The Barn Steakhouse

747 Glenelg River Rd, Mount Gambier, SA
(08) 8726 9999

barn.com.au

CUISINE Steakhouse
WINE LIST Kent Comley
WINEs ON LIST 715 (22 by the glass)
WINE PRICES $$$

Never has a road-trip between Melbourne and Adelaide tasted so good. Indeed, The Barn Steakhouse is a destination in itself, the fabulous 715-strong wine list the lure.

Long-time cellar master, Kent Comley, keeps one foot in his local patch with strong representation from the Mount Gambier wine region and its neighbours. And what does Mount Gambier do well?  Pinot noir. The Barn list sports ten pinots as well as a sprinkling of rieslings, sauvignon blancs and chardonnays. Local wines head each category in the list, handy signposts for those diners wishing to sample more of the local product. Which is not to suggest that The Barn wine list is a one trick pony, far from it.

A rare brut nature from Champagne’s Francis Boulard is nicely juxtaposed with a sparkling cabernet from Balnaves in Coonawarra. Alternate grape varieties such as grüner veltliner, fiano, primitivo, and sangiovese are compared with their sister styles from the Old World.

Comley has amassed a fine collection of Burgundy and Piedmont nebbiolo, while the listing of Australian shiraz is one of the most comprehensive in the country. This is one serious wine list – and well worth the detour. jeni Port