Coriole Vineyards

What do you do when you have a successful formula? You hire a new chef and you come up with a mediocre formula as replacement. Right?
Today I visited Coriole with foreigners– this was a place I would eagerly showcase to people not from Australia.
Gone are the plates of shared food.
Gone is the freshness of the dishes.
Gone are the simple recipes that allowed South Australian products to shine.
Now, over-​worked recipes and plates that look pretty but carry no weight. Say hello glam, say goodbye substance.
On the plus side, the olive oil and new Nero are quite nice.
Time to find a new place in Mclaren Vale.

A great location for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The staff are friendly and efficient, and the platters of local produce are sublime — ours had a selection of cheeses, olives, bread, marinated chicken strips, kangaroo fillet, carrot and ginger jus, beetroot and pickled mushrooms — each generous platter serves two people.
We were celebrating a birthday and tried the Prosecco — sparkling dry white and the Sangiovese — spicy dry red — both excellent and available to buy from the cellar door.
Dessert didn’t disappoint — a choice of chocolate fudge cake or a plum and almond tart — both worth the trip.

Awesome location for a laid back afternoon over a tasty platter of local produce and a bottle of wine. We’ve been here a number of times over the years and Coriole has never failed us.
Platters are made up on order, so there is no problems getting a vegetarian or vegan plate.
Tip: request a table outside if the weather is nice

Spend a sunny afternoon under the mulberry trees at Coriole and you’ll feel like you’ve spent an afternoon in the heart of Tuscany.
Coriole do wines well, and they do entertaining well — European style. There’s no menu choice, you’re just presented with a platter of the finest local produce including cured meats (not on the vegetarian option!) local cheeses, olives, relishes and toasted ciabatta drizzled in Coriole’s own olive oil.
There’s no rush — who has anywhere else to be? Slowly pick your way through the platter as you pick your way through a couple of bottles of their glorious wine. Don’t go passed their Italian style wines either, the Prosecco is to die for and you won’t regret trying the Fiano.
A perfect weekend escape at the fraction of the cost of a European holiday!

I have to admit that by the time I get to Coriole on most wine tours I lie on their wonderful green lawn and enjoy the serenity.
The cellar door is in a small shed which backs onto their outdoor dining space that they use to serve platters and cater for large groups. The gardens are wonderfully manicured and a joy to poke around. Featured are sculptures by local artists, such as Jason Milanovic.
Coriole’s most popular wine by far is there Chenin Blanc which is sold Australia wide and they have about 4 whites in total usually available for tasting. They specialise also in Sangiovese and Italian varietals and these are worth a look if you’re into the european style. The barbera, however may just be my favourite but I may need to try it once more just to be sure!
The platters available at Coriole (you may have to pre order?) are a great way to feed a group who are out for the day. Just remember if you are taking a group around these places you need to phone ahead and organise a convenient time as many of the places are too small to cater for large groups without warning.