Practicing patience in Piccadilly

You probably know that we love working with great vintage sites. At Lenswood we were lucky enough to find a terrific vineyard with established vines, planted in 1999, and we’ve been making single vineyard wines from Lenswood since 2014.  More recently, we bought 5.5 hectares of land in the Piccadilly sub-region of the Adelaide Hills, where we’ve planted Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at very high vine densities (over 10,000 vines per ha, about 4 times the normal Australian vine density). This season we got our first small crop, and the fruit looks seriously good. We’ll need to be patient, but the signs are there that our Piccadilly Vineyard will give us some really special wines over the next few years.

 

False Alibi Cocktail Recipe

Whilst not its intended purpose, we are flattered nonetheless that the cocktail’s creator insists that only the  very best ingredients be used hence the selection of Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc.  

Either way it is delicious, perfect for Easter!

False Alibi Recipe

1. Separate the white from an egg 

2. Combine the below ingredients in a large cocktail shaker:
     20ml Passionfruit syrup
     15ml Lemon juice
     10ml Gum Arabic syrup
     1.25ml White balsamic
     35ml Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc
     20ml Vodka 

3. Add egg white to the rest of the ingredients and shake with a small handful of crushed ice until ingredients are dissolved and very cold. 

 4. Pour 20ml Perrier into a chilled narrow highball glass. 

5. Rinse the cocktail shaker with 20ml Perrier and top up glass. 

6. Garnish with hibiscus tincture. 

If you need Sauvignon Blanc to make this recipe, order here

Enjoy! 

Christmas Gift Guide 2022

This year's Christmas Gift Guide provides gift inspiration for even the most difficult wine and food connoisseur.

One lucky person has the chance to WIN everything listed in the Shaw + Smith gift guide, pictured above, valued at over $1,000. For your chance to win, place an order online or in the Tasting Room before 15 December 2022.* You will automatically go in the draw to win.

CUBE™ Portable BBQ - Everdure by Heston Blumenthal | $299 | Shop here

Grill on the go. The Everdure CUBE has been designed in collaboration with world-renowned chef Heston Blumenthal and made in Australia.

Shaw + Smith 3 x 375ml Gift Box | $85 ($76.50 for Wine Club members) | Shop here

Our half bottle gift box. Included in the box is 1 x 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, 1 x 2021 M3 Chardonnay, and 1 x 2019 Shiraz (all 375ml bottles). 

eto Stainless Steel Finish Wine Decanter | $314 | Shop here

Not only does the eto decanter decant your wine, it also preserves it. eto's unique preservation system creates a seal between the wine and the air, reducing your wine’s exposure to oxygen.

TASTE by Stanley Tucci | $34.35 | Shop here

From award-winning actor and food-obsessed Stanley Tucci comes a heartwarming memoir of life in and out of the kitchen.

Mud Australia Cheese Platter | $325 | Shop here

Since 1994, Mud Australia has created elegant and timeless handmade porcelain homewares, and their cheese platter is no exception. 

Maison Balzac Lemonade Glass Summer Set | $99 | Shop here

These four drinking glasses are each hand crafted from coloured borosilicate glass. The perfect vessel for your favourite summer drink.

The Fish Weight by Josh Niland | $150 | Shop here

Josh Niland is the chef and owner of seafood mecca Saint Peter. Their fish weights are the essential tool for achieving crisp skin fish.

Little Greeves Chilli Oil 250ml | $15.95 | Shop here

Handmade in Melbourne, Little Greeves Chilli Oil is the aromatic, spicy pantry essential that makes bad things taste good and good things taste better. 

Playing Cards x David Shrigley | $19.00 | Shop here

A pack of 57 playing cards that have been individually hand-illustrated by visual artist David Shrigley. In keeping with his style of humour, all suits are drawn black

Competition terms and conditions here.

