Something to get excited about

Yes, 2020 has been quite the year. Dashed personal and professional goals, less time out with your mates and a lot of things to keep you awake at night. We get it, and there has been little to get excited about in the year that has been 2020.

 

Well here is something to get excited about, we are getting ready to launch our new 'kids' into the world, and we want YOU to be the first to try them.

 

Our 2020 whites are ready and waiting to be unleashed to the world.

 

Our 2019 Kelpie Sauvignon Blanc and Cheeky Goat Pinot Gris were so popular that they sold out in record time, so we are really looking forward to sharing our new whites with you soon.

 

You can join in on the fun and do a tasting from the comfort of your own home. We will ship our favourite new whites direct to your door and then you can jump on Facebook live and join in on the fun as we do a guided tasting through our new whites.

Join us for a world-first LIVE tasting of these wines on Facebook at 6 pm AEST on Wednesday 12th August.

 

This is a tasting you do not want to miss!

So get your plate of pre-dinner snacks ready and join us fireside for the big premiere.

All the details are on our Facebook live event HERE

 

Honey Rosemary Rack of Lamb

Single and looking to impress?

 

Or maybe you are just looking for that next wow dish to share with your mates over a bottle or two of good vino.

 

This Honey Rosemary Rack of Lamb will have your guests wanting more.

 

Pair this beauty with our Merlot or Shiraz or if you are after a white wine, try our PG Project Oak.

 

What you’ll need:

 

2 cloves garlic, smashed

2 (8-rib) frenched racks of lamb trimmed of all but a thin layer of fat

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided

1/2 cup honey

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

 

Method:

 

Rub the garlic all over the lamb. Season the lamb generously with salt and black pepper and rub all over with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, combine the honey, rosemary, lemon zest, and red pepper flakes in a heat-proof bowl and set in a warm spot. The heat will loosen up the honey enough to brush onto the lamb.

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrape the garlic off of the lamb. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan.

 

Place one rack of lamb, fat side down, and sear until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Flip and brown the other side. Give the ends a quick sear as well.

 

Repeat with the other rack of lamb. Using tongs, arrange racks facing each other, bones facing up and intertwined for support, forming a tent shape.

 

Roast until lamb is cooked to desired doneness, 120 degrees for medium-rare, approximately 12-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your lamb and how long it was seared.

 

Transfer the lamb to a cutting board and brush the meat generously with the honey mixture. Let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice between bones into individual chops and transfer to a platter.

 

Drizzle any remaining honey mixture over the lamb, if you’d like, and serve.

 

Serve with some roast veggies and a fresh salad.

 

Enjoy

 

 

Traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs

A traditional Spaghetti and Meatballs that is sure to delight on a cold winter’s night.

 

Delicious for a date night at home or to feed those hungry little mouths, you really can’t go past a delicious pasta cook up.

 

Pair with our Shiraz or Red Project and you are ready to rock!

 

What you’ll need:

 

MARINARA SAUCE

¼ cup olive oil

2 large yellow onions, chopped

10 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

340g tomato paste

2 cans of crushed tomato

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried parsley

 

MEATBALLS

455g ground beef

455g ground pork

1 cup breadcrumbs

½ cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 large eggs, beaten

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

¼ cup milk

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

 

FOR SERVING

1 bag of dried spaghetti

Fresh basil, chopped

Grated parmesan cheese

 

Method:

 

Preheat the oven 220°C. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet and grease with non-stick spray.

 

Make the marinara sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and season with salt, pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Cook until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes.

 

Set aside ⅓ cup of the cooked onions and garlic for the meatballs and let cool.

 

Stir the tomato paste into the onions and cook until browned and aromatic, 3-5 minutes.

 

Add the crushed tomatoes, dried basil, dried oregano, and dried parsley. Stir together and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

 

Make the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, ground pork, reserved onion and garlic mixture, breadcrumbs, ricotta, parsley, eggs, Parmesan, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands until well combined.

 

Shape meat into balls.

 

Bake the meatballs for 20 minutes, until the outsides are browned.

 

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add a generous pinch of salt. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, 7-10 minutes, until al dente. Stir occasionally to keep the noodles from sticking together.

 

Drain the pasta and add it directly to the simmering marinara sauce. Reserve some pasta water, in case you need it to loosen the sauce. Stir the pasta into the sauce until fully coated.

 

Add the pasta to serving bowls, top with the meatballs, and garnish with Parmesan, fresh basil, and cracked pepper.

 

Enjoy!

 

Plan a wine party

 

International and potentially interstate travel plans out the window for the year? Wanting to lay low a little bit, but still see your friends in the comfort of your own home?

 

Let’s face it, some of you might be a little bit bored at the moment; after all, it is winter, and life has been slowed down considerably by the Coronavirus pandemic.

 

If you want to get your friends together to talk about anything but coronavirus, why not host a wine party with your wine-loving friends?

 

The rules are simple:

 

• Get everyone attending to bring a bottle of wine with them.

• Now the wine has to be Australian, it has to be something that has a difference to it; that could be a different varietal, something from a small producer or something a bit obscure.

