It's always a treat when you find a Nick O'Leary wine on a restaurant wine list and now there's one place where that is assured.
O'Leary and his wife Amy have fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening their own cellar door and restaurant on their Wallaroo property, with Heywood now open to the public.
"We have been making wine for 17 years and we really wanted to create a home for Nick O'Leary Wines, a home that we can share with our customers," O'Leary said.
"We wanted people to be able to come and see where we grow and make the wine and to be able to share what we think is a pretty special place."
Less than 25 minutes from central Canberra, Heywood will showcase a carefully curated selection of his award-winning vintages, new releases and museum wines.
But there's also a restaurant which will embrace the concept of farm to table, sourcing the finest local ingredients to create dishes that harmonise beautifully with the wines on offer.
Head chef Matt Fely (Ginger Catering) is passionate about sustainability and how that translates to the restaurant industry.
"We are really focusing on closing the loop and sourcing as much as we can from the local area and have designed many of our dishes around these elements to showcase some of the amazing produce in this area," he says.
With a focus on delicious snacks and mouth-watering share plates the menu will captivate food lovers with its innovative flavour profiles and artful presentation.
Think Three Mills sourdough with Homeleigh Grove olive oil and balsamic; Vanella Dairy burrata with fennel and dill; confit duck leg croquettes; and Tumbarumba poached pears with choc and walnut crumb, a pinot jelly and Tilba milk parfait.
General manager Fergus Lynch (Oaks Ranch, Capital Brewing, Temporada) heads up the team, which also includes sommelier Alex Fenton (Rubicon) and Kai Prendergast (Tipsy Bull) will be making cocktails at one of the two bars in the venue.
Designed with elegance and sophistication in mind, Heywood embodies the spirit of the region, blending modern aesthetics with warm and inviting ambiance.
"The building was a pre-existing house on the property, and we wanted to keep that house and turn it into the home of Nick O'Leary wines," O'Leary said.
The design was a collaboration between Studio and You and Captivate Designs and built by Loader Contractors.
It features dark accents, recycled wood feature walls, warm leather banquette seating, a feature fireplace and enormous cork and brass-trimmed bar.
"When you see the sweeping views of the Brindabellas, Surveyors Hill, the vines, and the rolling hills you feel a sense of being unplugged from it all and in a place where you can truly relax and unwind," O'Leary said.
- Heywood, Nick O'Leary Wines, cellar door and restaurant. 149 Brooklands Road, Wallaroo. Open for lunch Thursday to Sunday and tastings between 10am-5pm in winter and 10am-7pm in summer. Bookings essential. nickolearywines.com.au
