There’s always more than meets the eye when it comes to amazing venues and The Perch Winery in Lavers Hill is a prime example of this. From the outside, it’s beautiful and on the inside, the food is equally impressive. But neither can happen without telling the story of the people behind the scenes.
To owners Dean and Gabrielle, The Perch Winery represents their past and connects it to the present. During high school, Dean would frequent the kitchen of his dad’s restaurant and now 20 years on, he has spent the majority of his time in fine dining kitchens around the world. Shifting gears literally, he then took a van around Asia spending his days exploring food markets, writing recipes, honing his technical skills and learning different flavour patterns. Gabrielle was born and bred in the vineyards on the Mornington Peninsula and learnt about the tasting notes of wines from an early age, making her a powerhouse for pairings as Front of House at The Perch Winery. Both wanted to create a venue that effortlessly married Dean’s fine dining experience with Gabrielle’s warm and welcoming guest-focus ethos while staying true to their dream of living and working sustainably.
The Perch Winery lies on six and a half acres of land in Lavers Hill and is home to luscious greenery, rainforests, grapevines, a veggie garden and 28 sheep. Forever inspired by the surroundings of the otways, The Perch Winery sources 90% of its produce locally with the aim for that number to be 100% in the future. When Dean couldn’t find high-quality artichokes, he planted them last summer and they now feature on the menu today. He has also recently started curing his own meats, adding to his in-house kombucha and juices. The menu is big and bold in flavour & technique but is elegantly un-pretentious, a nod to the overall atmosphere of The Perch Winery. Constant laughter and chatter fill the dining room during service, which is full of both locals and visitors who create a sense of community within a community.
Gabrielle has worked hard to create a memorable beverage list of over 100 wines from around the world, including Spain, Argentina, France and Australia. The menu is adventurous with different varietals that complement the food beautifully thanks to Gabrielle’s expertise in pairing.
As soon as you walk into The Perch Winery, you can feel, see and taste the labour of love that both Dean and Gabrielle have created. It’s welcoming, warm and worth the little detour off the Great Ocean Road.
