Oysters

Upon arrival you pull up the drive to a picturesque setting. Think vineyards, a beautiful lake reflecting the sky and a beautiful, rustic building. Just what you would imagine for the Hunter Vallet, really. It definitely sets the scene.

I recommend starting with wine tasting, how else will you know what to drink with your meal if you don’t try the wines first?!

Peterson House uses the same varietals and blends of grapes as in Champagne and you can tell. I actually enjoyed the sparking sav blanc (just the smell of sav can make me gag) and their other sparkling white blends. The standout for me was the pinot noir chardonnay meunier . A dry and light sparkling, aged for five years and best enjoyed simply on its own.

Over in Restaurant Cuvee I was excited by the starters. Tom and I enjoyed some natural oysters and sashimi to start. This was probably my fave part of the entire meal. The seafood was fresh and decadent with light sauces to compliment them. Definitely try the wasabi mayo.

The mains sounded fantastic but we were both a little disappointed. They seemed to be lacking true flavour. I added salt to my mushroom risotto with truffle oil to bring the flavours out more. lots of salt. It worked but still wasn’t amazing like I had imagined. Tom’s duck tacos looked fantastic but also lacked in flavour.

All in all it was an enjoyable meal. Would have been lovely to sit more outside, with such a beautiful setting it’s a shame to be inside.

Once you’ve finished, be sure to skip over to the chocolate store. I couldn’t resist the choc dipped fresh strawberries.

Oh, and watch out for snakes! We only saw the sign when we were leaving, apparently they have some slippery friends there.