Talk about five-star foraging. In truffle season, diners go and dig their own (aided by Freddy the dog) and then return to the vineyard restaurant for a five-course lunch featuring their bounty. Such is the inspiration of head chef Olly Le Maitre who, with his team, serves up thoughtful food that is firmly and proudly connected to some of Aotearoa’s most outstanding growers and producers. This restaurant sits within a family-run vineyard that has three organic sites – meaning a total package par excellence. A monthly menu is contained and curated to boutique perfection. We recently raved about the marriage of a bowl of honeyed confit yams with salsa verde to a glass of Black Estate Netherlands Chardonnay (bearing a fresh and delicious minerality). From the winemakers to the kitchen through to front-of-house, there’s a synergy and energy here that has the power to evoke a great sense of place.