Stefano Lubiana

 Stunning Winery Setting - Delicious Food

For our anniversary weekend, celebrating 15 years of wedded bliss, we decided to go for a weekend away up in the beautiful Derwent Valley.  It was a very warm weekend - some of the hottest temperatures of the summer season- and our lunch on the way at the gorgeous Stefano Lubiana Osteria was like a little trip to Italy.  The setting here in the vineyard is stunning, especially on a warm day with the doors open to make the most of the view and the sunshine.  Our table was right at the window so we enjoyed an uninterrupted view out over the gorgeous vista.  The osteria prides itself on serving rustic Italian fare made with fresh, local produce. Diners are offered a 4 course set menu which can be enjoyed with paired wines.  The price is very reasonable too!

The four courses offer a range of tasty dishes.  The antipasto course consists of a range of small bites to tantalise the taste buds ready for the courses to follow.  The restaurant is usually very busy so it is best to book.  The wine list is very small and is all produce from the Stefano Lubiana winery.  It is a great idea to come early to do a wine tasting before lunch so that you can pick out which wines you would like to have alongside your food.

We started our lunch with a glass of sparking rose - always dry and delicious, especially with this view in the background!

Our first course included an array of delicious morsels. We started with stracciatella with lemon and zucchini.  I absolutely loved this dish.  It was fresh, light and zingy.  I have since looked up how to make stracciatella and it is not an easy process. The cheese was stretchy with a delightful texture. We also enjoyed a platter of prosciutto with olives. The piquancy of the olives cut through the richness of the beautiful meat.  It was a fantastic start!

Next up we were served rosemary focaccia with whipped ricotta and scamorza arancini.  Scamorza is a little like a cousin of mozzarella cheese but a little drier which makes it perfect for melting.  The focaccia was light and fluffy and the arancini were crisp and smoky flavoured.  

 

Next came a delicious bowl of pasta made with squid ink.  It was a dramatic dish, shining with a slick olive oil based sauce and was also absolutely delicious, full of umami. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and was not overpowered by the simple sauce.  Another hit!

The main course was a simple dish of white fish, potatoes and salad.  It was all perfectly cooked, fresh and tasty. We chose a glass of chardonnay to go with the fish and it was a perfect accompaniment on a beautiful summer day.

To finish our lovely meal we enjoyed a slice of blueberry and almond tart which was served with mascarpone.  The tart was light and crumbly and piled with fresh blueberries.  We left feeling very full after our four generous courses.

Stefano Lubiana is an accessible venue with wheelchair parking and an accessible bathroom. It is all on one level and there is easy access to both the cellar door and the osteria.

Osteria Vista at Stefano Lubiana Wines website:

https://www.slw.com.au/Cellar-Door