BAROSSAVALLEY restaurant Appellation is a tiny affair—just 28 seats—but here you’ll find a menu of outstanding elegance and refine ment. Located within the acclaimed Louise Guest House just outside Nuriootpa, my dining partner and I had the chance to dine there on two evenings as part of our stay.

The first evening we decided on the seven course degustation. A two page leaflet left in our room con firmed our booking and set out some guidelines for how to get the most from the experience. Entitled “Dining at Appellation” it set out some detailed instructions. “Attire: For best enjoyment of the aromas of wine and food, we recommend min imal cologne or perfume. Food Preparation: While we have salt and pepper available, the chef encour ages tasting first, and adding condi ments only if personally required for taste. The restaurant does not offer ketchup…mustard, balsamic vinegar and other flavour masking garnishes. Pace: Fine dining, with the inclusion of an amuse bouche, palate cleanser, pre-dessert and pe tit fours in addition to your select ed courses will occur naturally, at a relaxed pace. We trust you will find our service throughout to be con stantly attentive, but never rushed.”

The degustation entitled “Vinous Villages of the Barossa: The Wine Flight Tasting Menu” featured courses named after a nearby town e.g. Rowland Flat or Craneford, and, interestingly, it is the wines which have been selected first, and the meals created by executive chef Mark McNamara to match.

Within minutes we are over whelmed by the friendly and the well-informed wait staff (in the nicest possible way). In fact, throughout the entire meal both waiters and sommelier impress with their obvious appreciation of food, wine and service.

After being offered a stunning choice of breads including one with pistachio and fennel, first course, the Koonunga, arrived; a 2008 Massena Surly Muse Viognier with accompanying quail with soft quince gel and cured pork with cele riac. This is quickly followed by a Mount Adam Chardonnay with capsicum and miso foam. The 2008 Rockford Alicante Bouchet match es delightfully with the prawn and sweet corn cannoli. So far, so good. These introductory dishes are light and fresh but it is the 2008 Mil hinich Wines Seize the Day Caber net and its accompanying duck and mushroom croquette. So simple, so delicious.

My dining partner, ever the car nivore, really begins to drool with the next course, the Ebenezer: 2007 Sami Odi Shiraz with a beautiful little Beetroot and Oxtail Pie. Once again, nothing showy but such in tegrity of flavour.

It was at the next taste, the Vine Vale, 2006 Rusden Full Circle Mataro, served with pigeon with cocoa and raisin orzotto, that the first, and only moment of hesita tion sets in. Perhaps it seems a lit tle out of sequence or perhaps we are feeling satisfied with the preced ing two heavy courses and we near ly stumble, only to be invigorated by the Liebich Wines Fortified Semillon and the Topaque Brulee.

A brilliant affogato follows and it was then that the true balance of the meal becomes evident. I am de lighted not to be presented with the frequently appearing dessert cours es of chocolate. (When will chefs realise that not everyone goes ba nanas over lashings of chocolate?)

Night two—the a la carte menu which changes daily. It proves to be a similarly excellent experience. The menu is designed as eleven dishes in descending order of “heaviness”.

Two courses are $67, three courses $95. Additional courses $28 each and a separate cheese and dessert menu offers individually priced selections. It was, therefore, a relief to be able to choose three courses from “the top of the menu” whilst The Carnivore selected one from the top one from the middle and two from the bottom plus a fine cheese choice. This is an excel lent way to present food. I feel “in control” of the meal and in some ways it is the antithesis of the pre vious night’s experience. I particu larly enjoy the fragrant spiced sweet potato, pepitas and almonds with toasted cumin dressing and my dining partner is effusive about his twice cooked belly of Berkshire pork with pickled vegetables and soy glaze.

My dessert choice was also a de lightful surprise—a parmesan cheese baked custard with a rasher of prosciutto on top. I just loved it. It was a sort of not-sweet, sweet.

This restaurant has nailed it. Ap pellation works with the consumer to facilitate a gastronomic experi ence with style. The enthusiasm of the staff in presenting their local and fresh creations infuses every of fering with delightful expectation. It is no wonder this restaurant is making a name for itself.