sauce. The hogget was rich, gamey and rather pungent. Having a cumquat tree at home I approach anything with cumquats in it with great trepidation. It’s a great fruit but can often be exceptionally sour (more than lemons at times) unless they are picked complete ripe. Here the sour balanced the (already quite bitter) witlof perfectly. It complimented rather than masked the real ‘sheepy’ hogget flavours. A complete triumph!

A great selection of cheese (only rivalled in Adelaide by Magill Estate cheese trolley) consisted of fromage d’affinois, Epoisses, Roy de Valley and Roquefort Carles. The soft cheeses demanded something sweet and it was time for the 2002 Kracher Chardonnay/Welschriesling TBA #7 Nouvelle Vague Grande Cuvée. The Kracher is sublime now and I have no idea how it would age. It seems to have the stuffing to go the distance but if its so great now, why wait?

So far a near perfect night on all scores – but then the dreaded warm chocolate tart with pineapple and vanilla iced gateaux arrived. A single nibble was enough to realise that it was wisest to stick with the Kracher #7 and round off the evening with a (very good) peppermint tea.

This had been a night of amazing food, excellent wine and great service. The Grange team managed the night well and handled the bottles professionally - whites not over chilled - and with satisfactory (if not ideal) glassware.

Formerly known as ‘Enoteca Cucina’, ‘Enoteca’ as it is known now, seems to be finding it’s feet. Being late Winter it’s still occasionally wet outside and on entering the restaurant today, the tiled entryway offered no doormat. A minor niggle perhaps, but not for one with slippery leather soled shoes nor one who wishes to traipse mud all over the restaurant floor.

Inside, the space has again undergone refurbishment. It looks good but the unbalanced cutlery remains (you know the ones!) and a strong solvent smell still hangs in the air.

A glass of sparkling wine would be ideal to start, but puzzlingly not a single Champagne or Italian sparking were available by the glass. I wasn’t in the mood for anything on their selection, so skipped that and went with still water. Good bread soon arrived with generous quantities of olive oil and over-salted dukkah.

The menu looked good with plenty of veal, quail, rabbit and zucchini flower - everything you’d expect. I would say it sounded delicious if not for the background music I found intrusive and more appropriate to a ‘chill-out’ room in a nightclub.

An entree of stuffed, fried zucchini flower was uninspiring and soggy (Fiori Di Zucchini). Another entree of veal rolled in prosciutto and cheese with char grilled asparagus (Involtini Di Vitello) was better but not of particular note (except perhaps its sweetness). Both dishes held up surprisingly well with the 2000 Moss Wood Pinot Noir selected from the (eclectic and brief) wine list. The Moss Wood Pinot Noir is an unusual wine, it is slightly simple with it’s boiled lolly aroma and short finish. Overall however, the wine saved the entrees and refreshed the palate.

Mains were next, veal with lemon and capers (Vitello Al Limone) was cooked competently but the sauce tasted of undercooked flour. Thankfully, the green beans, rocket and parmesan around the veal were very good. Spatchcock stuffed with veal and cheese with polenta and brocollini (Galetto Ripieno) was very good but was disappointing in that it used the same sauce base as the veal entree.

Service was friendly but a little unobservant. Orders were attempted to be taken (twice) while menus were still being perused. Finished food also lingered on the table a little too long. Both water and wine was however topped up promptly and effectively.

Perhaps it was an off day in the kitchen or I was having a ‘root’ day (search Google about biodynamics and root days). Hopefully it will settle in soon and lift its game.

I hope to get to Assagio soon to see how Enoteca ex-chef Camillo Crugnale is getting on.

Ambience: Modern, chic. Quiet at lunch, but expect it to get a little noisy at dinner.
Price: Food is moderate - Entrees around $15.50, Mains $23-$30 but require a side at $7.50 extra
Wine list: Eclectic and short with some major holes (Champagne by the glass). Mineral water $8.50 per Litre.

Enoteca
262 Carrington St,
Adelaide 5000
P: 08 8227 0766
www.enotecacucina.com.au

A dinner at Penfold’s Magill Estate.

Food at Magill Estate is outstanding at present (thanks to chef Jerome Tremoulet and kitchen). A customised degustation menu was the best food I’ve had recently – it is especially seasonal and doesn’t hide behind sauces and spice. All dishes were close to perfect with just a single fault with over seasoning on one dish. Service was flawless and certainly worth the price of admission. Sommelier Carlos Alvarez is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and friendly - all wines were checked (as they should be) and outstanding examples served at ideal temperature.

While waiting for other guests a glass of:-

Lanson ‘Black Label’ NV, Champagne Fr
-> was snuck in. As an appertif style this is great. High acidity gets the juices flowing. Great mousse. More than a glass would tire - if you’re looking for contemplation look else where. Very good.

Then came coffin bay oysters (freshly shucked) served three ways: crayfish salsa, spring onion dressing & eschalot vinegar. Great oysters that truly smelt of the sea enhanced by the dressings, not masked by it. Easily the best coffin bay oysters I’ve had. Enjoyed with:-

Lanson Rosé, Champagne Fr
-> Initially a little stinky, almost fishy. With a little air time (and slight rise in temperature) it opened to reveale pure red fruits (particularly strawberries). A courser mousse than the ‘Black Label’ but it was overall more enjoyable and complex. A food friendly wine and especially a treat with the superb oysters. Very good+.