Recipe: Tandoori Trout with Wombok Salad by Tonka, Melbourne

The sweetness and earthiness of the trout paired with tandoori spice, in this recipe from Melbourne favourite, Tonka, plays right into the fragrance of our 2021 Pinot Noir. 

TANDOORI TROUT

Ingredients:

Ocean Trout - 4 pieces
Fennel seeds 3g
Mustard seeds 7g
Red onion 700g
Ginger garlic paste 40g
Green chilli 15g
Turmeric powder 5g

Method:

Slice onions. Heat a little vegetable oil and cook on low heat until brown.
Toast fennel seeds and mustard seeds until fragrant.
Roughly chop green chilli.
Once onions are cooked, add in toasted spices and turmeric powder and chilli. Mix well.
Leave to cool slightly then blend until smooth and season with salt.
Use when cold to marinade trout.

Cook the trout on a hot barbecue or grill until pink.

WOMBOK SALAD

Ingredients:

1/4 wombok cabbage, sliced finely
1/4 bunch coriander leaves
1/4 bunch Vietnamese mint
1 lebanese cucumber, cut on an angle, deseeded
1 long red chilli, sliced
1 green chilli, sliced
100ml lemon juice
25g castor sugar
Fish sauce to taste

Method:

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Combine lemon juice, fish sauce and sugar into a dressing and toss the salad. Add sliced chilli for garnish. 

Recipe: Chiswick's Ocean Trout

Chef Taylor Cullen from Chiswick restaurant, in Sydney's picturesque Woollahra, shares his passion for flavour and texture with this delicious ocean trout recipe. The delicacy of the trout, combined with the subtle flavours of the anchovy butter, make this dish a beautiful match for our latest release 2021 M3 Chardonnay. 

ANCHOVY BUTTER

200g butter unsalted
50g ologasti anchovy- pick the small ones
30g lemon zest
Pepper
Salt
8x nasturtium flowers

Fine chop anchovy and shred the flower petals, mix all together, store.

WOOD ROASTED CABBAGE

1x cabbage

Roast cabbage on wood in the oven until black completely black and almost cooked through. 

Peel off outer black layers and clean the cabbage with a chux or paper towel.

Alternatively, put it on the BBQ until black or under the grill.

Break down into 120g portions with no core.

Steam for 4 minutes and toss through Anchovy butter.

DASHI

4cm kombu
20g bonito flakes
2x dried shiitake
200ml water
½ Lemon juice
20ml Soy sauce
Xanthan gum

Take water to 80 degrees celsius, add kombu, shiitake and bonito.

Let cool to room temperature, strain, place on heat and put in a little xantan until liquid slightly thickens  - the consistency will be in between olive oil and water.

Season with remaining ingredients and chill.

OCEAN TROUT

Cut trout and leave skin side up in the fridge for 2 hours to dry the skin, place skin side down in a smoking hot skillet and press until completely flat and you stop feeling the skin bubble.

Cook for 3 minutes until black - it can be super dark- flip and cook for 10 seconds on underside then remove from pan.

Place trout on plate with cabbage tossed butter - pour a little dashi on top of trout, then add more salt and olive oil, serve.

Recipe: Beef Ribs, Burnt Carrot, Pickled Swede, by Five Regions Restaurant

Five Regions Restaurant, at the Oval Hotel in Adelaide, brings the South Australian wine regions to the city, pairing wines with regional produce as per the season.

This season, the Restaurant is featuring Shaw + Smith wines to match with their elegant menu, showcasing local ingredients. As part of this collaboration, they have shared their dish for you to try at home, Beef ribs, burnt carrots, pickled swedes, as a match to our new release 2020 Shaw + Smith Shiraz.

This is not a dish to leave to the last minute, and you might find you need two bottles of Shiraz (one when doing the meal prep, and another to pour with the final dish). Give yourself the time to prepare, and it’ll be well worth the wait!

Or, book in to Five Regions Restaurant and try the full five-course, Shaw + Smith paired degustation experience for yourselves, until end of March 2022.

