Best Country Restaurant List

Appellation

375 Seppeltsfield Rd, Marananga
(08) 8562 4144

thelouise.com.au/dine

CUISINE Regional Contemporary
WINE LIST Cassaly Fitzgerald
WINEs ON LIST 430 (33 by the glass)
WINE PRICES $$$ ($10-$139 by the glass)

For more than a decade, Appellation at The Louise has served the Barossa Valley with distinction. The pride it takes in the region and its closeness to the local community are what sets it apart from its urban counterparts.

The great strength of the list is the diversity of its coverage of the Barossa and the depth that is possible because of an exceptional range of older vintages. As well as this, Appellation is extraordinary because of the way it places the Barossa in an international context.

The substantial by-the-glass list focuses exclusively on less well-known producers or varieties. The wines available via Coravin include rare local jewels and international superstars. Barossa Icons offers an indepth examination of locals including John Duval, Henschke, Torbreck, Penfolds, Grant Burge, Charles Melton and Elderton with back vintages made available from museum stock. With varieties such as grenache, mataro and shiraz the nearby localities of Greenock, Seppeltsfield and Marananga are celebrated alongside regional, national and international examples. The fortifieds showcase one of the region’s strengths with an unsurprising spotlight on Seppeltsfield. Peter Forrestal

Finalists

Provenance

86 Ford St, Beechworth
(03) 5728 1786

theprovenance.com.au

CUISINE Modern Australian
WINE LISTDamian Moylan
WINE ON LIST 318 (22 by the glass)
WINE PRICES $$ ($10-$30 by the glass)

Provenance chef-proprietor Michael Ryan and sommelier Damian Moylan, have created a synergy between kitchen and drinks that elevates this wine list into the stratosphere. Japanese influence in cuisine is finished with sake, light, fine reds, aromatic and textural whites, with an eye on delicacy and nuance writ large in this list. Indeed, the sake offering, with a focus on natural Junmai expressions, is superb, and impresses on drinkers that the breadth of Australian drinking culture is available here. Local wines from the northeast are proudly featured, so Billy Button, Sorrenberg, Giaconda, Castagna, Schmolzer & Brown and Pennyweight have their name in lights alongside carefully curated collections of white and red Burgundy, and, remarkably, a slew of JJ Prum riesling. It's evident that care and consideration is at its apex in the list; it's just wonderful to see such diversity and excitement here. Best of all, it fits the holistic culture of Provenance to a tee.

The Barn

747 Glenelg River Rd, Mount Gambier
(08) 8726 8250

barn.com.au

CUISINE Steakhouse
WINE LIST Kent Comley
WINE ON LIST750 (23 by the glass)
WINE PRICES $$$ ($8-$35 by the glass)

The people of Mount Gambier are a fortunate lot, with the Barn Steakhouse as their local. Fine Hereford cattle, aged for eight weeks, served alongside the finest red wines of the district, well make that the world. A slick international wine list may not be what one expects to find, but that is exactly what sommelier Kent Comley delivers. An extensive, mainly Limestone Coast showcase by the glass, including aged wines via Coravin. The sweep of global wines by the bottle is outstanding, with glorious back vintages of hard-to-find wines. It is a veritable treasure chest for wine lovers and well worth the journey south.

CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS: Country dining has never been more sophisticated nor offered such beguiling wine lists: think of Provenance in Beechworth, The Barn at Mount Gambier, and Brae at Birregurra.

Best Country Restaurant List

Appellation

Appellation

Finalists

Provenance

The Barn

Australia's
Wine List
of the Year
Awards

Wine List of the Year
Judy Hirst Award
Best City Restaurant

The Tony Hitchin Award
(Best New List)

Best Small Wine List
(50 Wines)

Best Small Wine List
(100 Wines)

Best List of Wines By the Glass

Best Food & Wine
Matching List

Best Listing Of Australian Wines

Best Listing of a Region's Wines

Best Club Restaurant List