Bites

As foreshadowed by Gusto late last month, the Wine and Truffle Co has opened a cellar door and cafe at its Manjimup premises.

Cafe chef and manager Iain Menzies (right), has created a range of truffle products for visitors to taste and/or buy, from truffle butter, to truffle aioli to truffle mustard.

Currently on the Wine and Truffle Co cafe menu are wine and truffle dukka with toasted Turkish bread and olive oil, a truffle taste plate that includes truffle oil, truffle butter and pickled truffled olives served with locally-made hazelnut bread, or for something more substantial, beef, cabernet and truffle pie. The award-winning pie is made of slow-cooked beef in a cabernet and truffle sauce.

The venue will also host ‘truffle hunts’ on the property each Saturday at 12.15pm until September. 

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Must wine bar will open a decadent upstairs room this September for those passionate about bubbles. As revealed by Gusto in February, Must co-owner Russell Blaikie decided to open the venue in what was an upstairs office to cater to growing demand for bubbles. The champagne list will include names of some finest champagne houses and vintages, including a 1998 Dom Pérignon, a 1995 Krug, or a Lanson Gold Label from 1990.

Aside from the bottles, Mr Blaikie says five vintage and non-vintage champagnes and sparkling wines by the glass will be on offer. There will be a special champagne lounge menu that Mr Blaikie says is made up of “food built for fizz”. The menu will include freshly shucked oysters, rock lobster croquettes, mini duck confit tart with caramelised pear and quail egg benedict tartlets.

Mr Blaikie says there will also be a selection of rare and boutique cognacs and single malt whisky.

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Margaret River winery Wills Domain is hosting two dinners showcasing its wines in the coming months. The first is planned for August 16 at Maurizio Restaurant in Subiaco, where Wills Domain wines will be matched to a five-course meal, while next month the Wills Domain team will host a meet and greet sundowner at Fraser’s in King’s Park.

The sundowner is set down for September 11 and the Wills Domain will be pouring some new release wines, including the 2007 semillon sauvignon blanc matched to a selection of canapés. There will also be a vertical tasting of semillon featuring vintages from 2002 to 2005.