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BEEF RIBS, BURNT CARROTS, PICKLED SWEDES

Serves 4

By Sol Borlongan, Sous Chef Five Regions

This recipe needs planning and timing to deliver it at the right time – start it Thursday for your Saturday night get together, or spend Sunday prepping, and enjoy it on a Tuesday! The low and slow sous vide cooking tenderises the meat, combines the flavours whilst keeping an amazing texture unique to sous vide.

BEEF:

2 kg beef ribs (remove the skin-like membrane on the back of the ribs)

RUB

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon salt flakes
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 bay leaf
Sprig lemon thyme
Splash red wine

Method:

Combine the salt and pepper.
Brush the mustard on the ribs and massage in the rub, sprinkle the wine.
Bag ready for sous vide.
Seal and cook for 48hrs at 54.5C ensure the ribs stay submerged in water for the entire time.
When done, remove from bag, pat dry
Brown over charcoal grill until caramelised. Rest for 30 minutes before slicing
Remove bones, slice to 8 slices.

SAUCE

Ingredients:

30g bacon, diced
500mL beef stock
2 shallots, finely diced
20g butter
30 ml red wine (shiraz works best)
20g tomato ketchup
10g Dijon mustard
5 ml cider vinegar
10ml Worcestershire
A few drops tabasco
50 mil apple juice
20 ml maple syrup

Method:

Brown the bacon in a large pan over a high heat until well browned. add the stock and deglaze the pan reduce the liquid by two-thirds.
Meanwhile, in another pan sweat shallots in the butter until soft. Add madeira.  bring to simmer and reduce the liquid by half.
Add the shallots mixture to the reduced stock and simmer to reduce the liquid for further quarter. skimming continuously.
Mix together all the remaining ingredients
Pass the mixture through the fine sieve before using to the baste meat.

BURNT CARROT

Ingredients:

3 carrots
1/4 tsp ground cumin, toasted
1/4 tsp ground coriander seeds, toasted
1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds, toasted
(mix cumin, coriander, fennel all together)
1 teaspoon butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup cream
¼ lemon, juiced

Method:

Heat the oven to 200C. in a roasting pan combine the carrots with the oil, spice mixture, salt and pepper. Roast the carrots until tender and dark (almost burn).
In a food processor, puree the carrots with the butter, milk, lemon juice, salt to taste. if necessary, reheat the puree in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring.

PICKLE SWEDES

350g swedes, slice, cure with 1/2 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt for 30 min to 1 hr then wash

Pickling solution:

90g chardonnay vinegar
60g castor sugar
20g salt
1/2 tsp pink pepper corn
2 dried chilies

In a sauce pan bring all ingredients to the boil, Add the cured swedes in a clean jar and pour in the warm pickling liquid.

Limited Edition Sauvignon Blanc Print, Belinda Aucott

We are excited to reveal a collaboration with Sydney based artist Belinda Aucott. Belinda has captured the essence of our inimitable Sauvignon Blanc with this limited edition, A1 print. 

Belinda says of the project, "Having grown up in the Adelaide Hills, it was a pleasure to return to Shaw + Smith's cellar door to be briefed on this project. Their whole team is world class, and I am very proud of this collaboration.

“Orange, blue, explosion and blackjack, these were some of the versions I worked on during the creation of the poster design for Shaw + Smith. I wanted to get the final image just right, staying true to the iconic brand, but without diluting my abstract style.

“Fresh green, zesty aromas define their cult classic Sauvignon Blanc, with pink grapefruit being one of my favourite flavour profiles. It’s a beautiful wine to drink, and I hope the final image is redolent of sunny times, shared with friends around the table.

“The Shaw + Smith team were great to work with, they let me do my impressionistic illustrations without interference, and they ultimately opted for a drawing that suits their wonderful, minimal and precise style.” 

