Elise Cook’s life is idyllic. She lives in McLaren Vale in a gorgeously renovated home flanked by beds of wildflowers with her husband and two small kids. She and her husband Domenic run Down the Rabbit Hole, a small-batch wine producer. They share their property with the label’s cellar door and an Italian restaurant.
Twelve years on from their first wine, both Down the Rabbit Hole and the family are thriving. With a 300,000-strong Instagram following, Cook documents both her heavenly McLaren Vale lifestyle and the family’s international travels.
Cook spoke to Broadsheet about what drew her to the region and all the local venues and makers that make McLaren Vale a great place to live.
Tell us a bit about yourself and Down the Rabbit Hole.
My name is Elise. My husband Domenic and I started Down the Rabbit Hole 12 years ago shortly after we got married. We started small with a focus on producing organic wine that was approachable, delicious, and had a real sense of place through minimal-intervention winemaking, to ensure the integrity of the fruit from vineyard to bottle.
In 2016 we knew our next step was to open a cellar door, but [first decided to take] a sabbatical and spend a year travelling Australia in our Kombi van, showing the wines around the country. In the end we spent well over two years travelling in our van.
Upon our return, we immediately got to work on the property behind the winery, building the cellar door and renovating the old house. In late 2019, we opened the Down the Rabbit Hole cellar door. Three months after that, we fell pregnant with our first child, and two months later the pandemic hit.
Five years later, the cellar door is thriving. We have introduced another four wines and we’ve opened an organic Italian restaurant, which was Dom’s dream. We now have two children, and we are still living on-site in the old house we renovated.
You’ve travelled very widely. What made you decide to put down roots in McLaren Vale?
Because it’s the best pocket of the country! In all honesty, after travelling right around the country, back up and down the centre, I can quite confidently say there is nowhere else I would choose to live. There is nothing more beautiful than falling in love with your hometown as an adult and choosing to call it home. There is a tranquillity here that soothes the soul. I love that we live where the vines meet the sea. The coastline and beaches are spectacular. There are so many unique restaurants and cellar doors to visit. The community is laid-back and open-minded, but very active and welcoming.
Why is McLaren Vale a great place to raise kids?
Community is everything in childhood, and the community here is incredible. A lot of people say it’s a bit like Byron Bay 35 years ago. That, plus the connection to nature in this region, is wonderful for raising kids. We live surrounded by vines and agriculture, drive 10 minutes east and we are in Kuitpo Forrest, and drive 10 minutes west and we are on the beach. The four seasons are beautiful and we’re outdoors year-round.
What do you love the most about McLaren Vale?
The landscape and the location. Rolling hills drop down to endless vineyards, which meet the turquoise blue coastline. And you can also be in the city of Adelaide in under an hour.
What’s the most underrated spot in McLaren Vale?
The Onkaparinga Gorge is a great spot to feel like you’re miles away and enjoy a bushwalk, without driving far. It’s also lovely for a picnic at the end, down in the gorge.
If you wanted to impress someone, where would you take them?
The restaurant at Maxwell’s Winery is very impressive.
Tell us about something or someone that makes McLaren Vale a better place.
Am I allowed to say my husband? If anyone has ever visited our cellar door or restaurant and witnessed him in action, then you’ll know what I’m talking about when I say I don’t know anyone who works harder than he does. He is passionate about leaving people happier and I think it’s infectious. He is also passionate about being an advocate for this region. He believes for our region to succeed, we all need to be raising the bar together. He is very supportive of other businesses doing awesome things in our region.
What’s one thing you miss about McLaren Vale when you’re away?
How “offline” my community here feels, in the absolute best way. We’re just very connected on matters of the heart and living well.
What are some of your favourite places to eat in town?
Just around the corner we have The Salopian Inn, which can always be trusted for a lovely meal out. Our region also has some great pubs, like the Victory and the Top Pub in Willunga. There’s a gorgeous little pan-Asian restaurant called Muni in Willunga. And if we’re doing cheap takeout, it’s Asian from Lang’s in McLaren Vale (it’s our guilty pleasure but she does cook with very fresh produce from her sister’s farm).
Or in Adelaide some of my favourites are Fugazzi, Kiin, Gondola Gondola, Garcon Bleu, Daughter in Law, and Shobosho.
Where do you like to go for a wine?
If it’s not at our place on a Friday night with live music, I’ll normally go to Fall From Grace in Aldinga. They always have a unique and delicious selection of wines open, so I know I’m going to try something new. There’s a lovely outdoor space to sit, as well as a cosy indoor one. And it’s also a boutique bottle shop, so you can pick up some interesting wines to take home too.
Where’s the ideal spot for a first date?
Fiore at Down the Rabbit Hole. It’s intimate, beautiful, with warm and welcoming energy, so it will create a lovely, relaxed backdrop. But then there’s the food, which is seriously good, quite incredible actually.
If it’s a special occasion, where are you booking? And what are you ordering?
I’m going out for a long lunch, anywhere in our region. I do Star of Greece or Pearl for the oceanfront view. I’m ordering whatever is special on the menu, and a glass of chablis or a McLaren Vale fiano.
If someone only had 24 hours to spend in McLaren Vale, where should they go?
You want to do a maximum of three wineries in a day, so that you can enjoy them properly. I would suggest Battle of Bosworth, Down the Rabbit Hole, Samson Tall, Gemtree, Maxwell’s or Samuel’s Gorge. Pre-book a lunch at one or simply graze as you cellar door hop. Once the cellar doors close, head down to Port Willunga Beach with your favourite bottle from the day and watch the sunset or take a dip. If it’s winter you can sit in one of the caves and watch the sun sink in front of you. Book a post-sunset dinner at Star of Greece. Stay somewhere nearby, along the coast. Go for a long walk and a dip on the beach the next morning.
Or, if it’s a Friday, you may want to spend your evening at Down the Rabbit Hole. Over the warmer months we have live music events as and a gorgeous sunset. Over the cooler months we have Nonna’s Table, an intimate Italian affair in the restaurant designed to feel like you are sitting at Dom’s nonna’s table for dinner.
