Paringa Estate

A compact tasting area and dining room give way to an expansive view of vines, gentle slopes and wandering geese which, after the first sip, all add up to a bucolic idyll. Everything is well in hand: the service is crisp and accommodating, the wine is excellent, and the food is pleasing. Snapper fillet is baked and served with plump mussels, crisp fried prawns, quinoa and samphire in a clever play of textures and sea-salty flavours. Pumpkin rotolo, topped with a colourful tangle of zucchini flowers and herbs, has an exuberant cottage garden air while a jammy dollop of mustard fruits acts as anchor. Carrot souffle is the hidden jewel in an entree that balances earthy and ethereal, and desserts are layered adventures, local berries tucked under shards of meringue, perhaps, or a coconut and chocolate extravaganza that offers plenty of excuses to delay the drive home.

And … Occasional cellar nights encourage diners to raid their own wine stashes.

THE LOW-DOWN
Vibe Relaxed and confident.
Best bit Sunny days on the deck.
Worst bit It's so hard to choose between cheese and dessert.