Every good restaurant – particularly those with an AGFG Chef Hat – has a dedicated Sommelier, or Beverage Manager taking care of a carefully curated wine list to accompany the menu.
Who better to ask what’s trending in the vino world right now than these knowledgeable wine buffs? Welcome to our ‘Wine of the Week’ series, where we highlight particular wines on the radar of restaurants around the country.
When it comes to Modern Australian dining in relaxed luxury, it’s hard to look past lauded, The Peak Restaurant at Spicers Peak Lodge on Wilkinsons Road in Maryvale. Visitors, from friends enjoying a memorable lunch to couples escaping for a romantic evening, enjoy quiet, attentive service, an open stone fireplace, comfy furnishings and a captivating outdoor dining terrace, overlooking the Scenic Rim Mountain Ranges.
Head Sommelier Sam Ackerman recommends trying the 2020 Marchand & Burch Mount Barker Chardonnay from the Great Southern Region of Western Australia.
"A collaboration between friends Jeff Burch and Pascal Marchand, who share a passion for Burgundian wine, led them to produce wines that express the difference in terroir between the Côte d'Or in Burgundy and the Great Southern Region of WA,” he says.
"Applying traditional Burgundian techniques, this Chardonnay has a real minerality to it, along with fruit flavours of nectarine and apricot.”
This wine has been encouraged to ferment naturally in French oak barriques and aged for nine months, with lees contact which adds to texture and complexity.
"I really like the collaboration between new and old world; it bridges a gap for those guests who may not be familiar with old world wines,” Sam says. "Our guests have the opportunity to try an Australian Chardonnay with an old-world twist and discover a different wine region within Australia.”