Next up were Kangaroo Island yabby tails with crayfish timbale, served with tarragon pesto. Presentation of this dish was excellent, the taste and texture were even better. The slightly sweet, earthy flavour of the tails enhanced by all that’s below (and a little richness from cream?). It really had pure, delicate and unmasked flavours. This was enjoyed with the very surprising:-

2000 Penfold’s Yattarna, Blend
-> I have never been a believer in Yattarna - but this has changed my mind. Served at just a touch below cellar temperature this offered a fragrant nose of white fruits. Not at all ‘blousy’ this was lean and focussed like a good Puligny-Montrachet. Great balance (and wonderful with the yabby tails). Excellent.

The Yattarna also carried through the seared SA yellowfin tuna with tempura anchovy, chickpea flour sticks and saffron aioli. The tuna was expertly cooked - just seared it melted on the tongue. This and the last course presented lots of satisfied murmerings around the table.

Raviolo of Barossa Valley Quail with leek fondue and herb jus then appeared after a well-timed short break. Beutifully moist quail wrapped in al dente raviolo with the most tantalising aroma. It would have been improved had the raviolo retained a little more moisture, but judging by others enjoyment I was in the minority. This was a great way to gently shift into the meatier courses. This was paired with:-

1985 Penfold’s St Henri ‘Claret’ (sic), Blend
-> This was an immaculate example - it really seemed quite youthful. A spicy, perfumed nose with plum and hints of coffee. Exceptionally fine, smooth tannins. Harmonius and integrated, enhanting. Very good+.

The next dish left little impression with me, but that probably comes down to my generous consumption. The course was Hay Valley lamb with bok choy. A quick discussion with other reassured me it was good. I’ll have to believe them! The last of the red wines was:-

1991 Penfold’s Magill Estate, Magill SA
-> A favourite of mine drinking at it’s peak. A single vineyard wine from the vines at your feet. Blackberry, plum flavours and a little licorice spice. Rich, mellow and smooth. Particularly savoury and with great length and mouth feel. Excellent.

This wine was also served with the next course of braised beef cheek with celeriac mash. Unfortunately this course was significantly over seasoned. However, the concept and texture combination with the puff pastry promised a lot. A minor blemish on the night’s otherwise perfect proceedings.

Finally, we were onto the cheese! Magill Estate’s cheese trolley is a real delight, but this time we eschewed it’s stinky, gooey pleasures for a Barossa Valley Baby ‘(Camem)Bert with fondant potato and walnut & red wine dressing. This course soon erased the previous courses disappointment. Refreshing acidity balanced with the creamy, richness of the Barossa Valley Baby Bert. This was even enjoyed by one heathen at our table who claimed they “didn’t doâ€? camembert. This matched surprisingly well with the:-

1997 Coutet, Barsac Fr
-> Citrus, floral, frangipani nose. In the mouth it was surprisingly restrained and elegant, rich and yet not overly sweet. This really grew on me with a little air and as it warmed in the glass. Definitely not a wine to have with sweet desserts. Thankfully, both the cheese and soufflé to follow were perfectly matched. Very good+.

A creamed chestnut soufflé with rosemary anglaise rounded off the meal nicely. I feel sorry for whoever peeled those chestnuts - a job I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. The pain of preparing the chestnuts was however worth it. Gently sweet, fluffy and all one could want.

Magill Estate Restaurant is really on track. An essential stop next time you’re in Adelaide.

Reservations required on (08) 8301 5551. I’d suggest checking out their wine list and current menu http://www.penfolds.com.au/experience/dining/magill.asp , and requesting any older wines to be prepared for your arrival for best enjoyment.

The Fleurieu peninsula is blessed with a bounty of wine, produce and restaurants. The Salopian Inn has been in the business (with assorted owners) for a long time but continues to deliver a consistent, innovative and enjoyable experience. Now, passed onto Pip’s brother Michael Ewers, I can say it remains in very good hands.
View all of Salopian Inn, McLaren Vale

Update! On a return visit to The Wine Underground on a busy Friday night the service and attitude was very disappointing. If you can indulge me, let me retell the tale…

View all of The Wine Underground, Adelaide

At 730 meters above sea level, Mt Lofty commands a wonderful view over Adelaide and it’s coast. During day light savings the view at Mt Lofty Summit Restaurant is a magical experience – the sun sinking slowly into the distant sea, orange and red colours light the sky. In autumn and winter however, unless you’re there before six o’clock you’ll sadly miss the show.
View all of The Summit Restaurant, Mount Lofty, Adelaide Hills

The heart of Adelaide’s Chinatown in Gouger Street sits T-Chow. On of three ‘chow’ restaurants (Ky Chow, Ying Chow and T-Chow) and despite the similar names they are unrelated. This area is also home to the wonderful Adelaide Central Market and numerous other eateries offering (obviously) Chinese but also Thai (Star of Siam especially), Vietnamese and the omni-present Italian.
View all of T-Chow Chinese Restaurant, Adelaide

In the middle of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens alongside a pond full of ducks and the odd turtle, sits the Botanic Garden Restaurant. You could hardly ask for a restaurant in a better position. The gardens are a world away from the noise and bustle of the city nearby. Even if the food weren’t good, Botanic Garden Restaurant would be full of happy diners.
View all of Botanic Garden Restaurant, Adelaide

The Sauce is a warm, welcoming and casual restaurant serving ‘modern Australian’ food. It is tucked into a vine-clad group of shops in leafy inner-suburban Dulwich (10 minutes east of the city). Several of the tables are hand-painted with vegetables and spices, while others are covered in linen.
View all of The Sauce Restaurant, Dulwich