Overview
While Melbourne boasts no shortage of primo wineries located right on its doorstep, you'll also find plenty of reasons to take your vinous wanderings a little further afield. And the latest of these comes courtesy of All Saints Estate — a family-owned, heritage-listed winery in the heart of the Rutherglen region.
Set amongst the rolling hills of Wahgunyah around three hours northeast of Melbourne, the longstanding estate has just unveiled its new flagship restaurant. It's named KIN in a nod to the relationship tying All Saints co-owners, siblings Eliza, Nick and Angela Brown.
The trio has been at the helm of the winery's multimillion-dollar redevelopment, with the new 120-seat restaurant the latest part of the project to be completed. It makes its home within a 159-year-old heritage-listed castle, the indoor-outdoor space transformed into a light-filled dining oasis courtesy of acclaimed firm Technē. The views from here and the adjoining cellar door are pretty spectacular, too.
With stints at the likes of Jackalope and Bistro Guillaume under his belt, KIN's Executive Chef Jack Cassidy is plating up a menu that champions regional produce and the estate's own wines, drawing inspiration from long-held Brown family recipes. It's also brimming with produce grown onsite.
You'll experience it all via a two- or three-course set spread of modern Australian flavours. Perhaps you'll tuck into a kangaroo tartare elevated with black garlic and rye, rainbow trout paired with dill and smoked chilli, or an assembly of roast eggplant, bush tomato and kale.
Bone marrow might be served alongside a top-quality piece of striploin with a marble score of four, while pumpkin is teamed with caramelised whey and ricotta salata. And dessert fiends can look forward to creations like the compressed strawberry matched with sorbet made on the All Saints Estate Durif.
Wines come courtesy of All Saints' renowned catalogue, as well as fellow Brown family winery St Leonards Vineyard. A crop of local beers and booze-free drops rounds out the fun.
Find KIN at All Saints Estate, 205 All Saints Road, Wahgunyah. It's open from 12–3.30pm Thursday–Sunday, and from 6pm Saturday.
Images: Kate Shanasy