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f you have ever wondered about a recipe to make the perfectgourmet retreat – I have found the answer. Begin with a lovely littleluxury hotel in the idyllic town of Daylesford, then add the awardwinning cuisine from Alla Wolf-Tasker AM, and one of Australia’s bestyoung sommeliers, winemaker Adam Foster. Add a spa pool for goodmeasure, and the meal is complete. The luxury resort was founded by Alla and Allan Wolf-Tasker andthis year celebrates its 25thanniversary. It began life as a 40-seaterweekend-only restaurant – until they discovered diners loved it so muchthey had trouble getting them to leave. So, rather than call the police,they built a boutique hotel.Over the years the Lake House has become the premier destinationfor food and wine lovers, as well as a superb location for weddings andconferences. The elegant restaurant overlooks the lake and epitomizesthe country town of Daylesford. The charming town is one-and-a-half hour’s drive north from Melbourne, towards the Macedon Ranges.Here birches and maples vie for the limelight with their splendid scarlet,tangerine and claret hues. Quince trees are laden with furry fruit andleaves of cadmium yellow, and signs are everywhere offering breads,honeys, figs and organic produce. Its neighbouring town of HepburnSprings is an historic village located in the middle of the largestconcentration of mineral springs in Australia. The springs are full of health-giving minerals that occur naturally in different formulations, givingevery spring a distinctive taste. The hotel’s 33 rooms and suites are spread over the six-acregrounds. All have enchanting lake views, something you can also enjoyfrom the mineral water treetop tubs of the new Salus Spa. Whiling awaythe time in one of their suites is like being a million miles away fromeverything. The Guesthouse Rooms are part of the original homesteadand are all elegantly decorated. Enjoy a quiet read in the spaciouslounge or on the terraces, or be tempted by a myriad of bushwalkingtracks that meander from the property. Nearby are boating facilities,local wineries, excellent artists’ studios and galleries, places of historicalinterest, magnificent gardens and an 18-hole golf course – completewith kangaroos.For many years it has been the Lake House cuisine that has led theway, complemented by an excellent wine list. The wine list has just takenanother step up with the arrival of Winemaker Adam Foster to head upthe skilled service team. Adam, also a well respected chef, moved fromthe heat of kitchens in London and Melbourne in 2002 to the front of house and began journeying into the world of wine. Adam has workedhoning his skills as a cellar hand with a ‘who’s who’ list of winemakersfrom Australia and France, including Chapoutier, Mitchelton, DomaineOgier, Jasper Hill and Domaine Pierre Gaillard. Adam’s first wine (Syrahmi Shiraz Viognier 2004, from Heathcote)had good success with specialized wine stores and was quick to find itsway in to leading restaurants in Melbourne and Sydney. The few winewriters who tasted Syrahmi gave the thumbs up. The wine is an idealfood friendly wine; Adam explained, “Syrahmi combines the Frenchwords; Syrah and Amis meaning Shiraz and Friends, simply a wine todrink with friends”. The region of Heathcote in Central Victoria is todayrecognized as one of Australia’s best cool-climate Shiraz growing areas.It has many similarities to the Rhone Valley – often referred to as thehome of Shiraz – the warm summers, cool winters and Cambrian soiloffer the perfect conditions to produce great wine. Since its first releaseof 80 dozen, Adam has increased the production to 500 dozen tokeep up with local demand and a new interest from London. His 2007vintage named ‘The Don’ pays tribute to Adam’s late Grandfather whoencouraged Adam to become a chef. The Lake House wine cellar boasts 600 plus labels from both localwine regions and benchmark vineyards around the world. Adam has‘designed the list to be accessible, affordable, diverse, interesting and
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