Mark Maxwell continues to see his family label grow and excel by breathing new life into the winery with a newly remodelled restaurant and new recruits being brought in for both wine making and culinary delights.
The styling and architectural features of the new restaurant provide guests with a direct view of the winery, the chef’s kitchen and a living, working bee hive, which supplies the honey for Maxwell Mead.
Upon entering the winery one is immediately greeted by the dining room, boasting a design by Anatoly Patrick Architecture and interior by Claire Kneebone.
“Connectivity between the spaces was very important, as was addressing all the functional requirements for the building with immense detail,” says Anatoly.
“Maxwell’s is quite unique with its wine production right next to the cellar door, so we chose to play up this feature by adding full height windows in the dining space, where you can overlook the wine being made as you dine.”
One notable feature with this design is a beehive used for mead production, previously hidden from guests. It is now placed behind glass on display in the foyer where guests can view mead being created right from the source. Just one of the many ways the culinary world is made into an immersive and distinguished visual journey.
On the custom furniture, joinery, and fittings, Claire Kneebone states that, “The materials were selected to create a sense of natural warmth and a soft palette to allow the food, wine, and surrounding environment to shine.”
This is no more evident than in the handcrafted chef’s table, made from marble, limestone, and bespoke tile finishes.
This new dining room provides the perfect backdrop to try Maxwell’s new menus and latest wines. Award-winning Kate Petering, the new head winemaker, comes with experience with wine-making in Burgundy, the Rhone Valley, the Napa Valley, and Emilia-Romagna. With her first vintage approaching fast, new and exciting wines are close on the horizon.
Kate isn’t the only new member of the Maxwell team, with Head Chef Fabian Lehmann and Pastry Chef Jason Brown teaming up to bring a renewed menu to a renewed vineyard.
For Fabien having come to Australia from the kitchens of Europe, including Hamburg’s Grand Elysee, food and art are one and the same. This is where both chefs and diners can find a mutual joy in experiencing food.
Jason comes from nel. Restaurant in Syndey where he was the executive pastry Chef, but it is here at Maxwell where he can be endlessly creative in his passion. Together with Fabien, the pair hope to “Craft their best expression of Mclaren Vale and South Australian ingredients.”
With a range of experiences on offer including a canape and wine flight ($39pp), a four course meal ($80pp), a six course meal ($95pp), and an exclusive all access tour and dining experience ($195) all lead by expert winemakers and chefs, Maxwell has stepped up it’s game to prove that it can continue to be bold and create an exciting experience for any food and wine enthusiast.
This innovation will prove to be a key highlight time and time again on any trip through McLaren Vale.
Visit Maxwell’s website here for more information.