Barossa

FINO Seppeltsfield; The Ethos That Made Them A Barossa Landmark

A look into how FINO Seppeltsfield’s journey in Willunga and the Barossa Valley has culminated to a world-renowned restaurant.

Speaking to FINO Seppeltsfield owners, Sharon Romeo and David Swain while they make the drive down to Willunga, we speak about what FINO represents in the Barossa. To do that, we have to discuss just how FINO’s presence in the region actually came to be.

A personal invite from Seppeltsfield proprietor and managing director, Warren Randall, is a notch in anyones belt. But to be invited to be the destination restaurant in the burgeoning village that Seppeltsfield has come to be is a testament to FINO’s appeal.

Sharon says that in the thirteen years they’ve existed, a source of pride for them is the versatility of FINO and the maturity to recognise that both their service and their food is on point.

Photo by Josie Withers
Photo by Dragan Radocaj

So whether visitors are eating at FINO for a meeting or in between wineries, approachability is something they want to deliver on all levels.

When I bring up the term fine dining in relation to FINO, Sharon and David have something to say.

“Fine dining,” they laugh “we don’t want to give off the impression that we do fine dining.”

It’s something that neither of them identify with but it may be due to people overlapping fine dining with high quality, the two can be mutually exclusive and that’s likely due to the impressive reputation that FINO has.

FINO draws crowds from all around the world, visitors who know that they’re getting good food. They’re both the quintessential regional restaurant and an internationally famed destination.

“Fresh, simple, regional, the Fino ethos,” Sharon says.

The importance placed on a service driven relationships is evident in the way that Sharon and David speak about their executive chef, Sam Smith.

Photo by Jacqui Way

The equilibrium that they achieved in their Willunga iteration of FINO, where food, wine and service are on equal footings with integrity on all levels is something they feel that Sam embodies and something that they’ve brought to Seppeltsfield.

Sam’s passion for not only FINO but food is pretty evident from chatting to him. After moving back to Adelaide after a stint working internationally, he felt disillusioned with the state of affairs in the industry.

He’s hesitant to say what exactly was wrong with the industry but rather what is right with FINO and that revolves around how food and ingredients are treated in the restaurant.

Crema Catalana, photo by Ben McGee

“There’s lots of trust and confidence involved in products, doing things simply but with a lot of skill. Food wasn’t messed around with.”

“What captured me was that there was a real level of sophistication and understanding of food and the restaurant experience,” he says.

A topic brought up by Sam, Sharon and David is the connection between the plate and the patron. The menu is full of recipes that concentrate on taking the raw product and allowing it to speak for itself. Less technique driven, but rather good food to be enjoyed with good company.

Photo by Josie Withers
Photo by Sam Noonan

And company is the third tier that FINO Seppeltsfield pride themselves on, the relationship between their brand, their customers, their producers, the winemakers and the thousands that walk through their door.

When I ask Sam which dish really speaks of FINO’s ethos, he takes a moment to pinpoint the Wagyu Pastrami dish, developed in Willunga. It uses Mayura Station wagyu, smoked over Seppeltsfield oak barrels and served with picked cauliflower.

Mussels, photo by Ben McGee

There’s an important relationship with Mayura and a sense of place with Seppeltsfield’s barrels, and yet it’s a play on classic flavours and the ingredients are at the forefront.

FINO is proof that a regional restaurant not only has the capacity of being an extremely successful international destination but a perfect example of how service, food and wine can meet each other equally and locally.

FINO Seppeltsfield can be found at 730 Seppeltsfield Rd, Seppeltsfield SA 5355.

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