6 minute read
Grazing, Valley Style
If you’re in the mood for a graze - rather than a full-on feed - Swan Valley’s restaurants have got you
covered. By GAIL WILLIAMS
HERE’S A DELICIOUS riddle for those who like to nibble their way to gastronomic nirvana: what do you call a 60cm long, timber board piled high with bounteous fresh produce that demands to be served with a glass of Swan Valley wine or a pint of locally brewed beer? And the answer is . . . drum roll . . . the Ultimate Grazing Platter, a Tudor feast on a plank at Rustique Swan Valley.
And it’s sending punters into delirium as they while away afternoons making like Henry VIII, munching on chicken wings, grilled prawns, pork belly bites, artisan cheeses, bread and seasonal fruits often freshly plucked from the trees on site.
This $72 whopper could easily feed a hungry Henry – and his six wives – if they took up an old oak barrel under the vines under trailing ivy while pet pooches wander among the fun. Dogs are most welcome. It’s that sort of place.
Graham and Caroline Buck, the owners
KNOCK ON WOOD Grazing is the perfect way to feast informally with friends - and in the Swan Valley, you’ll be treated to award-winning wines and delicious local produce to match the surrounds.
here, have tapped into the perfect combo for a languid culinary sortie into the Swan Valley. One – take an achingly-pretty setting. Two – make it unpretentious and rustic with old wine barrels, whitewashed walls and plenty of timber. Three – add a grazing platter which spurns the usual suspects in favour of innovative food which is also Instagram-worthy.
Credit for the food goes to 22-year-old executive chef, Chloe Needle, who has an army of followers, many of whom are attracted by the coeliac, vegetarian and gluten-free options on her accommodating menu.
Gluten-free flour is used in the crackers, breads and quesadillas. The cheeses, a variety of blue soft and hard, are sourced locally where possible.
As for the wines, a short list of some popular boutique locals, including Windy Creek Estate, are some of the cheapest and best value labels around. Other grazing options are marinated chicken breast, crispy skinned barramundi and veggie patty burgers.
Beer choices are plentiful and there’s some fine spirits from next door neighbour Old Young’s Distillery.
Aussies have warmed to the grazing style of eating. But we all know it started with the Italians, who make an international sport out of antipasto which, in English, means “before the food.”
At Pinelli Estate you’ll find some of the finest modern Italian-style grazing in the valley. Their rammed earth restaurant is set in the vineyard and pays tribute to the owners’ heritage while making you want to channel ancient Rome and recline on a sofa
SHARING IS CARING Sandalford Wines (right) is creating memorable dishes after a multi-million dollar investment in their new Bar and Restaurant. Opposite, soak up the wine with cheese platters from Lancaster Wines, top, Two Birds Fromagerie, left, and Twin Hill Wines.
with a bunch of grapes.
Share a platter of cheese and pumpkin arancini, calamari, olives and cacciatore sausage with a range of fresh seasonal produce added on a daily basis.
Chef Daniel Romato knows his way around the produce in the Valley. It’s where he grew up and his dad supplies some of the grapes which make the excellent wines. Regulars say the penne arrabiata pairs perfectly with the Grenache La Tavola which taps into one of the first grape varieties to be planted in the valley. Saluti!
There are few wineries with a history as respected as Sandalford Estate. It has been garnering accolades since 1840 for the stylish way they do things here. Now, at their newly refurbished Sandalford Bar and Restaurant there’s a quintessentially Australian take on grazing which begins with a dozen of the best briny oysters and a goldband snapper crudo.
The seductive journey takes a route through zucchini blossom fritters and sesame roasted eggplant before settling on something from the char grill or pizza oven.
Meatlovers should try the Kerrigan Valley striploin or Cape Grim eye fillet and vegetarians should not bypass a Manjimup fig with spiced ricotta.
There’s cocktails galore to wash it all down along with the celebrated Sandalford wines and some french bubbly.
One of the most sought after spots in the Valley for a spectacular graze is at RiverBrook Restaurant Cafe at Upper Reach where handcrafted wines meet delectable produce on the banks of the river. Pack up a picnic blanket on the lawns on selected dates through the year and you can pre-order a platter of meatballs, chicken liver parfait, arancini, calamari and prawns and enjoy dinner while listening to some of Perth’s most popular live bands.
The food comes courtesy of Branden Goodacre and Nicki Pinch and they’re keeping mum on the meatball recipe – a sublime mix of lamb and beef.
But don’t wait for a concert to head to RiverBrook. The lunch menu is available every day from 11.30am and there’s enough sweet options to graze to a sugar high for the rest of the day. Pina Colada Panacotta with grilled pineapple anyone?
One of the tastiest pairings in the food world is wine and cheese, so it stands to reason that you should be able to find a decent cheese platter in the Swan Valley, WA’s oldest wine region.
Cheese is the specialty at Two Birds Fromagerie in Herne Hill, where they encourage friends and family to get together over gourmet cheese boards with paired wines. There’s even a children’s cheese pack available.
Two Birds only stock 100 per cent Australian artisan cheeses and many are from Western Australia.
Wine and cheese go hand in hand at the famous tasting shed at Lancaster Wines in West Swan.
Nibble on complimentary cheese while sampling wine, or pick cheese, dips, pate, olives and cold meats from the fridge to have the Lancaster team assemble your own personalised board.
Twin Hill Wines in Baskerville is one of the oldest wineries in the Swan Valley, the Kraljevich family having made their first vintage in 1937.
The old-style cellar door is full of character, with Robyn Kraljevich behind the counter ready to offer tastings of wine, gourmet cheeses and olives grown on the estate. You can also make up your own board to enjoy.
So, what are you waiting for? Get in the car and head straight to the Swan Valley. You can literally graze until the cows come home. SV
Pinelli Estate Restaurant and Winery
30 Bennett Street, Caversham Phone: 9279 6818 Website: pinelliwines.com.au Open for grazing: Lunch – Wed-Sun from 11.30am
Sandalford Wines
3210 West Swan Road, Caversham Phone: 9374 9374 Website: sandalford.com Open for grazing: Lunch – Mon-Thurs from 11.30am-4pm Lunch and dinner – Fri-Sun from 11.30am-9pm
Riverbrook Restaurant at Upper Reach
77 Memorial Avenue, Baskerville Phone: 9296 3883 Website: upperreach.com.au Open for grazing: Lunch – every day from 11.30am
Rustique Swan Valley
10581a West Swan Road, Henley Brook Phone: 0478 267 664 Website: rustiqueswanvalley.com.au Open for grazing: Wed-Thurs from 10am-4pm Fri from 9am-5pm Sat from 8.30am-5pm Sun 8.30am-5pm
Two Birds Fromagerie
633 Great Northern Highway, Herne Hill Phone: 0493 130 845 Website: facebook.com/ twobirdsfromagerie Open for grazing: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm
Lancaster Wines
5228 West Swan Road, West Swan Phone: 9250 6461 Website: lancasterwines.com.au Open for grazing: Seven days from 10am-5pm
Twin Hill Wines
1093 Great Northern Highway, Baskerville, Phone: 0438 956 329 Website: twinhillwines.com/ Open for grazing: Tues-Sun 10am-5pm
