Longview Vineyard, Macclesfield, Adelaide Hills | SA Weekend restaurant review

Dining at the well-known Adelaide Hills winery has been on a very slow burn but, our reviewer finds, it’s finally reached a level befitting its setting.

The interior of the Longview Vineyard cellar door at Macclesfield in the Adelaide Hills.

Architecture. It has the power to lift the spirits, to provide comfort, to inspire.

It can be crucial to establishing a brand, particularly when it comes to wine.

Think Wynns in the Coonawarra or a host of chateaus from the Barossa to Bordeaux.

In the case of Hills winery Longview, the addition of a spectacular cellar door has changed the dynamic altogether – as well as providing a setting that reinforces the name.

The steeply-pitched roofline framing floor-to-ceiling glass is genius, as is the meticulously crafted stonework echoing the original building.

It’s a lovely place to spend time, whether it is enjoying a flight at the tasting bench, looking through the gum-treetops to what lies beyond, or settling in, as we did, for a languorous lunch.

A spread of fare at Longview Vineyard. Picture: Meaghan Coles/Now And Then Photography

Longview was established in the rolling hills outside Macclesfield in the 1980s and the first bottle carrying the label was released at the turn of the century.

The Saturno family took over the property in 2007 and added accommodation and even a day spa alongside the wine business.

The dining side of Longview, however, has been a slow burn.

For many years, it was restricted to Sunday tapas and special events.

Only in the past 18 months has the cellar door offered what could be considered a regular, restaurant-style service and, even then, it remains incredibly relaxed and flexible.

That is part of the appeal. You can wander around the room, head out to the balcony or try-before-you-buy at the tasting bench at any time.

Order an antipasto platter before lunch, or instead of lunch, and that’s fine as well.

Gnocchi with beef ragu.

Vitello tonnato.

Longview has long championed food-friendly Italian wine varietals such as barbera and particularly nebbiolo, so it makes sense that the kitchen would follow a similar direction.

Chef Ethan Calvert, with a background in pubs and most recently Society Bar in Rundle St, has put together a menu befitting the laid-back vibe, with a handful of pasta options and just enough variety elsewhere to please most takers.

Focaccia is freshly baked and has a sheen of olive oil across its golden crust.

Vitello tonnato begins with slices of gently poached veal the colour of strawberry lollies and a mayonnaise with the perfect amount of tuna through it.

A wreath of rocket leaves, shaved parmesan, cornichons and fried capers sits on top.

Another mayo, this time with a tinge of smokiness, is the key to a more contemporary compilation of beetroot carpaccio spread artfully across the plate, decorated with strips of preserved lemon, walnuts and fried capers. A vivid green herb oil adds visual contrast.

Orecchiette primavera translates as “little ears in springtime”, a reference first to the shape of the little pasta shells, then to the peak season for the vegetables used, particularly asparagus.

One could argue it is a dish better suited to later in the year and that the underpinning pesto lacks much evidence of basil.

Gnocchi with a beef ragu ticks most boxes – lightness of the house-made potato lozenges, big meaty flavour – but is served barely lukewarm.

The barramundi with ajo blanco sauce and radicchio.

Other mains fare better. A crisp-skinned fillet of barramundi comes with “ajo blanco”, a thicker, more intense version of the Spanish soup based on bread and almonds, sharpened with sherry vinegar.

A salad of shaved fennel, radicchio and orange lightens things up.

The surprise winner is a vego assembly that starts with a heavily tanned head of roast cauliflower, then a cauliflower cream and multiple expressions of allium – fried spring onion, charred cylinders of leek and agrodolce (sweet and sour) braised onions. It’s a big serve.

Dessert is silky-textured buttermilk and honey semifreddo, dusted with dried berry powder, finished with smashed honeycomb scattered across the plate as if it has exploded.

While the Adelaide Hills is dotted with cellar doors further north, Longview has this part of the region pretty much to itself.

It is a destination in its own right – to dine, drink, stay the night, and admire the surroundings.