Celebrated South Australian estate winery Maxwell Wines has appointed Matt Rodgers as its new Head Chef, aligning with the launch of an innovative new menu at the Maxwell Wines cellar door.
The new menu marks an evolution in the dining offering at the McLaren Vale winery, with a carefully crafted menu designed to enhance the wine-tasting journey for guests. Matt joins Maxwell from Sequoia Lodge at Mt Lofty House.
He trained at Michelin-starred restaurants in the United Kingdom and Ireland, including a stint at Restaurant Sat Bains in England’s North before arriving back in Australia. He previously worked at d'Arenberg Cube Restaurant and ARC in Brisbane under Alanna Sapwell-Stone.
Maxwell Wines Executive Chef, Fabian Lehmann says: "I’m thrilled to have Matt join the team. His creative energy and fresh perspective will allow us to build upon the strong foundation we’ve established.”
Aligning with Matt’s arrival, the new cellar door menu aims to elevate the wine experience for guests, with the Maxwell Wines Restaurant team, led by Fabian, curating a selection of bite-sized snack items that are designed to be paired with Maxwell’s wines.
This new food offering allows guests to explore the wines in a more immersive way, providing a unique opportunity to discover new flavour combinations and enhance their tasting experience.
Maxwell Wines General Manager, Jeremy Maxwell says: "For us, this new offering is about creating an experience that showcases the harmony between our wines and good food. Guests can enjoy these pairings as part of a wine tasting experience in our cellar door or order them with wines by the glass on the Maxwell Terrace.
"Being available seven days a week, it’s a wonderful way for people to see a glimpse of the Maxwell Restaurant experience even if their timing doesn’t align with our restaurant hours.”
Fabian comments: "I have chosen my favourite snacks from the current tasting menu to offer cellar door guests a glimpse of the restaurant. The cellar door snacks will be changing with the seasons like our restaurant menu.”
The new cellar door menu includes elevated classic dishes - focusing on bold flavours, with highlights including: crisp chicken skin tart, smoked chicken and crispy leek; croustade, kingfish, sesame emulsion, radish and apple; Abrolhos Island scallop with tomato and yuzu kosho; French toast, caramelised onion, Wagyu bresaola; fried potato terrine, chive and confit garlic; buckwheat blinis, sour cream and 30 g Sturia caviar.
Additionally, new dishes have been added to the award-winning Maxwell Restaurant tasting menu, including the doughnut, capsicum, bresaola - a traditional Danish-style gluten-free doughnut filled with Section 28 Monforte cheese mousse and topped with a charred capsicum puree. The dish is finished with finely sliced Wagyu bresaola.
A standout from the new tasting menu is the oyster pearl, a dish that takes one of Maxwell’s long-standing guest favourites to new heights.
Jeremy says: "The oyster dish has always been a guest favourite, but this latest iteration takes the skill and creativity of Chef Fabian to a new level. The creation of this dish is nothing short of spectacular.
"The oyster pearl, made using oyster mousse and finished with a Champagne gel and edible silver powder, is served in an edible oyster shell, a perfect expression of our commitment to creativity and excellence in every bite.”
The new cellar door menu is available seven days a week at Maxwell Wines and the tasting menu experience is from Friday to Sunday.
