Eleni’s Greek at Mallee Estate is a winery and restaurant experience all rolled into one, with a whole lot of history and family love keeping this wonderful Riverland business alive in the heart of Renmark. It often takes a family to create a family friendly experience and this is absolutely the case at Mallee Estate.

As soon as we arrived at Mallee Estate we instantly felt at home. The grounds are well manicured and the wooden garden games sat out ready to go, indicating this experience was not just for adults but your children are wholeheartedly welcome too. There was giant Connect Four, Jenga and Finska to play. The staff greeted us warmly and as the weather was spectacular again up here in The Riverland, we made the most of it by setting up at a comfortable table outside.

We were excited to be taking a guided tour of the Winery with Erica, our host and second-generation Winemaker Jim Markeas, whose parents worked the property for 30 years before beginning to make their own wines here in 1998. They were fantastic guides, and we really got a feel for the role as we saw the inner workings of winery, climbed the vats to looked out across their property, washed out the skins, had a competition who could touch the frozen cooling tank for the longest. Fun! The kids loved the ladders, the pits, the steel everywhere, tractors and massive moving parts.

It wouldn’t be a winery without wine and what good is a winery without tasting? We enjoyed a cool Sauvignon Blanc tapped directly off the vat. Then for a more atmospheric experience we visited the moodily lit barrel room to taste the aromatic Muscat and Tawny straight out of the barrel via the elegant wine thief. This room also doubles as an event hall and Mallee Estate is able to to host weddings, parties and long luncheons here on the property.

Now some people like Asian food, some Italian cuisine but me I love the fresh zing, earthy textures and wholesome goodness that is Greek food. Eleni’s is named after their Mum who immigrated to The Riverland in the early 60’s and we were fortunate enough to have her in the kitchen assisting with our feast. We enjoyed the amazing Zeus Platter, the Saganaki fried cheese and a lovely Greek salad. My heart actually skipped a beat however at the first taste of the Psari Plaki – locally sourced oven baked Murray Cod on Mashed Potato topped with Lemon Caper Butter and a beautiful fried garnish of golden angel hair on top. OMG!

If you are in a hurry, you can grab anything from their menu as takeaway during restaurant opening hours.

We love wineries that cater for the whole family and go out of their way to make the children feel involved. They enjoyed the “Kids Orchard Crush” tasting experience of different juices paired with fruit, marshmallows and a Greek biscuit. They competed at giant Connect 4 and had to stand on a chair to build Renmark South’s tallest Jenga tower (only to collapse the foundation and do it all over again). We are grateful and wholeheartedly satisfied after this satisfying and inclusive family day out. Make sure this winner is on your Riverland itinerary!

OPENING HOURS:

Cellar Door – 10:30am to 5pm, 7 days
Restaurant Lunch from 12pm, 7 days
Restaurant Dinner Friday to Sunday from 6pm

To book your Mallee Estate or Eleni’s experience, head to their website:
www.malleeestate.com.au/restaurant