Rasa Fabian and Richard Woods are the winemakers behind Jindabyne’s new Bar Lula. Photo: Supplied.
Pinot’s Wine Bar in downtown Jindabyne has new owners, a stunning makeover and is delivering European hospitality backed by two lifetimes of wine industry experience.
The bar, which has been renamed Bar Lula, was purchased in May this year by Rasa Fabian and Richard Woods of Shut The Gate Winery in Berridale, who felt there was a gap in Jindabyne’s offerings.
“We’ve got great pubs and cafes and the distillery out at Wildbrumby, but we thought there was a gap for somewhere that locals, and particularly women, could come and have a drink in a bar and lounge. They could read a book and drink quality wine by the glass and don’t necessarily need to be with a group,” shares Richard.
Rasa and Richard are far from new to the wine game and are a formidable team in the wine world. Put simply, Richard describes them as being ex-winemaker execs from the ‘big companies’.
“Rasa was the Australasian boss for the Brown company, and I worked for Southcorp, which is now Treasury, for nearly 30 years.”
Rasa and Richard are deeply embedded in the wine world and love the cool-climate grapes in the NSW Snowy Mountains. Photo: Supplied.
It was of course the grapes that brought the duo to the Snowys area in the first place. After building up and selling Crabtree Wines in the Clare Valley in South Australia, Rasa and Richard found themselves spending more and more time in the Snowy region, enamoured by a rare occurrence in Tumbaraumba.
“Most of the grapes from Tumbarumba go into sparkling due to the high acid, but occasionally, maybe three years in 10, it produces a unicorn high-quality Chardonnay. Rasa and I think it’s the closest you see to French Burgundy and particularly Chablis in Australia.”
Founding Shut The Gate Wines to take advantage of this phenomenon and to dabble in winemaking, Rasa and Richard had no intention of becoming full-time winemakers. That was until James Halliday discovered them in 2013 and named them as one of Australia’s top 10 new winemakers.
“We thought, ‘Well, we must be doing something right,’ and that’s when we went national.”
Don’t be mistaken, Bar Lula isn’t an extension of their Berridale cellar door for Shut The Gate. It’s a standalone offering in its own right, and the quality of the fit-out alongside a gorgeous food and drinks menu reflects that.
Richard credits Rasa for leading the charge on the overhaul of the interior design.
“That was a great exercise using the local trades; they have a real passion for beautiful fit-outs. Rasa got them excited for the project, and they really took ownership of it,” says Richard.
Bar Lula has been well received in the Jindabyne community: Photo: Supplied.
Much of the direction of the new bar is informed by Rasa’s former life in international hotels and Richard shares that her Northern European background gives her a passion for food service.
“If you know many Europeans, they can’t stand to not see people eating and drinking and enjoying.”
So with the sort of background these two bring to Bar Lula, what can you expect from the drinks menu?
Richard is proud of their full local and international offering at an affordable price point.
“We have methode champenoise wines out of cool-climate areas: Tumbarumba, Alpine Valley, and Tasmania. On top of that we have French champagne. We do lovely Australian, Italian and Spanish wines ranging from $10 to $18 a glass, which is pretty reasonable in this day and age.”
Despite being wine-focused, there are also beers on tap from local brewers, Jindabyne Brewing, and the food menu holds its own, offering a stunning spread of small bites and sharing plates, perfect for an afternoon with a drink in hand.
The snacking and sharing menu is perfect for a long afternoon with a glass or two of wine. Photo: Supplied.
The food is a little bougie, in the best way, and just like the wines, the prices are fair.
Starting at $8, you can grab bar-style bites such as sticky nuts with high country honey and a tasty spice mix or local Snowy Mill sourdough with Pepe Saye butter and flaky salt.
The next price bracket comes in at $14 for patatas bravas with paprika salsa and garlic sauce.
Jumping up to $16, you can enjoy a platter of jamon with crisps and whipped feta, and for $18 there is a range of dishes including pan-fried chorizo, the burrata with mango chutney and togarashi, or baked camembert with pickled grapes and crostini.
You wouldn’t be in the Snowys without smoked trout on the menu, and Bar Lula does smoked trout rillettes with crispy toast, lemon, roe and caperberries for $24.
Combined with the excellent service from the well-trained staff, it’s a refined experience without being stuffy or conceited. Just what the mountains called for.
Bar Lula is located at Nuggets Crossing, Snowy River Avenue, Jindabyne and is open from Tuesday until Sunday from 3 pm. You can check out more on Instagram.
