First Look: Contentious Character Dairy Road

Posted on 26 April, 2024

I’m halfway through a wine tasting at a cellar door – a sparkling lineup of Riedel glasses glistening with a flight of whites and reds before me.

The immersive experience is complete with a platter of curated bites, perfectly matched with each wine. But I’m not out in the country – not even interstate.

Instead, I’m seated in one of Canberra’s coolest precincts, Fyshwick’s Dairy Road, soaking up the atmosphere of Canberra’s first permanent urban cellar door experience at Contentious Character.

It’s a bold move to create a cellar door experience outside of wine country but that’s exactly what this label is known for – bold moves – and clearly, the move has been welcomed by Dairy Road visitors and the broader community alike.

Having taken over the space once occupied by As Nature Intended at the very top of Dairy Road, the interiors are now a chic moody charcoal, with wines and gin displayed along the walls, offsetting the winery’s signature framed quotes and neon signs.

Wood, leather and concrete tables complete the modern space, setting the mood for dinner with a serious focus on wine and food.

That focus comes courtesy of Chef Andy Park, who has designed a menu packed with punchy flavours to complement Contentious Character’s punchy wines, such as the Deep-fried eggplant with olive, baby caper, sun-dried tomato and coconut yogurt, Beef tartare with cured egg yolk and black sesame cracker and Marlin steak with olive and anchovy puree, roasted capsicum and burnt lemon.

Each pair effortlessly with Chief Winemaker Jeremy Wilson’s creations – my favourite being the Shiraz.

Outside, outdoor heaters create the perfect atmosphere for after-work drinks, the winery’s signature cheeky slogans displayed on the barrels that decorate the perimeter.

It’s a Friday night when we visit and the wine and cheese platters are flowing, Dairy Road workers strolling in for a cheeky glass of Shiraz with a side of aged cheddar.

For Managing Director Ben Jarrett, it’s about fresh local ingredients, infused with the “personalities” of Andy’s team in the kitchen. The result in a true fusion menu with options for everyone.

“We want to have a delicious a la carte menu, while also offering something for people who work around the area every day.”

All we can say is – lucky people who work around the area every day.

Photography: Taylah Cunningham