When I was presented with the wine list I knew we were somewhere special.

I grew up in the picturesque German heritage town of Tanunda in the Barossa Valley, a region of vineyards, wineries and winemakers. As a child the idea of an Asian restaurant anywhere in the Barossa would have skirted the realm of scandal and novelty and certainly been a place my parents would never have entertained experiencing.

So it was with a sense of trepidation we brought my mum, now well into her eighties, to FermentAsian in Tanunda for a family celebration.

The food was amazing as expected but the real surprise was the wine cellar and its deep expression of wines the world over. A real surprise for me in my old home town.

Any yes mum loved the new and interesting food, albeit with a little encouragement.

As for the title, did you get the pun?

Photo: Robert Rath, ‘Behind Bars’, 1/60s f/2.0 ISO1600 50mm