While the saturation of drinkeries in the centre of town can leave you paralysed for choice, suburban hotels remain a bastion of sorts for a casual drink, a warming meal and a catch up with friends. If you look off the well worn main roads that extend into our suburbs, you can discover some hotels representing a unique character and charm that is still valued by countless who live nearby. These are destinations to travel to in their own right and it’s only right that they receive recognition for representing their suburbs for so many years.
Those in the East of our city are well versed in the pleasures of The Parade, but those who venture just off the main strip can be rewarded by discovering the love of wine and food currently to be found within one of Adelaide’s oldest hotels, The Kensi. Those more familiar with the cosmopolitan should add some old-world charm to their weekend and enjoy the beautiful leadlight Front Bar, open fireplaces and an expansive dining room that is complete with temperature controlled wine cellar. This detail truly sets the tone for the focus of The Kensi, who have been embraced in recent times by a string of winemakers, who appreciate the knowledge the hotel has equipped itself with as an extension of their cellar doors.
The Kensi are currently on a roll hosting luncheons and Friday wind down events. They feature some of the finest wineries across the state, mixing it up between household names and institutions, and those who are a bit cheeky and willing to push the envelope of the new wine world emerging from our well known regions. Glam Adelaide enjoyed a combination of the two as Mitchell Wines of the Clare Valley hosted a wine lunch this month featuring 6 wines across their range. The event was hosted by the charismatic winemaker Andrew, and the wines were paired with some of the beautiful dishes served by The Kensi kitchen.
Now six glasses of wine in one sitting isn’t exactly for everyone, but there’s no obligation to finish the lot unless you’re, well, really passionate. Which is exactly what winemaker Andrew Mitchell is. There’s no doubt that Riesling might be the bread and butter of the Clare Valley region, brought by the Jesuits into the area in the 1840s. Truly, a riesling is a reflection of the soil, the maker and the vintage and Andrew gave us a crash course with his two premier tastings, the 2007 Watervale and 2008 McNicol Rieslings, both of which he believe will continue to develop in complexity and flavour for up to 30 years on the shelf, not that we could wait that long. This was paired with a sous vide tuna with pickled cucumber, wattleseed, dehydrated burnt lemon, pork salt and lemon balm. You would think the chef was showing off, but the proof was in the flavour. The Kensi kitchen really showed they were a cut above with this one.
Moving to the reds, Mitchell commented that Duck is usually served with Pinot. But why go with a softer flavour when a richer one could be even better? At Mitchell’s they’re currently trying a technique called dry grown, where there is no irrigation on the shiraz vineyard. The resulting 2006 McNicol and 2012 Peppertree shiraz are both plummy and intense without any of the brawny characteristics of other regions. In the 10 years the McNicol has sat, you’ll get a perfect balance of French Oak flavouring alongside the robust fruit. It takes a vine 25 years to hit it straps and these are in their prime at the moment. The Smoked Duck with spiced beetroot puree, poached stonefruit, a red wine reduction and caramalised witlof (I didn’t know what it was either, but it’s like a tiny chicory, a form of radicchio, or in laymans it looks like a very small Chinese cabbage), again, is not your ordinary suburban hotel fare.
We could prattle on, but you should get the idea. If this is indicative of the sorts of events The Kensi are putting on regularly, then we’ll be on our way back there soon. Perhaps getting excellent food, excellent wines and an old world charm isn’t exclusive to the hotel, like all jewels they should be enjoyed at every opportunity. With four more wine lunches scheduled to take them up to November to feature the names of Zema, Petaluma, Yalumba and Mollydooker, if you can set aside a Friday this is a pretty ideal location to spend it in.
They’re also hosting post work Wine Ups for you to wind down to, with the Mollydooker team the hosts on Friday 1 July for anyone who can’t afford to give up their whole afternoon. For more information, visit The Kensi website or follow them on Facebook for their upcoming events calendar.
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