Eighteen Sixty Nagambie Dan Stock review: wine bar worth a road trip

An Italian bistro wine bar with pasta at its heart is another reason to spend a weekend by the lake in Nagambie.

It’s just gone 9.30 on Sunday morning and my back is alive with the burning cool of menthol and clove, my muscles intoxicated on lavender and patchouli and my mind adrift with dreams of hitting the road in a vintage Airstream.

As far as great gourmet getaways go, Nagambie and the Goulburn region has much going for it, and you could easily while away a weekend availing of all the good things in life at Mitchelton — including one of those knockout massages.

With stylish hotel, day spa and cellar door for exploring the increasingly elegant but accessible and affordable range of wines under the Mitchelton estate and Preece labels, and signature restaurant Muse — where you’ll find one of Victoria’s consistently best roast chooks — there’s more than enough to keep even the most restless happy, but with five brand-new retro cool Airstream caravans to stay in overlooking the vines, there’s really something for everyone, from the hip to the hip replacement.

Eighteen Sixty’s snacks.

In town, there’s the Nagambie Brewery and Distillery overlooking the lake and if that wasn’t enough to set the GPS for Nagambie, a great new wine bar has opened opposite, where the cellar’s stocked with all-local drops and the fridge is filled with produce from near, not far. Named after the year the first vines in the area were planted, Eighteen Sixty is a showcase of the best of the Nagambie Lakes, Strathbogie Ranges and Goulburn Valley wine region, with small — and likely unfamiliar — producers making up the bulk of the 50-plus bottles to drink in or grab and go.

A smaller selection by the glass changes regularly but may feature a deliciously zippy Locksley riesling from the delightfully named Vino Relaxo ($11) or juicy shiraz from Elgo Estate in the heart of the Strathbogie Ranges ($9), while a focus on Italian-style whites and reds that thrive in the area is a welcome highlight.

In the kitchen, chef Adele Aitken (ex-Fowles) has long worked in the region and along with co-owner David Powell (Morso Food) has created an Italian-bistro carte with pasta at its heart, but also with a terrific selection of salumi and cheese in keeping with its wine bar vibe.

Those lingering longer over lunch or dinner — for which you’ll have to book, for locals have taken to their new wine bar as keenly as those just stopping by — will be treated to big hearted fare as tasty as it is generous.

There’s half-a-dozen pasta choices at Eighteen Sixty.

You could do worse than start with a selection of crostini that are more like Danish smorrebrod — open sandwiches — for they are almost meals in themselves, so laden with toppings in lovely combinations as they are.

Pate with proper liver bite comes thickly slathered and topped with crunchy-fried sage ($11), there’s sheets of smoked salmon folded high and scattered with capers and a quenelle of horseradish-spiked sour cream ($12), and powerfully punchy fennel salami is teamed with garlicky smashed cannellini beans ($11).

Delicious one and all. But the highlight of the lot marries mushrooms from Avenel with butter and thyme in the pan and taleggio under the grill ($12). More please.

An elegant rendition of pork rillettes relies more on great meat than fat and is paired with pickled cherries that add the perfect amount of sharp sweetness ($15), while wobblingly translucent Hervey Bay scallops come with buttery breadcrumbs for crunch and ‘nduja for comforting warmth ($14 for three).

Whether you’re here for a cheese platter of meal — Eighteen Sixty has a wide offering.

From a half-dozen pasta choices (pappardelle with lamb ragu; rigatoni with confit garlic and tomatoes), the gnocchi light with ricotta’s creaminess and tossed through more of those great, meaty mushrooms is a hit.

A yolk to pierce and stir through the garlicky parsley sauce is both decadent and a delight ($24).

The silky lemon tart is Nagambie ‘famous’.

As is a slice of silky lemon tart with balanced citrus sharpness and a fine delicate pastry. Apparently chef is famous around these parts for this tart — and rightfully so ($12).

The coffee accompanying is also spot-on.

At home in the inner city but offering an excellent in situ taste of the region, Eighteen Sixty is yet another reason to make a weekend of it here by the lake.

Eighteen Sixty wine bar in Nagambie

EIGHTEEN SIXTY

312B High St, Nagambie

Open: Thurs-Sun from noon (also breakfast Sat-Sun)

eighteensixty.com.au