Love the Art of Wining and Dining

To sit and be fed by a friend, lover or enjoy a meal at a restaurant is not just a joy; the balance of flavours, texture, colours and the ambience is part of what makes it so special, and not having to cook it or clear up after; all contribute to this joyous art form. Every part, including the cocktails, Champagnes and wines, is a balancing act of perfection. The British love to eat out, a cherished social ritual, which remains a fundamental activity for socialising, celebrating, and the excitement of exploring diverse cuisines. After years of ‘meat and two veg’, the reputation turned around in the 1980s onwards, and the UK now has an extremely high-quality, varied offering. But part of the shift wasn’t just about what we ate, but how we consumed both food and drink. Gone was the post-war grey rationing, or the starchy white dining room of the French-inspired establishments. Food was vital, alive, bright, and great wines were plentiful. Find out more here in Love the Art of Wining and Dining.

Dining Out

For those of us in the UK, we saw, in the 1980s, a boom in British dining out. A time of rapid economic growth, financial liberalisation, and shifting social habits meant many had more disposable income, alongside things like the rising success of small venues such as gastro pubs, which offered more modest options and far more easy-going scenarios.

Australia

In the 1990s, a boom of wines from Australia hit the UK. It was an immediate love affair. What’s also interesting is that these wines played a pivotal role in transforming the UK restaurant and hospitality industry by providing high-quality, accessible, and consistent products that aligned with a new, more casual dining culture in the UK. The wines were immediate, fruit-driven, and easy to understand compared to complex, ‘old world’ European labels, making them perfect for new wine consumers and a more relaxed attitude to dining out.

Modern British Restaurants

And so modern UK dining became a fusion of traditional, locally sourced British dishes and a wide array of international cuisines influenced by Britain’s multi-cultural society, global travel, and a history of trade, that bought new tastes to the UK from around the globe. Part of this influx of new flavours came from Australia. What did this cuisine bring? Grown from the blend of Mediterranean and Southeast Asian influences, moving away from traditional European-only dining, it brought a lighter, more fusion, easy-going multicultural dishes to our shores. 

Wine Tasting London

And then came the Australian food heroes. This first significant wave of Australian chefs to arrive in London during the 1990s brought a revolution of fresh, Pacific-rim, and ingredient-driven cuisine to the UK, with key pioneers from this period including John Torode, Shane Osborn, and Ben O’Donoghue. Then there was the Australian chef who is credited with bringing “smashed avocado” and elevating the popularity of avocado and egg on toast to the UK, Bill Granger. 

Australian Wine

But then, after the initial love affair, things went a little sour, as the wines became seen as budget, cheerful, a go-to, reliable supermarket option. However, now, Australian wine has undergone a marked shift toward elegance, focusing on cool-climate whites (especially Tasmanian Chardonnay), lighter-bodied reds, and alternative varietals. Key trends include textural white wines, as well as an interesting cool-climate variety, with Tasmania leading with acclaimed Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2024 named the top wine in 2025. Other top regions include Margaret River (Cabernet) and the Yarra Valley.

Beyond Chardonnay, there is a surge in popularity for Fiano, Arneis, Albariño, and Grenache Blanc, which provide freshness and salinity. Shiraz remains popular, but the trend has shifted to lighter, more vibrant, and food-friendly styles. Grenache is also gaining significant traction.  

There are the small, “punk” producers, many of the trendiest Australian wines are produced by small, ’boutique’ makers and indie winemakers focusing on low-intervention, organic, and biodynamic methods. Known as the ‘new wave‘ or ‘avant-garde,’ they prioritise terroir, sustainability, and unique styles, such as orange, crunchy-textured, and lighter-bodied wines, over traditional, heavy, oak-driven styles.

So if you have yet to try this new lease of life of Australian wines, then there is a selection of London events for you at the Australian-inspired restaurant, Ziggy Green, that are exploring this new wave of drinks.

