The Sunshine Coast Hinterland townships of Montville and Maleny do not suffer from a shortage of delicious food or beautiful views.
We were spoilt for choice with the best restaurants, cafes and B&Bs in town spruiking their ocean or hinterland views at every turn.
Although these stunning panoramas never get old, if you’re in the mountains for the weekend visit Flame Hill Winery in Montville for a chew with a view of a different kind. It would have been nicer if the grape vines were full of foliage, but it was still a beautiful and relaxing setting all the same.
Australia is a major wine producing country, but the most famous wine regions like the Barossa Valley, Yarra Valley and Margaret River are in other states. Queensland, while not a major wine producing state, does have a few lovely wineries dotted around the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast hinterland areas.
I acknowledge the Kabi Kabi and Jinibara peoples as the First Nations owners of the lands now recognised as the Sunshine Coast. I pay respect to their Elders, lores, customs and creation spirits. I recognise that these lands have always been places of great natural beauty, culture and community.
Your options are the terrace or the deck, which both overlook the vineyard. We chose to eat on the terrace, because the tables were dotted sparingly across the space and we felt like we were the only people there, as opposed to the more crowded deck.
We tasted three wines at the cellar door and settled on a white and decided to get a glass of the runner up with our lunch, the Pinot Gris. After a few sips of the full glass however, we fell in love with the buttery, full-bodied Pinot Gris and went home with a bottle of it instead!
The charcuterie platter was designed for two, but could feed four.
It was a feast for just the two of us and while I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed terrine ( my eyes have deceived me), I don’t think I’ll ever fall for foie gras. We didn’t get close to finishing it and we didn’t need dinner that night either!
As we were finishing our meal, a bold rooster wandered up from the fields and onto the terrace, delighting some of the other guests with a proud crowing while I flattened myself against the back of my chair and willed it to stay away.
As you might have guessed, I’m not really a bird person.
Plucky poultry aside, it’s one of the most beautiful and memorable places to eat in Montville.