Sunday lunch: Pickled Sisters

A VINEYARD platter full of local treats seems a perfect choice as we dine on the large deck under an umbrella at the Pickled Sisters Cafe at Wahgunyah, in the heart of the Rutherglen wine region.

Our platter features homemade chicken terrine and chutney; Rutherglen muscat and chicken liver pate, which has a velvety texture; Butt's smoked trout; spiced eggplant; Gooramadda olives; and Milawa cheese ($23.50), which is a tasty introduction to the fresh produce of the area and goes so well with red bubbles from the Cofield winery where the cafe is located.

We have already been given the thumbs up by a local who insists the twice-baked Milawa goat's cheese souffle on tomato sugo with dressed rocket ($19.50) is a standout, so we put it to the test and agree.

Stewart Gilchrist and Marion Hansford took over the cafe in 2004. Good food was in their blood - Hansford worked at Stephanie Alexander's Richmond Hill Cafe and Larder for many years and Gilchrist, from Scotland, has clocked up more than 30 years working at different restaurants.

They met on the Isle of Arran where Hansford would often pick wild herbs on the roadside and collect seafood fresh from the trawlers. Their love of fresh local produce is reflected in the menu.

We select Brimin Lodge Murray cod cappelletti with a cucumber and ginger veloute ($22.50) with a glass of 2010 Cofield sauvignon blanc ($7), and ras el hanout crusted rump of Riverina lamb with onion puree, dhal lentil cakes and minted yoghurt dressing ($30) with a glass of 2005 Cofield cabernet sauvignon ($8).

Gilchrist is renowned for his scrumptious desserts. His passionfruit cream cannelloni with yoghurt ice-cream and berry compote and mille feuille of poached pear with pastry cream and chocolate sauce ($11.50 each) are a perfect finale to a memorable lunch.

Reviewed by Sue Wallace, who was hosted by North East Victoria Tourism.

Pickled Sisters (02) 6033 2377, Cofield Wines, Distillery Road, Wahgunyah. See pickledsisters.com.au. Open Wednesday-Monday, 10am to 4pm. Closed Tuesdays. Open evenings and other times by appointment. To stay: nearby options include Bank on Main (bankonmain.com.au), Carlyle House (carlylehouse.com.au) and Renaissance Farm Bed and Breakfast (rutherglenvicaccommodation.com.au).