Australian Gourmet Traveller - (07)July 2020 (1)

Getting

there

Rutherglenis a

three-hourdrive

fromMelbourne

ora six-hourdrive

fromSydney.

FormoreHigh

Countrywine

experiencessee

feasthighcountry.

com.au

CentoPassiDalZotto

OttoDalZottoplantedthefirstproseccovinesinAustraliaandthe

factthattheKingValleyis nowAustralia’sproseccocentralshowsthat

hemadea prettygoodfistofit.Sothere’snoshortageofproseccoon

DalZotto’sCentoPassi(100Steps)tourbutit’sjustonepartofthe

storythefamilywanttotell.ThetourstartswithOtto’ssonMichael

explainingthefamily’sloveandfeelforproseccoandthenmovestothe

DalZottoveggiepatch,a shortstrollfromthecellardoor,whereOtto’s

wifeElenatendsanincrediblearrayofproduce,fromraspberriesto

pumpkins.Whatever’sripeforthepickingis pluckedfromthegarden

andtakentotheDalZottokitchenwherechefNikkiKennedyawaits.

Lunch,includingdisheslikesageleavespickedfromthegarden,stuffed

withanchoviesandcapersandthenfriedinproseccobatter,is eaten

overlookingthevineyard,completingtheDalZottofamilystory,andall

within 100 steps.“Obviouslywineis partoftheexperience,”saysOtto’s

sonChristian.“Butit’sjustonepartit.Onthistourwewanttointroduce

selectgroupsofpeopletothethingswe’repassionateabout.Food,wine,

family,produce– thesearethethingsthatmakesuswhoweare and what

weare.It’sshowingwhoweareasa family.”dalzotto.com.au

OldWorldv NewWorld:SpotlightonSangioveseJames& Co.

HusbandandwifeteamRickyandGeorgieJamesopenedtheircellar

dooronRutherglen’sMainStreetin2017.It’sa charmingspace,spacious

andlight-filled.Rickyis a winemakerwhospecialisesinsangiovesemade

fromgrapesmostlysourcedfromaroundBeechworth.Forthisexperience,

RickylikestoputhiswinesnexttotraditionalEuropeanvarieties.Inhis

charmingandinformativehands,thecomparisonis nota competition

buta journeywhereyoustarttorealisejusthowversatilethesangiovese

grapeis asit sitsalongsidea Provencalroséora TuscanBrunello. It’s

about context and about region.jamesandcowines.com.au●

AllSaintsLuxuryImmersionAllSaintsWinery

Indulgentgoodtimesforhappycouples,theAll

Saintsexperiencestartswiththeaccommodation–

a luxuriouslyrenovated,three-levelFrenchProvincial-

styletowerontheoldMountOphirEstateoutside

ofRutherglen.Thelevelofluxuryinthetower–

breakfastandwinelaidon,supremelycomfortable

bed,greatreadingmaterialandNetflix– mayhaveyou

consideringstayingsafelyensconcedinyourRapunzel

tower.Butthenthechauffeur-driven 1973 convertible

RollsRoyceturnsup.It’stheretowhiskyouofffor

a three-courselunchat TheTerraceRestaurant,where

chefSimonArklesstakesadvantageofestate-grown

produceanddoeswonderfulthingswithbeefand

duck.Lunchis followedbya touraroundsomeof

theotherwineriesintheneighbourhoodbefore

dinnerat ThousandPound,theBrownfamily’sbar

onRutherglen’smainstreet.Thenextday,it’sanother

RollsRoycejourneybacktoAllSaintstomeetupwith

familywinemakerNickBrownfora dayofhands-on

winemakingthatincludesblendingandbottlingyour

ownwine.Immersionindeed.allsaintswine.com.au

DurifRedesignedScionWinery

ScionownerandwinemakerRowlyMilhinchleads

thisjourneyintooneoftheflagshipwinesofthe

Rutherglenregion,durif.Butthisis durifreimagined

byMilhinch,wholikestomarchtothebeatofhisown

barrel.Hemakesandpresentsdurifinsurprising

forms,froma beautifuldryandsavouryroséandthe

medium-bodied“smashable”Fortrosetotheamazing

AfterDark,a restrained,fortifieddurifdesignedfor

grown-ups.ForMilhinch,it’sallabouthighlighting

thenuancesofplaceandseasonality,tosurpriseand

delightwithhowmanydifferentexpressionscancome

fromthesamegrapedependingonwhereit’splanted

andwhenit’spicked.Thetastingis accompaniedby

a seriesofsnacksdesignedbyMichaelRyan,chef

andownerofBeechworth’srenowned Provenance

restaurant.scionvineyard.com

LeftScionWinery

ownerRowly

Milhinch.

AboveThevines

atWeathercraft

Winein

Beechworth.

OppositeAll

SaintsLuxury

Immersion

experience

includesbeing

chauffeuredina

1973 RollsRoyce;

Blackboard

calculationsat

Pfeiffer Wines.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 115

PHOTOGRAPHY PHOEBE POWELL (SCION) & ERIN HARTWIG (KING VALLEY).