South Australia is home to some of Australia’s best wine regions. But you don’t even need to leave its capital city to visit one of Australia’s most well known wine producers – Penfolds. Penfolds, maker of the famous Grange wine, has a working winery with a small vineyard just 8 km out of the central business district.
The Estate
It was a sunny spring Sunday when we visited Penfolds for a long lunch with two of our favourite people. On passing through the stone entrance gates, we followed the driveway up the hill, passing the newly budding vines on the way.
A number of attractive buildings make up the winery, including a formal dining venue, Magill Estate Restaurant, and several heritage stone buildings which house wine making equipment, cellars and offices. There is also an expansive cellar door with an adjoining informal restaurant, Magill Estate Kitchen. Both restaurants and the cellar door are an impressive blend of old feature stone walls and ultra modern glass.
Magill Estate Kitchen
We were lunching in the Magill Estate Kitchen, and luckily for us, we had booked an outside table. The weather was fantastic! Warm and sunny. The tables are nicely shaded by an extensive pergola. The elevation of the complex meant an afternoon of enjoying the view of Adelaide city and out to the blue coastal waters.
We opted for the ‘Chef’s Shared Menu’ with matching wines by the glass. So all we needed to do was sit back, catch up on all the news across the four of us, and relax. The first pour was a glass of sparkling Tasmanian Cuvee, and was an excellent way to kick off the dining.
Our Lunch Selection
We worked our way through a number of flavoursome shared plates. I loved the crumbed oysters. The grilled asparagus was a stand out for one of our friends. Hubby’s favourite was the tuna carpaccio, which came with crispy fried taro slices to eat it with. We all enjoyed the warm, soft roti bread that accompanied the beautifully cooked Murray cod. It was perfect for mopping up the coconut curry sauce.
The meal finished with a glass of port to accompany the dessert. We were served dark chocolate fondant, salted caramel ice cream with toasted marshmallow. Fortunately, dessert was not a shared plate. We had one each which was just as well given how delicious it was.
A Relaxing Vibe
The hustle and bustle of the suburbs felt miles away given the size of Penfolds Magill Estate, and the surrounding greenery of the small plot of vines, well manicured lawn and gardens and mature trees. Plenty of people were enjoying the experience with every table in Magill Estate Kitchen taken. The cellar door was also doing well with plenty of customers coming and going, making the most of the afternoon.
We had a lovely afternoon, and I will say this wasn’t our first meal at Magill Estate Kitchen. After another great experience, it won’t be our last.