• The wine MUST come with a story that is to be told at the dinner party. Any story, but there must be a memory or story attached to the wine.

 

 

Share the wines over a meal with your friends and tell the stories as you go.

 

Now if this makes you a little nervous because perhaps you feel like you don’t know that much about wine, that’s Ok too.

 

Take it as a challenge to learn something new. Head over to your local independent wine shop and ask them for some advice. They are sure to point you in the right direction to try something different and that in itself is an interesting story to tell at the dinner party.

 

And don't be afraid to try something new, the beauty of wine is in learning about different varietals and different tastes.

 

Hosting a wine dinner party is not only a fun way to bring your friends together for something a little different, but it will also give you a talking point on stories you may not have heard about your friends...

 

So, give it a try and let us know how you go! And possibly catch a cab or have a designated driver for this one (Safety first)

 

Happy entertaining.

Orange and Lemon Marmalade

 

Have you got lemons and oranges aplenty this winter?

 

If you have an overload of citrus, it might be time to do up a batch of our delicious orange and lemon marmalade or preserve.

 

You can share a jar or two with your family, friends or neighbours, or just keep it all to yourself!  

 

What you’ll need:

 

6 oranges, halved, thinly sliced
2 lemons, halved, thinly sliced, seeds removed
4 cups water
2 1/2 cup white sugar
1 lemon, just the juice

 

Method:

 

 

Place fruit and water in a large saucepan. Bring to the boil on high. Boil rapidly for 25-30 minutes, or until oranges are very tender.

Reduce heat to low and add sugar, stirring until completely dissolved. Stir in lemon juice.

Increase heat to medium and boil, without stirring, for a further 20-25 minutes, or until set when tested.

 

Heat oven to 140°c.

 

Wash and dry jars then warm in the oven for 10 minutes.

 

Don't fill cold jars with hot marmalade as they may crack.

 

Fill jars almost to the top and secure lids.

 

 

Store in a cool dark cupboard until opened then refrigerate.

 

 

 

Vermicelli mince and noodle bowl

​

You don’t make friends with salad, but you do make friends with our delicious vermicelli noodle salad bowl with Vietnamese mince.

 

Perfect for a mid-week dinner or to take into the office for lunch.

 

Yummo!

 

What you’ll need:

 

Vegetables

½ capsicum

1 Lebanese cucumber

1 spring onion, green part only

2 radishes

 

Vermicelli

250g vermicelli noodles

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Two handfuls of baby rocket

 

Vietnamese mince

1 tablespoon olive oil

600g turkey mince

½ capsicum, core and seeds removed, finely diced

1 carrot, grated

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

2 spring onions, white and green part, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons water

 

Asian dressing

2½ tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce

¼ teaspoon of rice wine vinegar

 

To serve

30g chopped roasted peanuts

 

 

Method:

 

Prepare vegetables. Remove core and seeds from first measure of capsicum and thinly slice; cut cucumber in half lengthways, remove seeds, then cut into thin sticks; thinly slice first measure of spring onion on an angle.

 

In a large, heat-proof, bowl, pour boiling water over noodles and use a fork to separate strands.

 

Leave for 5 minutes then drain. Drizzle with sesame oil to prevent noodles sticking and cut noodles in a few places to make them easier to eat. Return to bowl with rocket and toss to combine.

 

Heat olive oil in a large frypan or wok on medium-high heat. Cook turkey mince for 2–3 minutes until browned, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add remaining capsicum and carrot and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes, until tender.

 

Add all remaining Vietnamese mince ingredients to pan/wok and cook for a further 1 minute, or until combined and heated through.

 

In a small bowl, mix all Asian dressing ingredients until well combined.

 

Divide vermicelli between bowls and top with Vietnamese mince and vegetables. Drizzle over Asian dressing and sprinkle over chopped peanuts and fresh sliced radishes.

 

Holiday fun

As life is starting to get back to some new normal in South Australia, you might be looking to head away for a trip with the family or for July school holidays after the cabin fever of having the kids cooped up at home for the last couple of months.

 

Regional South Australia is looking forward to welcoming you with open arms and small businesses still really need your support at this time.

 

So, here are some kid-friendly ideas for supporting local businesses for your next trip away.

 

 

Local activities

 

Most regional towns have loads of things to entertain the kids and the young at heart. You could hire some bikes or mountain bikes and explore local bike trails.

 

Organise a tour of the town you are staying in and get educated about the area.

 

You could join an arts and crafts day at a local organisation or local library.

 

Although some businesses may not be operating at full capacity, those that are would love your support, and you will be helping to put money in the pockets of the locals. 

 

 

Shop local

 

If you usually pack the caravan or kids into the car with everything you need except the kitchen sink, try looking to leave a few things behind and shop local.

Eat out at a local café where you are visiting, pick up some local produce to make a platter or even some local wine to share when the kids go to bed.

 

If you have some gifts to buy, why not head to the local toy shop or gift shop and do your shopping there instead of when you get back home to the city.

 

 

Local parks

 

The perfect way to support local in a socially distanced kind of way is by visiting some of South Australia’s beautiful local parks.

