Cooking Across 4 Generations

Recently we took advantage of a glorious autumn day and drove down to Bowral. While still crisp, the sun was shining and once we hit the Southern Highlands the autumn foliage was stunning.

Located just before the town of Bowral, Centennial Vineyards is spread over several hills with the restaurant positioned to take maximum advantage of the views over the vines and surrounding area.

Our first stop was the tasting room where we sampled the sparkling and white wines. Some really great wines and one variety we hadn’t tried before, Savagnin. Some amazing rieslings on offer too. We didn’t try the reds this time which gives us an excuse to head back down there another time.

From the exterior the buildings have a European appearance. With a tower and large dining room replete with large open fire, the restaurant has a cosy country feel. On our visit we decided to take advantage of the sunny day and enjoy the views from the enclosed veranda. The veranda was nicely heated and quite popular on our visit.

Our lunch started with a complimentary amuse, which took the chill off.

Rather than have two seperate entrees, we decided to go for The Highland Platter, which is a signature tasting plate of seasonal and local products, comprising six individual components….

R decided to go for the locally bred, “Tova Platinum” Beef Fillet. This was a Southern Highlands grass fed beef fillet, accompanied by smoked potato puree, red onion compote,
grilled bone marrow, worcestershire mushrooms & Centennial Shiraz jus….

I went for something a little lighter, pork cooked two ways, corn puree, corn salsa….

Some fries were also eaten….

Deciding against dessert we opted for a cloth bound cheddar, persimmon….

This was a truly delicious long lunch.

Should you ever find yourself heading to the Southern Highlands on a glorious sunny day, whatever the season, I highly recommend a visit to Centennial Vineyards and Restaurant. Perhaps stay the night in Bowral to have a good look around town.