Kyle Whitbourne has earned his stripes as a chef over the years.
Born and raised on the NSW Central Coast, he studied cookery at the Hamilton TAFE campus and started his apprenticeship at Milano's On The Lake at Pelican.
He was head chef there when the waterfront restaurant collapsed into Lake Macquarie in 2016.
Whitbourne's resume also boasts stints at the Sheraton Hotel in Edinburgh, Bells at Killcare and the two-hatted Muse Restaurant, and he was most recently head chef at Restaurant Mason Catering.
He is now head chef at the revamped Mount Pleasant Wines in the Hunter Valley, which is hosting a Long Table Lunch launch event on July 30.
Restaurant Mason shut its doors around the same time Mount Pleasant Wines was recruiting. Whitbourne, impressed by the estate's newly renovated cellar door and unique fine-dining focus, joined a team spearheaded by Mount Pleasant's head winemaker Adrian Sparks and consultant chef Justin North.
Together, the trio curated a Mediterranean-inspired food offering designed to be shared which heroes Mount Pleasant wines. Each dish has been carefully paired with a wine to highlight its distinct flavour. Bigger shiraz styles, for example, are enhanced by a wild boar and fennel salami dish.
The food offering at Mount Pleasant follows the wine list's lead, not vice versa.
"The emphasis is on the wine as opposed to a restaurant where you can go as extreme as you like designing a menu and then find a wine to suit the food," Whitbourne explained.
"We had to marry the food with the wine.
"We're not a restaurant, we're a cellar door. It's a fine dining experience within a cellar door environment, which is something a little different for the Hunter Valley."
Visitors can choose from one of five themed tastings in the new cellar door. It has been reoriented to maximise the vineyard views to the north and offers an expanded tasting area, a private tasting room, a separate members' lounge in the adjacent barn and a bottle shop which houses some of Mount Pleasant's oldest and most significant wines as well as rare museum bottles, including the last vintage made by Maurice O'Shea in 1956.
North says he chose a Mediterranean menu because the produce in the Hunter Valley "is very similar".
"Both have good quality tomatoes in summer, great quality olive oil, honey, herbs, citrus and so on," he said.
"All these flavours work particularly well with the style of wines produced at Mount Pleasant. We used Adrian's extensive knowledge and brilliant palate to help us formulate a menu with balanced dishes that supported but not overpowered the wines."
Local suppliers include Fawk Foods Bakery (Pokolbin), Mr Charcuterie and Hungerford Meat Co (Branxton), Adina Olive Grove (Lovedale) and Woodlands Olive Grove (Broke).
North reckons the burrata with charred and roasted grapes, balsamic and rosemary is a winner.
"I also really enjoy the subtle flavours of the roasted red peppers, baked ricotta and marjoram," he said.
"The marinated yellow fin tuna with kohlrabi, sesame and dashi is also very popular.
"Other than our five wine experiences - that include complimentary cleansers - we also offer a collection of 10 to 12 small bites on our a la carte menu that are designed to be shared."
Designed by award-winning architects and interior designers, Luchetti Krelle, and set within the original homestead buildings, the venue boasts a significant art collection including works by Bill Henson, Tracey Moffatt and Garry Shead.
"We have reimagined the historical Australian homestead in an authentic, contemporary way," designer Rachel Luchetti said. "Showcasing wine is at the heart of the endeavour, from the arresting display in the wine store through to the cellar door where an impressive overscale blackbutt and zinc counter is a staging area for the winemaker to share his craft."
Maurice O'Shea founded the Mount Pleasant vineyard in 1921 and it was acquired by Medich Family Office in 2021, who have invested in all areas of the business. The new cellar door, though, is emblematic of O'Shea's passion for art and culture, and good hospitality.
"The feedback to date has been excellent - our visitors are impressed with not only the offering, but what we see as a very unique cellar door experience where we can showcase the amazing wines in a stunning, well-designed space with fascinating art and excellent food, served by very knowledgeable locals," North said.
Adds Whitbourne: "From front-of-house service through to what we put on a plate, everything is designed to enhance the wine and to give the guests a premium experience."
