Another special wine pour for tonight’s service! 2025 Mise En Place Palomino
Mise En Place wines are produced by our good mate Doug Lilburne based in Steels Creek in the Yarra Valley. Some fruit he farms himself and the rest is sourced from some of Victoria’s most premium vineyards with a strong focus on organic viticulture. Doug makes honest, clean, wild fermented, minimal intervention wines with no additives other than a very small amount of sulphur. His wines are both thoughtful and thought-provoking.
Grown on the historic soils of Rutherglen, Victoria, this vineyard offers one of the last remaining snapshots of Palomino in Australia. James Busby, the father of the Australian wine industry, is credited with introducing this unique varietal to Australia after collecting cuttings during his 1832 tour of Spain and France. Fermented in a large-format barrel and left peacefully at fermentation height for 8 months, the resulting cuvée is stony and mineral-driven, with built-in layers of gentle oxidation.
A few plant based dishes currently on at Bar Spontana.
Pickled watermelon rind salad with cashew, mint, red onion and nam yum.
Charred corn ribs with lime salt, chilli and lime leaf.
Our take on Northern Thai Hung Lay curry with house made red lentil tofu in a red curry w peanut, young ginger, chilli and garlic.
Another round of our special Friday wine pour. This week we have the 2021 Camigliano ‘Rosso del Gobbo’ Sangiovese.
Camigliano is a historic property where wine has been made since the Middle Ages. Cipriano Barsanti together with Samuele are working here to make natural wines using biodynamic agriculture, with the desire to seek the greatest expression of the territory.
Camiliano is a farm in the Colline Lucchesi, seven hectares of vineyards in Camigliano (in the territory of Capannori). The winery is managed by Cipriano Barsanti. There are two varieties cultivated: Sangiovese, and Vermentino. The adventure of Camiliano began in 2013. For ten years, before that, the vineyards had instead been rented to another company in the area, still farmed biodynamically.
Bright and juicy tank fermented Sangiovese, retaining all the freshness and vitality of the vineyards where it grows. Initial fruity notes bound out of the glass with savory, wild herby notes to finish. Medium-bodied, bouncy, and ready for the dinner table.
WINTER WARMER SERIES
~ Khao Soi Wednesdays ~
From June 10, our inaugural Winter Warmer Series will begin. Wednesdays at Bar Spontana will be centred around Khao Soi through winter.
A Northern Thai coconut curry noodle soup, rich and warming, with soft egg noodles underneath, crispy noodles on top, finished with pickled mustard greens, lime and shallots.
Originally from Northern Thailand, with roots tracing through Burmese and Chinese Muslim cooking, Khao Soi is known for its contrast of textures and a broth that sits somewhere between a curry and a soup.
$24 bowls with chicken, alongside vegan and gluten free options available.
Our regular menu won’t be running on Wednesdays but a selection of Northern Thai delicacies will be available alongside Khao Soi each week.
Every Wednesday ~ 10.06 to 26.08
Bookings now open 🫰
The dish you keep coming back for and a staple on our menu.
Our housemade beef Sai Oua a northern Thai style sausage with beef lemongrass kaffir lime leaf and chilli. Grilled over heat until smoky and fragrant it’s herb laced savoury and gently spiced with a warmth that builds as you eat.
Blackthorn
Dark fruit, soft spice, and citrus lift.
Irish whiskey and pear brandy layered with house made wild fermented plum, dry vermouth and orange bitters.
Structured, rich, and quietly warming.
Josh is super excited for this Fridays special wine pour. 2024 Vini Rabasco ‘Cancelli’ Rosato Montepulciano
The 3.5 hectare estate of Vini Rabasco is located in the village of Pianella, province of Pescara, in the heart of Abruzzo. Winemaker Iole Rabasco inherited her family’s small vineyard and olive grove both of which are soils that have never been treated with chemicals. The vines across the property are predominantly Montepulciano with a few rows of Trebbiano. The vines are around 40 years old on average and rest at some 450 meters above sea level. Soils are calcareous clay mixed with alluvial sediment and fossil remains. Vines are trained in the traditional tendone style, all worked by hand. Yields are kept low but not excessively low as Iole prefers her wines to have more acidity and freshness rather than looking for power and intensity.
The 2024 Cancelli Rosato is made from 100% Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from the San Desiderio vineyard. Spontaneously fermented then aged in stainless steel with zero added sulphur or any other additions and no filtering or fining. Darker in colour yet still very refreshing with crisp citrussy acid, vibrant strawberry, pomegranate, red currant and cherry character with some subtle dried herbs, soft spice and a lick of salinity. A delightful Italian rosato with wonderful rustic charm.
Tonight we have a 2023 Boris Champy ‘Petit Aigle Coteaux Bourgignons’ Chardonnay/Aligoté as our special pour.
Born in 1974, Boris Champy is originally from the Champagne region. An oenologist, he first worked for ten years in Napa Valley, California, at Domaine Dominus. He then became technical director of Domaine Louis Latour in Beaune, and later estate manager of Clos des Lambrays in Morey-Saint-Denis. He also served as president of the Corton Winegrowers’ Association (ODG Corton) and founded an environmental protection association. In 2019, without a successor, Didier Montchovet wished to pass on to Boris Champy his Domaine and above all the philosophy that had guided it since 1984. It was a smooth handover which began informally during the 2019 harvest in which Boris Champy participated. The estate is a true pioneer of organic and biodynamic viticulture in Burgundy, certified by Ecocert and Demeter.
Since 2010, a small grape-buying operation has complemented the estate’s wine production. All grape purchases are sourced from organic or biodynamic growers. As with the estate wines, they seek out vineyards located in cooler climates, to maintain a style of wine with fresh fruitiness and beautiful minerality.
The Coteaux Bourguignons is made from a blend of Chardonnay and Aligoté from young vines. This wine is the perfect expression of the fruit of Chardonnay and the freshness of Aligoté. Hand-harvested, direct pressing of whole bunches, fermentation with indigenous yeasts, aged on lees 65% in egg-shaped tanks and 35% in barrels for 10-11 months with regular stirring. A flattering nose of yellow peach, nashi pear, lemon balm, and dry stone, a fresh and fleshy palate with some creamy lees and a beautiful, lingering finish.
Pla Som Issan, our version of a Northeastern Thai fermented fish! We make out with salmon, fermented in-house by our chefs, fried until crisp, set over tomato, mint and chilli. Bright, sour, savoury, with a little funk.
A quick recap from our second @melbfoodandwine event. One Night in Talat Noi with @shu.restaurant last Thursday night.
Such a special evening for us. We loved seeing the space full and sharing this one with you all. Exploring new flavours, dishes, and ideas together. Nights like this are exactly why we love doing what we do.
That’s a wrap on this year’s events, and we’re so grateful to everyone who came through and supported them.
Looking forward to many more nights like this throughout the year.
What a time with @100mahaseth for @melbfoodandwine on Saturday night!
We had such a fun night!
Big thanks to @chaleekader and Chef Gift for coming all the way from Bangkok along with our incredible chefs Noomie and Ploy.
We loved seeing you all come through the doors and help us kick off this years MFWF with us.
