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A standout wine-region restaurant that celebrates the great bottles produced locally, and serves them alongside deeply considered dishes that work beautifully with what’s in the glass.
When you hear it said that Penola is an especially blessed little town, you may think that’s because it was once home to Australia’s only canonised saint, Mary MacKillop. That’s partly true, but the town’s greatest blessing can be found in the old weatherboard church that now houses Pipers of Penola.
This place is an institution for a reason, consistently delivering on the promise of what a great wine-region restaurant should be. Simon Bowen’s cooking is defined by well-honed technique and a dedication to depth of flavour, always with an eye on how each component in a dish will come together as a harmonious partner to the wines pulled up from the cellar. When you travel to a place specifically to immerse yourself in its food and wine culture, you do so in the hope of finding places like this.
It’s got to be cabernet, doesn’t it? The 12-mile, cigar-shaped strip of red dirt running to the north of Penola produces some of the world’s most celebrated cabernet sauvignon, most of it produced by chef Simon Bowen’s friends or family. All the great Coonawarra names are represented here, many of them across multiple vintages, giving diners the opportunity to experience Coonawarra cabernet’s great capacity for ageing.
Another feature is the enviable fortified list. It has an incredible selection of fortified wines available by the glass, which is a rare treat in any restaurant. If you're a fan of port, muscat or sherry, you won't want to miss the chance to try some of the unique and interesting fortified wines on offer.