Belinda Aucott is an illustrator and art lover who borders on being obsessed. A self-confessed Francophile, she is the author of the blog Champagne Republic, founded in 2014 to document her daily reveries. Her illustrative work has been published in; Australian Financial Review Luxury Magazine; Australian Gourmet Traveller WINE; Inside Out, Stellar Magazine and Harpers Bazaar Australia.

Commissioned by, and available exclusively through Shaw + Smith.

Christmas Gift Guide 2021

For Christmas inspiration, we share with you some of our favourite gift ideas from the Shaw + Smith team...

Shaw + Smith Single Vineyard Box $265, includes shipping, buy
Three Single Vineyard wines presented in a wooden gift box. Set includes a bottle each of 2019 Lenswood Vineyard Chardonnay, 2019 Lenswood Vineyard Pinot Noir and 2018 Balhannah Vineyard Shiraz. Only 30 available. 

Limited Edition Sauvignon Blanc Print, Belinda Aucott $95, buy
This limited edition A1 print by Sydney based artist Belinda Aucott depicts our inimitable Sauvignon Blanc. Commissioned by and available exclusively through Shaw + Smith.

Dinosaur Designs Resin Servers $125, buy 
Dinosaur Designs resin servingware is hand made in Australia, making every piece unique. Available in a range of colourways to brighten your festive table.

Coravin Pivot $184.95, buy
Extend the life of your everyday wines with Coravin Pivot wine preservation system. The combination of the Pivot Stopper and Device preserves the remaining bottle for up to 4 weeks, ensuring the last glass is just as amazing as the first.

Corey Ashford Brass Coaster, set of two $145, buy
Designed in Melbourne and crafted from solid brass, the set of two coasters are inspired by delicious spills. Both forms have been hand-sculpted in clay, then forged using poured molten brass.  Arrives delicately wrapped in a fabric pouch, perfect for gift giving. 

Maison Balzac The Solitaire Game $299, buy
A one person meditation, meant to bring focus and calm to each moment spent in consideration of your next move. Listen to the serene music of the glass marbles along the board as they jump over each other until there is only a single one left, resting gently in the centre cradle of the marble board.

Beysis Personalised Water Bottle $37.90, buy
The original leak-proof and BPA water bottle is designed to fit in any cupholder. We love that you can add your name or initials to create a personalised accesory.

BALADÉO Laguiole Oyster Knife $42.95, buy 
The precision of an exceptional oyster knife combined with the always fashionable Laguiole style. The perfect gift for your foodie friends!

Everything I love to cook, Neil Perry $59.99, buy
Neil Perry's influence on the food culture of Australia is unrivalled. In this latest release, Neil revisits legendary Rockpool Bar & Grill recipes alongside new favourites. 

Recipe: Franca's Wagyu Bavette

We are in the midst of planning our member events for the year, so when we started searching for a dish that is a great match for our newly released 2019 Shiraz, we looked to Franca in Sydney, where the team will be hosting a member dinner in July.

Located in Pott’s Point, Franca Brasserie presents a menu which highlights bold flavours and locally-sourced ingredients, prepared using classic technique.

For a traditional French bistro dish to try at home, Franca have generously shared their recipe for Wagyu Bavette. Enjoy with a glass (or a bottle) of 2019 Shaw + Smith Shiraz.

We look forward to trying this for ourselves, and then comparing our attempt to the real deal when we visit!

WAGYU BAVETTE with CARAMELISED ESCHALLOTS, BRUSSEL SPROUTS, PANCETTA

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

500g Bavette steak
500g Eschallots
2sprigs Thyme
1clove Garlic
Red wine vinegar
200g Brussel sprouts
50g Pancetta
 

METHOD

Caramelised Eschallots puree:
Thinly slice eschallots and garlic. On a medium sized pan, add a dash of oil and start caramelising the onions, garlic, and thyme on low heat. Stir occasionally making sure it doesn’t burn.
Once very soft, put in a blender and puree. Add a tiny bit of water if the puree is too thick. Blend to preferred consistency.
Season with salt, pepper and red wine vinegar to taste.
 
