The appeal of Mt Lofty House may be in its unashamed decadence, but there is also a lot of heart and soul that comes through its finer details. Champagne lovers will find their retreat here.
There is a quiet decadence that belongs to Mt Lofty House. It starts when you turn off at Crafers on your way to the Hills – the Adelaide Hills, that is. Leafy trees grow thicker, noise from the freeway dulls, and the romance of getting away for a day or two sinks in.
It may be part of the Sofitel group, but Mt Lofty House couldn’t be more boutique, tucked away from it all, as a five-star escape, touting a three-hatted restaurant. It is ensconced in timeless refinement, complete with characterful stonework and deep-seated leather chairs; moody by day, and just a little Agatha Christie by night.
Its Wine Director, Liinaa Berry, is its latest acquisition, one of Adelaide’s star sommeliers, and with a career spanning resorts in Mauritius and the Seychelles, to restaurants and bars in Melbourne and South Australia. Berry heads-up the property’s restaurant, Hardy’s Verandah, responsible for organising its wine list and special events, which extends to exclusive wine dinners for the property’s new six-star luxury lodges, Sequoia. There are only 14 suites available to a select few with deep pockets, but with panoramic views of the Piccadilly Valley, complete with Japanese onsens, and a private club area, who’s counting dollars?
“We want to be recognised as one of the best places to go for a food and wine encounter. I take a lot of care in choosing wines that are rare or cult favourites, but are also interesting to showcase alongside Head Chef, Jin Choi’s, creations.”
For Berry, it starts with curating a world-class wine list (now boasting more than 900 wines), taking the time to discover small gems, from good winegrowers, with a strong sense of provenance.
“I want our guests to understand how wine is a strong part of our DNA at Mount Lofty House,” she says. “They will find here, many bottles, hear many stories that they may not enjoy anywhere else. I also believe that a strong team spirit is critical to execute a wine program of this level. It takes authentic personalities who are motivated and driven by the pleasure of making people happy. For this reason, I train our staff to think outside of the box, to use their personality and embrace their own style. This is wine, if you are not having fun doing it, then you are doing something wrong.”
Sequoia Lodge, Mt Lofty's six-star destination.
“When I started here, the first thing I did was to redesign the format of the wine list. When you take over a creative role, you are taking over from someone else’s work, so I had to align it with the spirit of my own journey.”
Champagne, she says, is the most misunderstood region in France when it comes to wine.
“Champagne is known for its bubbles, as a celebratory drink. But I think there’s been a rise in awareness through education. Wine distributors, too, are putting in a lot of work to bring forward the stories and savoir-faire of smaller grower artisans, as well as the region’s progress toward organics.”
Berry has increased the diversity of her champagne offering according to sub-regions and has included growers on the rise and smaller negociants. Styles of champagne are also highlighted according to varietal and house philosophy. She cites R.Pouillon, Jacques Selosse, Cédric Bouchard and Nicolas Maillart amongst her favourite growers, alongside Louis Roederer and Salon as preferred Houses. And as for pairings?
“I adore Selosse’s Substance NV with lobster, Pouillon’s Les Valnons with Brillat Savarin, Egly-Ouriet’s V.P. with duck rillette, and Roederer’s Cristal Rosé 2002 with duck à la framboise.”
The appeal of Mt Lofty House may be in its unashamed decadence, but there is also a lot of heart and soul that comes through its finer details. Champagne lovers will find their retreat here.
Discover: www.mtloftyhouse.com.au
Photography by Mt Lofty House