 

Many South Australian regional areas are blessed with beautiful national parks to explore and enjoy.

 

It's an excellent way to get the kids out, active and to explore SA.

 

Take loads of photos and share them with your family and friends and make a donation to the parks if applicable.

 

Enjoy exploring South Australia.

 

 

 

 

Homemade pizza dough

There is nothing better than making your own pizza at home, but what is even better is making the dough from scratch.

 

Cold winter evenings, by the fire with pizza and a glass of red wine in hand, is where it's at!

 

Once your dough is ready, you can get the kids involved to add on their favourite pizza toppings and then cook on a pizza stone in the bbq or oven.

 

Delish! Enjoy

 

What you’ll need:

 

1 kg white bread flour and 200g finely ground semolina flour

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 x 7g dried yeast sachets

1 tablespoon golden caster sugar

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

 

Method:

 

Sieve the flour/s and salt on to a clean work surface and make a well in the middle.

 

Mix the yeast, sugar and oil into 650ml of lukewarm water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well.

 

Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing, drawing more significant amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands.

 

Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.

 

Place the dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it.

 

Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for about an hour until the dough has doubled in size.

 

Remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands.

 

You can either use it immediately or keep it, wrapped in clingfilm, in the fridge (or freezer).

 

If using straight away, divide the dough up into as many little balls as you want to make pizzas – this amount of dough is enough to make about six to eight medium pizzas.

 

Delicious Osso Bucco

 

Winters is here! And boy did it come with a bang! It’s been very frosty, and it feels like a lifetime ago that we were running around in shorts at the beach.

 

So much has happened this year, so it literally does feel like a lifetime ago.

 

And we all need those meals that feel like a warm hug from a friend on a winter’s night. Osso Bucco is definitely one of those types of dishes.

 

It is perfectly paired with your favourite red wine.

 

What you’ll need:

 

900g veal shanks

30g flour

50g butter

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

160ml dry white wine

1 (400g) tin diced tomatoes

160ml beef stock

salt and pepper, to taste

30g fresh parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons lemon zest

1 clove garlic, diced

 

Method:

 

Lightly flour the shanks. Melt the butter in a deep frypan over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and cook until browned on all sides. Set aside and keep warm.

 

Add crush garlic and onion then cook until onion is soft. Return the shanks to the frypan with the carrots and wine and simmer 10 minutes.

 

Add tomatoes, stock and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and simmer over low heat 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes. The meat should be not quite falling off the bone.

 

In a small bowl, combine parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Mix into the Osso Bucco just before serving.

 

 

Experience our Cellar Door in style

As we get ready to re-open our Cellar Door this Friday, we thought we'd give you a little hand in booking in for one of our excellent Cellar Door experiences, so you don't miss out.

 

With social distancing restrictions, we will have limited numbers, so it's crucial that you book in to avoid disappointment.

 

You can book all of our winery experiences direct on our website.

 

So here are our top three to get you started.

 

 

LOCAL TASTING PLATTER FOR 2 PAIRED WITH A GLASS OF RAIDIS ESTATES FINEST - $50

 

Join us at our winery in the heart of the Coonawarra wine region for a delicious local produce platter for two people. 

 

Paired with a glass of wine from our Estate Range for each person.

 

Sip on your wine outside in the sunshine right next to our vines that grow the grapes we make our wines from or cuddle up in front of the fireplace with a glass of red in hand and a platter on the go.

 

Our outdoor area is family-friendly with games for the little ones and the big kids alike! 

 

Get cosy on a picnic rug and enjoy the country air. 

 

 

A TASTING FLIGHT OF OUR SUPER PREMIUM CABERNET SAUVIGNON THE TRIP - TASTE 4 X VINTAGES - $75 Per Person

 

 

This tasting is for the indulgent at heart, one for the Cabernet Sauvignon lover or those keen to learn a thing or two about this variety and makes the perfect gift for your wine-loving friends or significant other.

 

Included in this delightful tasting, you will experience the following vintages:

 

2008 The Trip - valued at $200 per bottle

2012 The Trip - valued at $150 per bottle

2013 The Trip - valued at $120 per bottle

2014 The Trip - valued at $100 per bottle

 

See how this beautiful wine develops with age, this tasting is an experience not to be missed. 

 

 

A PERSONAL WINE TASTING AT YOUR ACCOMMODATION - $50 Per Person

 

Enjoy a guided tasting in the comfort of your own accommodation. You don't even need to leave the couch. 

 

Stay warm and cosy, prep your favourite platter filled with local produce and we will bring the tasting to you.

 

Perfect if you are struggling to fit in all the wineries while you are visiting our beautiful region. 

 

Book a relaxed tasting after hours from the comfort of the couch.

 

Minimum of 8 adults for this experience.

 

 

Not what you are looking for?

 

Check out our other winery experience HERE, or give a call if you are after something a bit more bespoke. We look forward to seeing you at the Cellar Door soon.

 

Raidis Estate Coonawarra: http://www.winetourism.com/winery/raidis-estate-coonawarra/

South Australia: https://www.winetourism.com/wine-region/south-australia/