Sunday lunch: Paringa Estate, Red Hill South

Paringa Estate's tasting bar doubles as a cellar door.

CHINESE geese forage between the lyre-trellised vines that lead to this winery restaurant that looks across pretty valleys. We join wine-lovers at the tasting bar which doubles as a cellar door where owner/winemaker Lindsay McCall is likely to pour your wine.

At harvest time, he's the one with the red wine-stained hands — a far cry from school teaching to being the most awarded pinot noir maker in the country. Let him lead you through a tasting — including single-vineyard wines he opens only at weekends.

We sip a peachy 2008 Estate chardonnay ($11 a glass, $45 a bottle) as we peruse chef Shane Smith's small but appealing menu that celebrates quality regional produce to complement McCall's wines. I choose a home-made boudin noir, pancetta and quail egg terrine with deep-fried crumbed quail eggs, quince gel, slices of brioche and a walnut puree ($20) — complex and delicious. My husband settles for plump caramelised scallops with foie gras atop small diced house-smoked kingfish, apple and cucumber (pictured, $21).

For main course, my husband chooses the New Zealand king salmon fillet ($36) with mussels, yabbie tails and Yarra Valley salmon caviar while I hop into a saddle of rabbit ($34) with vegetables a la Grecque on an unexpected blue flash of purple congo potato — perfect with a 2008 Estate pinot noir ($15 a glass, $60 a bottle). A side of quinoa, broad beans, fresh peas and mint is refreshing ($8).

While we do contemplate the cheese menu ($11 a portion), we settle for a salted caramel parfait, hazelnut mousse and honeycomb crumbs and poached apple rice pudding, freeze-dried apples and wattle-seed ice cream (both $14).

Reviewed by Tricia Welsh, who was hosted by Mornington Peninsula Tourism.

Paringa Estate Winery and Restaurant, 44 Paringa Road, Red Hill South, 5989 2669. Restaurant open Wed-Sun, noon-3pm, dinner Fri-Sat 6pm-8pm; cellar door open daily 11am-5pm. See paringaestate.com.au. Melway 191 D9. To stay: nearby options include Kudos Villas (kudosatthevines.com.au), Mantons Creek Vineyard (mantonscreekvineyard.com.au/vineyard-lodge), The Barn and The Studio (thestudiobb.com.au).