At Longview winery – just outside the village of Macclesfield between Mount Barker and Strathalbyn – you have no choice but to immerse yourself in life’s simple pleasures: food, wine and art.
Who would have thought that amid the beauty of the vineyards and the gum-studded rolling countryside, the work of some of the country’s best street artists covers walls and wine bottle labels?
The reason is that Longview Vineyard hosts the annual Piece Project as part of the Adelaide Hills Crush Festival each Australia Day weekend in January, when up to 2000 people come to the winery to watch street artists vie for the coveted prize – the label of The Piece estate-grown, cool-climate Shiraz. You can see past Piece Project works around the winery and also as you taste the wines in the cellar door.
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If you’re lucky, thespian and owner Mark Saturno will be there to take you through the range of Longview wines in the cellar door. When not running the day-to-day operations at Longview with his brother Peter, he can be found onstage as an actor in State Theatre Company productions.
When it comes to food at Longview, you don’t have choice. It is Sunday tapas or Sunday tapas. The menu is designed and prepared by The Caterers Stephanie Heaven and Louise Naughton, who have been running the food side of things at Longview since the days when it was owned by the late Duncan McGilivray.
The menu changes seasonally and generously covers everything from starters through to main course to dessert and cheese, with many of the shared dishes gluten-free. Tapas can be taken indoors, on the verandah or on a picnic rug on the lawns – all options offer views to the vineyards.
For the cost of $48 per person, Sunday tapas at Longview is certainly a pleasant way to graze away the afternoon.
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Favourite dish: Crab cakes with celeriac remoulade and fresh limes; cheese and saffron poached pear.
Other dishes: The starter plate includes pea and herb falafel with preserved lemon hummus, garlic pizza, crunchy fennel and capsicum for dipping, and slices of sopressa and spicy cacciatore. The little dish of Coriole kalamatas (complimentary) were excellent, as was the spicy cacciatore (sourced from Mercato). The main plate includes a colourful salad of crispy fried lamb with carrot mash and beetroot, crab cakes with celeriac remoulade and fresh limes, mustard smoked beef brisket with The Caterers spicy BBQ sauce, and a salad of ribbon zucchini, cos, parmesan and herbs.
Something sweet/to drink: The dessert plate includes a selection of shortbreads, fritters and dates stuffed with almonds and chocolate, and the cheese plate was accompanied by The Caterers Riesling jelly, fresh strawberries and saffron poached pear – a perfect accompaniment to the Royal Adelaide Show gold-medal-winning 2013 Epitome Late Harvest Riesling. Longview wines are available by the bottle and glass, and there is a selection of cider and beer and non-alcoholic drinks.
Longview Vineyard has also just added some new accommodation designed by Folland Panozzo architects if you feel you have no choice but to stay a while longer.
Longview Vineyard
Pound Road, Macclesfield, ph 8388 9694
Longview Vineyard is open for lunch on Sundays only.
