Over the last two decades, the Singh family has established and evolved Red Hill’s Avani Wines from wine growing to wine making to culinary pop-ups. Now, the Avani team has launched a permanent restaurant serving a creative Indian-inspired menu that pairs perfectly with their vibrant wines.
When Shashi emigrated to Australia from India with her chef husband Devendra in the 1980s, she took what she learned as a chemist and turned to winemaking, spending years studying wine science and apprenticing under Bass Phillip’s Phillip Jones before launching her own wine brand. In 2009, Avani Wines was born.
Today, Avani is a family affair where Shashi, Devendra and their children Rohit and Retu all play to their various strengths. Drop in and you’re guaranteed to meet one of the Singh family pouring wine or delivering food to tables.
‘Avani’ is Sanskrit for ‘mother earth’, and Avani wines are produced on-site in Red Hill using natural, biodynamic farming practices and minimal intervention.
“We’re so fortunate that Mum was such a visionary around these farming practices and that she set everything up in a good and right direction,” says Rohit, who is a junior winemaker at Avani. “Even in those years when not a lot of people were focused on those methods.”
Avani’s wine offering is split into two categories: the Amrit range is energetic and designed to drink now, whereas the Avani range are “a little bit more serious, something that has cellaring potential”, says Rohit. Avani’s wine selection has broadened over the past decade to include pinot gris, chardonnay and pinot noir as well as skin-contact pinot gris, gewurztraminer and sauvignon blanc.
And, in the last few years, Avani has played host to some leading Melbourne chefs through their summer pop up series showcasing southeast Asian flavours. This summer sees the launch of the Cellar Kitchen, headed up by chef Deepak Mishra (formerly of the Langham and Hotel Windsor).
“We always wanted to have our own permanent offering, so it’s been a long time coming,” explains Retu. “We wanted to create a wine-friendly menu, Indian-inspired, very much a share-style, and showcase how well Indian flavours can pair with our wine."
The menu features a variety of small and larger plates bursting with vivacious flavours. Smaller dishes include pepper nimki (little pastry bites served with shaved parmesan, date chutney and fried saltbush); chutney-filled tapioca pearl and potato tikki (think Indian arancini) with pickled kohlrabi and kaffir lime leaf chutney; and charcoal chicken tikka skewers paired with smoked raita and pickled onion.
There’s also Goan choris pao (brioche buns filled with chorizo cooked in a tomato base with a crunch on top ; burrata chaat (a unique twist on India’s beloved sweet and spicy street food) served with lotus root wafers, pomegranate and macadamia and the kingfish ceviche, which is tempered with buttermilk and served with green chilli and salmon roe.
Those wanting something a little bigger are encouraged to share the buffalo paneer salad with tempered yoghurt, seared cherry tomatoes, edamame beans, cashews and raisins (“a beautiful summer dish”, says Retu) and the slow-cooked Lucknowi lamb shoulder curry, a rich and creamy curry enhanced with an onion and nigella seed kulcha (an homage to Devendra, who grew up in Lucknow and spent years perfecting the dish).
For dessert, there’s an elaichi and saffron kulfi or a cheese platter served scattered with Indian accompaniments including fennel seed crackers, saffron pear and fig chutney.
There are innovations on the wine front, too: patrons can order flights that contrast Avani pinot noir and chardonnay made from grapes grown on the Mornington Peninsula with those grown in Gippsland. There’s also an Avani Syrah vertical that showcases the evolution of Avani Syrah over a decade.
If you’re wondering what to drink this summer, Rohit suggests the Issan Vineyard chardonnay from Gippsland or, the skin-contact pinot gris, which is an orange wine.
“It’s a beautiful summer wine, it’s definitely spicy and savoury in style, it suits the cuisine well,” he says.
“And then the Avani Syrah, being our signature wine, is one of our most popular. It’s drinkable at all times of the year. It's got a nice spice, it’s medium body and quite delicate – so it very much can be had over the summer months.”
Visit Avani for a glass of wine and a snack, or settle in for a leisurely lunch. Cellar Kitchen is open for lunch Friday to Sunday, and open daily for lunch between December 26, 2024 and January 5, 2025.
