One of the state’s most celebrated wineries still backs it up on the plate, with a menu of finely tuned snacks and locally minded shared dishes that linger long in the memory.
For years, the kitchen at Vasse Felix has made a habit out of refining dishes to the point of near-perfection. But just when you think they’ve achieved it, they’ll flip the script and present something new. Take the quail. Chef Cameron Jones struck gold when he partially deboned a bird and hit it with a red-tinted char siu glaze so sticky and sweet it resembled lacquer. But then visit the Vasse Felix of today, and that quail has been retooled, plated with a mustard emulsion and a herb crumb with such depth of flavour and sharpness that memories of the previous dish recede into the background. Equally impressive is an accordion-like ruffle of locally sourced lamb rump, pulled off a skewer after being glazed with Sichuan honey and plated in a pool of capsicum sauce so bright and lively you could drink it. Main courses are equally high grade: think beef rump cap brined overnight in treacle then glazed in date and stout. There’s no better place to drink estate wine, either, with great value across the board. Explore the vintages here, book a tasting or tour, take in the Holmes à Court Gallery, and stroll through the vines to finish.
