Flavours of the Yarra Valley at O'Connell's

O'Connell's winter Homegrown Heroes series concluded last night with a dinner joined by Giant Steps Head Winemaker Steve Flamsteed from the Yarra Valley.

Giant Steps is a privately owned, estate based winery with a reputation for some of the most consistent, over-performing, varietal wines in Australia. Named after saxophonist John Coltrane’s album of the same name, Giant Steps wines have received global acclaim and a strong reputation in restaurants and fine wine stores around the world.

O'Connell's Head Chef created an exceptional five-course menu which celebrated local produce from the Yarra Valley and was perfectly matched with five wines from the Giant Steps range.

The evening commenced on a high with a luxurious amuse bouche of egg and cauliflower veloute which was beautifully matched with the 2017 Sexton Vineyard Chardonnay which had a bright acidity which worked well to cut through the richness of the veloute.

For mains we loved the beautifully cooked duck breast served with earthy beetroot, baby leek and Pernod jus. Matched with the 2017 Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir, this was a classic pairing that was thoroughly enjoyable. 

Showcasing the kitchen's versatility a refreshing palate cleanser cum dessert of cucumber and lemon verbena sorbet with fennel and puffed bulgur delighted. This prepared us for the final course of the evening of Rogue River Smoked Blue with smoked almonds, honeycomb, muscatels and lavosh which was matched with the 2017 Tarraford Vineyard Syrah. 

A wonderful evening, it was the perfect opportunity to indulge in a gourmet culinary journey with like-minded folk. 

Find out more about what's going on at O'Connells here.