Feast Down Under
Cape Lodge in the picturesque Margaret River area offers boutique vineyards, luxurious lodging and great food fit for the luxury traveller all year long
starts with a three-hour drive down under in Western Australia from Perth along the scenic Caves Road in the Margaret River area—a ripening 49-year-old wine region with a temperate climate akin to Bordeaux in France due to its close proximity to the Indian Ocean. Around 3 kilometres inland, nestled among a small vineyard, manicured gardens and native karri forests, is a luxury country-house hotel: Cape Lodge.
Food and wine are one of the many highlights Cape Lodge is known for, having hosted many local and international celebrity chefs in thematic culinary retreats and festivals, including Heston Blumenthal, Tetsuya Wakuda, Alex Atala, Rick Stein and many more. One fine example was the Italian Food and Wine Weekend: a two-day gourmet retreat packed full with cooking demonstrations, winery tours, sightseeing, long-table lunches, Italian cheeses, wine masterclasses and guest-chef dinners. Fresh, locally based food and wine together with the serene country scenery provided a charming combination for guests near and far.
The weekend started with Vincenzo “Vince” Garreffa as he greeted guests sitting in a lounge by the lake. A butcher who owns a store in Perth together with his wife, Vince taught the eager crowd how to understand different characteristics of meats and cuts, ways of cooking them and more tricks of the trade.
The following long-table lunch was a delicious, winning combination between resident chef Michael Elfwing’s skill and Vince’s selected Australian meats paired with Cape Lodge’s white and red wines.
Those who continued on with the Italian weekend then had a few hours before savouring Chef Elfwing’s “Truffles, Tuscany and Tiramisu” dinner.
Cape Lodge has a swimming pool and tennis court amid four natural and man-made lakes, with recreation options including surfing and tanning on Smith’s Beach by Canal Rocks; exploring hidden caves; learning about aboriginal Australia through Koomal Dreaming tour; and much more.
Alternatively, visitors can head back to Cape Lodge’s cozy rooms for a nap. In the 40-acre property, options include a two-room suite with garden and lake views; garden wing rooms with their own private courtyards;