Levantine Hill Regional Longest Lunch for Melbourne Food and Wine Festival
Stunning Levantine Hill was the fabulous destination for the MFWF Regional World's Longest Lunch event; an event of class and style which The World Loves Melbourne was excited to attend. With sweeping Yarra Valley views, a modern restaurant with large windows that take advantage of the spectacular scenery, and standout food and wine, this was the place to be.
Melbourne knows a great event when it sees it, and the World's Longest Lunch at Levantine Hill was sold out quickly. Several guests arrived fashionably by helicopter. This was a convivial setting of note, the best way to spend a "working" afternoon. Meeting guests from the local area was a highlight, and a sense of community and intimacy was felt in the room.
A spectacular floral arch with swing greeted guests on arrival. The threat of rain meant we were seated inside the superb restaurant rather than outside on the deck. It was a pleasure to meet the Jreissati family; this is a family run business with passion and soul, and celebrates the finer things in life.
We then celebrated the end of harvest with an exquisite menu showcasing the culinary genius of hatted chef Teage Ezard, with cheese from Yarra Valley Dairy, desserts by Shannon Bennett of Burnham Beeches and, importantly, handcrafted wines by Levantine Hill master winemaker, Paul Bridgeman.
This was an array of the finest produce and cooking technique. We began our meal with Ora King Salmon, cucumber, fermented garlic, yuzu. A glass or two of 2014 Levantine Hill Estate Mélange Traditionnel Blanc was the perfect match.
The main course was spectacular with Angus beef, blueberry, beetroot, nettle, along with accompaniments of Roast kipfler potatoes, fine herbs and Estate garden salad. The 2013 The Coldstream Guard 'Rubeus' was a magnificent match.
Art on a plate.
Rounding off a lavish meal was Yarra Valley Dairy white Savourine, condiments and lavosh as well as a selection of petite sweets from Burnham Beeches.
The discerning and foodie savvy crowd enjoyed live music and top notch service. We were fully satiated by late afternoon.
Naturally, lunch was accompanied by Levantine Hill’s award-winning wines, handcrafted by master winemaker, Paul Bridgeman. The World Loves Melbourne was keen on all the wines of high quality, with the 2015 The Coldstream Guard Rosé being one of the highlights.
The location was as exciting as the views; a venue designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, creators of Eureka Tower and MONA in Hobart. Thanks to Levantine Hill, Stephen Dabowski and owners Eli and Colleen Jreissati for a memorable day.