Gorgeous Table Review 2014

Springtime in McLaren Vale is gorgeous.

That includes it’s wineries, restaurants, and natural surrounds.

Little wonder it inspired Alistair and Sally Cranney to develop the much loved Gorgeous Festival. 

In this, it’s second year, there was an extra evening of Gorgeousness, in the form of the Gorgeous Table shared dinner. The hallmark of Gorgeous, is that no detail is forgotten.

Golf carts collect patrons in the car park and ferry them to the entrance gates, where everyone walks the red carpet.

Tonight I walked the red carpet as a grateful, invited, media guest.

Inside the gates and a beeline is made for the yellow letterboxes, Veuve Cliquot mail is irresistible, especially when it is free-flowing all night.

Baskets of nibbles, like these spiced lentil parcels, were offered by a staff decked out in yellow Veuve suspenders.

Beautifully golden and crisp, these parcels had a rich spiciness from cumin, coriander and more.

Proceedings were overseen by the Serafino “farmer” nearby.

Suddenly, a keyboard springs to life, music and then a spontaneous “flash-mob” performance by the SA State Opera company, who started singing one by one from within the delighted crowd, before making their way slowly to centre stage. 

Veuve Cliquot has fresh aromas of citrus blossom, a bright vigorous bead, and on the palate a bread-like earthiness and juicy lemon finish, that leaves you wanting more. Lucky it was an open bar!

David Cockley welcomed us to the land of the Kaurna with a smoking ceremony. 

Each guest entered the dining pavillion through the cleansing, and sweet, smoke. 

 

Shared tables were laid out with wine ready-poured (no waiting!) and loaves of chef Stewart Wesson’s bread. We tore it in our hands, and shared, truly a breaking of bread.

Serafino’s Goose Island Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2014 is fragrant with gooseberry and rose petal. Nice soft mouthfeel finishes with just a little acid at the end.

Curated by Sally Cranney, the Gorgeous Table dinner featured a who’s who of the McLaren Vale and Adelaide restaurant scenes, each contributing to the multi-course extravaganza.

From the Vale there was:

Karena Armstrong of the Salopian Inn,
Peter Reschke from d’Arry’s Verandah and
Tom Boden of Ellen Street Restaurant at Maxwell Wines.

Representing Adelaide city was;

Paul Baker from the Botanic Gardens restaurant,
Phil Whitmarsh of The Daniel O’Connell and
Stewart Wesson from The Flinders Street Project.

The first starter, prepared by Paul Baker at the Botanic Gardens Restaurant was barberry braised beef, with carrot & pumpkin purée, pickled veg, and edible flowers. 

It was a truly pretty looking dish and by all reports very tender with a great balance from sweet veg puree and crunchy tart pickles.

Next to hit our tables was cured salmon with potato salad, tomato and dill, from Tom Bowden of the McLaren Vale’s own Ellen Street Restaurant at Maxwells Wines.

Ingeniously served in a no-waste coconut that provided additional eating after the filling was devoured. 

Rounding out the starters was a vegetarian option of Vietnamese cold rolls. 

Bright with herbs, they were also hiding chewy, nutty grains.

Working Dog Union entertained the crowd and had toes tapping with their Aussie take on Irish folk music.

A perfect soundtrack while taking in nature’s show outside – a brilliant pink sunset behind the colourful water tower.

A great time to grab a drink from the friendly folk in the Bickfords airstream van. 

Likewise, to admire the show with new friends.

 The Chapel Hill Chardonnay 2014 was a perfect match, with its’ apricot and stone fruit nose, soft mouthfeel, and juicy acid finish.

Beautiful looking side dishes with the main were these pickled vegetables with chicken heart skewers, served inside coconut shells.

I made friends with this salad, polishing it off single handedly. Adorned with crisp fry-bread and a tangy-creamy avocado dressing it was undeniably morish.

Oh but they weren’t finished with us just yet!

Individual pots of poached fruit in jelly with pashmak – adult fairy floss – had just the right amount of sweetness.

In a final twist, profiteroles, but not as you know them.

These were filled with blue cheese and glazed with a sweet Vegemite caramel. A very modern take on vegemite and cheese sandwiches and a great alternative to a cheese plate.