Bavette:
Cook bavette steak with your preferred method. At Franca, We prefer over charcoal for the extra depth of char and flavour that the charcoal adds.
Season steak with a little bit of oil and salt. Make sure the charcoal is at its maximum heat. Sear/char on the charcoal about for about 40 seconds each side. Rest for 1 minute and do the process again. Rest the meat for 10minutes in a warmer area. Check internal temperature of the meat.
55 degrees for medium rare and 58-60 for medium. Once rested, put meat back on the charcoal for 20 seconds each side to heat up the exterior and give it that last char-y flavour.
Slice/carve meat against the grain. 1mm thickness.
 
Brussel sprouts & Pancetta:
Dice pancetta into small cubes. Set aside. Trim bottoms of brussel sprouts and cut them in half lengthwise. Slice halved brussel sprouts.
On a medium/large pan, start rendering the pancetta on medium heat. Once nicely caramelised, add brussel sprouts and sautee until brussel sprouts are cooked. Add a little bit of butter if you wish!
 

Recipe: Fino Vino's BBQ Chicken

Recipe: Fino Vino’s BBQ CHICKEN, SWEETCORN, BLACK BARLEY, MISO BUTTER

Fino Vino, originally of Willunga, and then Seppeltsfield fame, is a delightful wine bar and restaurant in Adelaide’s CBD.

The Shaw + Smith vintage crew took over Fino Vino earlier this month, celebrating the official end to an excellent vintage. A stand-out dish from this lunch was Fino Vino’s take on BBQ Chicken. A brined and butterflied chicken which Executive Chef and co-owner David Swain steams and grills to absolute perfection, this is like a warm hug, a true comfort dish. Our new release 2020 M3 Chardonnay is a great match for this white meat masterpiece.

Tip: this recipe calls for overnight brining, make sure you start your preparation a day in advance.

BBQ CHICKEN, SWEETCORN, BLACK BARLEY, MISO BUTTER by FINO VINO
David Swain, co-owner, Executive Chef

Serves 4

STEP ONE | Brine solution

INGREDIENTS

1 litre water
60g salt
40g sugar
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
7 coriander seeds
1 clove

METHOD

Place all ingredients in a pot, bring to the boil. Remove from heat and place in your fridge until completely chilled before using.

STEP TWO | Preparing chicken for brining

INGREDIENTS

1 whole free-range chicken

METHOD

Find your favourite chicken and ask your butcher to butterfly it. 

Place chicken in brining liquid ensuring it is fully covered in liquid. Place in refrigerator overnight (about 16 hours).

Remove chicken from the brining liquid and pat dry with absorbent paper. Set aside.

STEP THREE | Preparing corn and barley

INGREDIENTS

2 corn cobs in their husks
1 cup black barley, cooked al dente
250mls chicken stock
10g white miso paste
50g unsalted butter
1 bunch chives, finely sliced
Salt and pepper

METHOD

Steam corn cobs in the husk for 15 minutes. Once cooked, peel and char over a hot barbecue until charred. Remove from heat, slice kernels from the cob and set aside.

STEP FOUR | Cooking the chicken

Pre heat a lidded barbecue to 200℃.

Place the chicken skin side down and cook until the skin is nicely caramelised. Turn the chicken over, reduce heat to medium or low, cover and cook for about 10 - 15 minutes until done.

Remove from barbecue, cover with foil, rest the chicken for 15 minutes.

STEP FIVE | Assembling the dish

In a pot, combine corn, black barley, chicken stock, miso paste, chives, butter and seasoning to taste. Bring to the boil.

When almost at boiling point, carve the chicken and arrange on a serving plate. Remove corn and barley mixture from the heat and spoon over the chicken. Serve immediately.