Tolpuddle Chardonnay

An inaugural dinner was hosted by Michael Hill-Smith MW, founder and winemaker of Shaw & Smith, one of Australia’s most iconic wine labels. Michael guided them through the stories, craftsmanship, and tasting profiles behind each wine poured throughout the evening. Shaw + Smith, established in 1989 in the Adelaide Hills by cousins Michael Hill Smith and Martin Shaw, is considered a leading, premium, family-owned winery. Michael himself came from a sixth-generation wine-making family, and as a co-host was an extraordinarily good raconteur.

‘I think for me, the emergence of quality Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy, and for that matter, the improvement in quality in Burgundy, has been one of the most exciting things in my wine life. We’ve grown Pinot Noir in the Adelaide Hills, and that’s been, that’s been a very exciting thing’

Michael Hill-Smith

At this tasting, he presented an array from across the company’s production. First up was MMAD Chenin Blanc 2024, a highly acclaimed, dry, and textured white wine from South Australia, featuring vibrant aromas of white jasmine, grapefruit, and pear. It offers a complex palate of yellow nectarine, cumquat, and stone fruit with a distinct, saline, and mineral-driven finish. Next up was Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2024, a bright, elegant, and cool-climate Adelaide Hills white characterised by intense citrus (lemon pith, grapefruit) and stone fruit (white peach, nectarine) flavours. It features a creamy, textured mouthfeel balanced by high natural acidity and a distinct, flinty. This was followed by Shaw + Smith Lenswood Chardonnay 2023, with intense, fine-boned, and steely notes. It features vibrant citrus, lemon curd, and white peach flavours with a mineral-edged, slightly smoky, and creamy texture. Then came MMAD Grenache 2023, a highly acclaimed, modern McLaren Vale wine described as intense, textural, and aromatic. Due to a cooler, later vintage, this 2023 release is characterised by a ‘brooding’ nature that offers a deeper, more savoury taste than previous vintages.

Michael then took the group all the way to Tolpuddle in Tasmania for the house’s Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2024. A highly aromatic, medium-bodied Tasmanian red featuring vibrant, concentrated notes of red cherry, raspberry, and sour cherry, often with hints of spice, forest floor, and violet. It offers a silky texture, fine, powdery tannins, and bright, refreshing acidity, producing a complex, savoury finish

‘We went to Tasmania, because all the wines, all the Chardonnays that I like, came from this place called Tolpuddle. Long story short, we went to the vineyard and absolutely fell in love with it. And you know, three weeks later, we did something spontaneous, because, as we drove out the gate, he (my cousin) turned to me, and he said, We’ve got to buy this’.

Michael Hill-Smith

The final two wines were Shaw + Smith Balhannah Shiraz 2018, with intense dark berries, specifically blackberry and plum, blended with savoury olive tapenade, black pepper, and dark chocolate notes, and Mt Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling 2023 desert wine, a rich golden tone, with intense lime flesh, lemon curd, honey, and marmalade notes, balanced by racy, high acidity that keeps the palate fresh, silky, and clean. 

So, how is it good to understand these new wines or even to understand tasting if you have never really experienced this before? Well, there are the basics to start with. A simple rule could be to know the “Five S’s” of Tasting.  Even without drinking, you can learn the methodology: See, the colour and clarity, then Swirl to aerate, getting air into the glass, next up would be to simply Smell the aromas, then Sip for the flavour, and finally Savour.

The next step would be to understand the grape varieties and their typical characteristics. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Riesling are the grand dames for whites and Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot for reds. Much of the reasoning behind why these are the ‘Noble’ varieties has to do with the old-world producers because they are historically rooted in the most prestigious, traditional, and long-established wine regions.

Then it’s good to understand how the climate affects the wines. The cooler areas like Germany and Northern France produce higher-acidity, lighter wines, while warmer regions like California and Australia produce bolder, riper wines. Areas including France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal and even Israel are considered the Old World makers whist America, South Africa UK and Australia are considered some of the New Wine regions.

