Over the weekend, we ensured our Sunday was kept free so we could make a day of it, opting for a drive through the countryside to the illustrious Longview Vineyards. On a 26 degree day with not a cloud in sight, we could not have picked a better day for it.
The Adelaide Hills are a glorious vision; we truly never get sick of the drive. The image of rolling green hills, lush plant-life and roaming farm animals makes for an ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of inner-city living.
Longview offers a little countryside luxury in this gorgeous area. The distinguished winery provides dining, accommodation, events services and so much more, not to mention a view to remember. Longview’s Tasting Room overlooks the stretching vineyards and occupies plenty of seating options inside, outside in the sun and out on the shaded deck. We found a warm, sunny spot underneath the willow trees and made ourselves comfortable, preparing for the Longview Tasting Room experience.
Inside Longview’s Tasting Room.
The lovely Brendan took great care of us as he talked us through the Cucina menu and wines. The Cucina menu is basically an Italian-style tapas menu, designed to effectively accompany the wines on offer without overfilling the stomach or disturbing the palate. Going for a bottle of the Longview Nebbiolo Rosato in light of the pleasant weather, we followed with a couple of antipasto platters to complement our drop of choice.
The Salumi Platter (charcuterie) combined Bresaola, chili fennel cacciatore and smoked leg ham, handmade by the Saturno family. It was completed with pickled cauliflower, pickled grapes, cornichons, mostardo, esplosivo, warm olives, Skala Ciabatta and a dipping pot of extra virgin olive oil. The Formaggio Platter (cheese) offered three cheeses: soft, hard, blue. The cheeses were paired with Longview ‘Yakka’ shiraz jam, spiced roasted walnuts, fresh apple, dried pears and galletti.
The Salumi and Formaggio Platters alongside a bottle of the Longview Nebbiolo Rosato.
If there’s one thing we love about antipasto platters, it’s the interactivity that comes with them. Mixing and matching flavours and textures is so much fun in the world of food, and Longview’s indulgent platters provided the ultiamte array of edibles to play with.
Moving onto our next course, we chose a pasta dish from the specials menu and a panini to share. Albiet a pasta dish, the ingredients were light and fresh, combining peas with green pesto and making the pasta actually quite refreshing. While the flavours were somewhat subdued where we would have preferred something a little richer, there’s no doubt the dish was a summery, hot-weather pick. And as for richness, that’s where the panini stepped in. The panini came served with a heavier-style Porchetta (roast pork belly) filling, complete with caper mayo, fennel and chili. The nettle and knead sourdough tied up this Italian version of a sandwich perfectly.
Porchetta Panini.
Pasta Special.
As if we hadn’t been spoiled enough, Brendan insisted we tried a spot of dessert. He brought out the Dolce Plate consisting of Amaretti, cranberry pistachio nougat and chocolate espresso truffles, alongside a bottle of the Epitome Late Harvest Riesling. The two worked divinely together, bringing about a delectable sweetness that instantly cleared our palates.
Dolce Plate.
Epitome Late Harvest Riesling.
Afterwards, we headed out to frolick in the vineyards in the hopes we could work off some of that extra fat we’d put on over lunch! It was such a beautiful, serene landscape; we would definitely like to organise a trip back to Longview Vineyards ASAP.
We’d love to thank Sassafrass PR for organising our wonderful experience at Longview. If you’d like to learn more about this winery and the services they offer, you can follow the link to their website here.
