It’s not Lofty, Remarkable or even Pleasant. On a list of the state’s most prestigious mounts, Bera would barely rate a mention.
Similarly, even in its own pristine patch of the northern Adelaide Hills, the winery that has adopted this name does not have a high recognition factor. But now, with a unique suite of vinous varieties on offer, and a surprising cellar door restaurant playing with Latin American and native influences, that could well be about to change.
Mt Bera Vineyards doesn’t do things by halves. Owners Greg and Katrina Hoerner were living in Sydney when they decided to take their family for what was supposed to be a year-long sabbatical to SA while they renovated their house. Following a tip from a friend, they stumbled upon a large property in the rugged hills just off Gorge Rd with a homestead, vineyards and an established label.
In 2016, they took another huge step, buying the Amadio family’s old Chain of Ponds facility just outside Gumeracha and, after some very necessary maintenance works, they opened three years later with Katrina in the kitchen and Greg hosting tastings.
Along with the rest of the business, that model has gradually become more professional, as it needs to be, given the cellar door/restaurant is one of few to open every day for a full lunch service.
On a dry but chilly Thursday afternoon, this ambitious schedule seems to be paying dividends with a decent gathering at tables spread across the main dining room and along a veranda enclosed by a clear plastic blind.
A leather folder contains all food and drink options, including a wine list compiled solely from the different house ranges such as the amphora-stored La Naturale and premium Boundless Horizons. Little known varietals such as the Austrian red zweigelt are a feature.
Head chef Nicholas Moyle, a local lad who was previously at the Stanley Bridge Tavern, has cleverly integrated the knowledge of a kitchen team that includes Latin American (particularly) and Nepalese backgrounds in a menu that is still recognisably modern Australian.
Who knew that kangaroo mince, along with chorizo, spices and boiled egg, could look so at home in a trio of empanadas, the pasty-shaped parcels further elevated by their buttery pastry cases (thanks to Careme) and a cracking chimichurri dipping sauce with the perfect level of sharpness. They are worth the drive alone.
A South American ceviche is given a few twists, firstly by using a dark rather than white fleshed fish, in this case Port Lincoln bluefin tuna. Cubes of fillet are given a brief curing, combined with sweet potato and red onion and then dressed in the traditional “tigre de leche” of fish stock, lime juice and chilli to which a splash of passionfruit juice adds an intriguing floral element.
It was a chance sighting of the kangaroo tail osso buco during a menu trawl that first sparked interest in Mt Bera. After four hours of braising with red wine, the meat attached to three tail pieces is everything hoped for – rich, sticky, a deep savoury flavour to match its dark colour. The lemony zip of gremolata works brilliantly but the “risotto Milanese” needs to pull back on the cheese to taste any of the saffron.
Cauliflower is dusted in a house-made garam masala and roasted until it is the colour of old jarrah boards. A warming brown lentil dal forms the foundation, while a curry coconut sauce, pickled mushrooms and shaved fennel all bring extra interest to a first-rate vegan combination.
Considering it is only her second shift, our engaging waitress has done a fine job but has a stumble at the final hurdle. The “tres leches” dessert is not a flan or scoops of ice cream, as she guesses, but a Colombian sponge-style cake that is soaked in a dairy trio of cream, milk and condensed milk for a few days until it is something like a rice pudding. It is topped with a layer of strawberry and rhubarb jam, piped chantilly cream and a dusting of cocoa.
Later in the week, Mt Bera opens its rock-walled underground cellar for tastings and also offers an old cottage for accommodation.
Plenty of reasons, then, to get to know this part of the hills better.
