A new chef with a fresh approach is breathing new life into this award-winning winery.
Riverbank may share its name and boundary with a now-closed juvenile detention centre, but today the site’s known as an award-winning winery as much as the institution that once housed a young Bon Scott.
If a rebellious streak remains in this Swan Valley idyll, then it’s in the winemaking, with the owners’ “Rebellious” label a sly nod to the site’s past. The range is led by a refined blend of Bordeaux grapes spiked with tempranillo that’s a fine match with steaks dry-aged in house and cut from the carcasses displayed en route to a verandah overlooking grapevines and a lawn begging for a game of croquet.
The real game here, though, is top-notch produce handled with a keen eye and a sure touch by chef Kiren Mainwaring, and none more-so than the roster of rib-eyes, flat-irons and live crustaceans cooked over coals.
The former Co-Op Dining co-owner came on board soon before shutdown, and on reopening has continued the work of replacing the tricked-up fare of old with a decidedly casual Mediterrean-led approach that better suits the estate wines and unpretentious setting.
The real game here, though, is top-notch produce handled with a keen eye and a sure touch by chef Kiren Mainwaring, and none more-so than the roster of rib-eyes, flat-irons and live crustaceans cooked over coals.
Carnavon scallops baked in the shell in a smoky cheese and guanciale sauce makes for a cracking modern-day take on Coquilles Saint Jacques, while ultra-creamy housemade burrata is matched well with ’nduja and a glass of Rebellious grenache. The live yabbies tossed with chilli jam, meanwhile, tap deep into the Western Australian psyche.
The room buzzes, staff are friendly, bare tables are set with good linen and the tone is welcoming. And if Riverbank’s namesake sparks thoughts of escape, under Mainwaring, more than ever, this is a place to linger.