So now you need to explore those tastes within the mouth. Traditionally, we taste sugar on the tip of our tongue, acidity on the side with salty and sour, with the back more sensitive to bitterness. This is why ‘rolling’ the nectar in the mouth is such an important part of tasting. Also, breathing in air allows the flavours to expand; it opens up all the flavours. Not unlike smelling a perfume or sipping a tea, wine has the same complexities but also travels up the nose into the limbic system and goes to the brain for its taste explosion.

Then there is ageing, the general rule of thumb is that red wine mellows with age, and a white wine gets stronger with age. So, for example, a young red wine will have high tannin levels and would be akind to sucking on a tea bag. It’s also good to know that cheaper wines, no matter how nice they might be, have no length. Think of this a little like a very weak cup of tea or a cologne in perfumery, which has only about 7% raw oils as opposed to an EDP, which would be more in the region of 20% + oils

So how do you know what you would like to drink amongst the huge variety of wines on the market? Well, this is where the event ‘paired’ at Daisy Green comes in. The evening is made up of a single Australian producer, introducing six wines paired alongside six dishes, curated to express the producer’s style, provenance, and story. Guests will dine sharing-style at long tables, creating a relaxed, communal atmosphere inspired by vineyard lunches and cellar-door feasts. Here the producer will talk diners through each wine, explaining the making process, its style, colour, taste and will offer great insider stories on the production and history of the maker and their unique offerings.

The Daisy Green Collection invites wine lovers and those who want to learn more about wine to take their place at the table with ‘Paired’, this new monthly wine supper club celebrating some of Australia’s most esteemed vineyards, winemakers and producers, hosted across its portfolio of distinctive venues. 

Each menu will be thoughtfully curated to complement the wines to make them shine, with seasonal tasting dishes designed to elevate every course and highlight both the character of each bottle and signature Daisy Green flavours. From first pour to final sip, every detail is considered. 

A deep connection with wine producers has always been central to Daisy Green’s ethos. ‘Paired’ celebrates this relationship by offering guests an elevated journey through Australia’s most exceptional wines, combining thoughtful hospitality with immersive storytelling and flavour-led dining. 

Each supper club offers a seasonal exploration of food and wine in a unique Daisy Green location – from sunset evenings on the decks of Peggy Jean, to candlelit gatherings in the vaults of Larry’s, and alfresco feasts by the canal at Bondi Green. Every experience is tailored to the time of year, the wines being poured and the spirit of the space. 

With just 20 guests per event, it offers rare access to iconic producers, exclusive spaces within the Daisy Green portfolio, and the opportunity to taste wines often unavailable by the glass. 

The Daisy Green Collection was founded by Prue Freeman and Tom Onions in 2012, starting with just two vintage ice cream vans (Pinky Green and Wander Green) and three tricycles. The food is carefully sourced and cooked in-house from scratch. Menus are inspired by Daisy Green founder Prue Freeman’s childhood at home on her family’s sheep farm and hot summers on the beach.

Confirmed Dinners for the year: 

31st March – Sam Barry and Erni Loosen (Jim Barry Wines and Dr Loosen) 

28th April – Michael Hill Smith (Tolpuddle, Shaw&Smith and MMAD) 

6th May – Johann Henschke (Henschke) 

3rd June – Torbreck 

24th June – Willunga 

22nd July – Nyetimber 

30th September – Stephanie O’Tool and Geoffrey Grosset (Mt Horrocks & Grosset) 

21st October – Vasse Felix 

18th November – Penfolds 

Each of the Daisy Green sites is an adventure and a story carefully curated for its unique audience. Add to that the opportunity to have an intimate dinner with excellent wine pairing can only make the experience even better.

Daisygreenfood.com book tickets here

Meet Shaw + Smith here at shawandsmith.com

If you enjoyed reading Love the Art of Wining and Dining, then why not read Explore Jazz Nights and Scented Days here

.Cent Magazine, London. Luxury Mindset