The second winery we visited on our Adelaide Hills Wine Tour was Shaw + Smith.
I had high hopes for this winery and was a bit disappointed. The tasting room is where the original restaurant was situated, it has a nice view out over the duck pond up to Mount Lofty.
My disappointment was the commercial nature of the tasting, the staff were helpful and knowledgeable, but the tasting was very impersonal and formulaic, which was the disappointing bit. The tasting was $12 per person and an accompanying cheese-plate was $6, so for $18 you get a decent taste of 5 wines paired with three cheeses. Our tasting line up was:
- 2016 Sauvignon Blanc, recommended cheese pairing was the Ashed Cherve by the Woodside Cheese Wrights
- 2016 Riesling, recommended cheese pairing was the Ashed Cherve by the Woodside Cheese Wrights
- 2015 M3 Chardonnay, recommended cheese pairing was the Triple Cream Brie by the Woodside Cheese Wrights
- 2014 Pinot Noir, recommended cheese pairing was the Mature Clothed Cheddar by Alexandrina Cheese
- 2104 Shiraz, recommended cheese pairing was the Mature Clothed Cheddar by Alexandrina Cheese
Whilst it was an “OK” tasting it was not great, no personality. I did not feel the inclination to buy anything, not sure if it was because nothing grabbed me, the commercial nature of the place or a combination of both, probably the latter. For more
