In need of recipe ideas for a platter? Here is a delicious addition to a nibbles platter or cheeseboard for the start or end of a meal. Simply serve this pate with crackers or fresh crusty bread. It will go down a treat with your guests, especially with a glass of wine.
We used our homemade barrel-aged Muscat vinegar and Ben’s Blend bulk fortified wine. You may substitute these for any wine vinegar or Tawny style wine you have at hand. This dish can even be prepared in advance and frozen in small amounts to pull out for last minute entertaining. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
There are many helpful articles and creating the perfect party platter, like this one using locally made Wine Stains cheese boards made from recycled wine barrels.
Walnut, Mushroom & Port Pate
Ingredients
1 cup walnuts
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
5 cloves garlic
2 cups sliced mushrooms
½ cup parsely
2 tablespoons chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tawny style port
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions
Toast walnuts in oven or dry frypan over medium heat. Put nuts aside to cool.
Heat olive oil in a frypan. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent. Add mushrooms and herbs until the mushrooms are cooked.
Add a splash of vinegar and fortified wine (optional).
Let mushroom mixture cool before putting in food processor or blender. Add salt and pepper and pulse mixture.
Press into small containers and chill for a few hours before serving.
This grown-up ice cream sundae combines sweet fortified wine and honey into a delicious syrup that plumps up dried fruit, turning a summery dessert into an extravagance. Use your choice of dried fruit and nuts or whatever you have at hand.
Prep 5 mins Cook 20 mins Makes 6 Difficulty Easy
Ingredients
1/2 cup Fortified Barossa Semillon
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup dried figs, sliced
2 tbsp dried currants
1/2 cup toasted pistachios or almonds, finely chopped
6 cups vanilla ice cream
Directions
Heat fortified wine and honey in a small saucepan over low heat for a few minutes.
Stir in dried fruit, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to stand for 20 minutes.
Stir in toasted nuts just prior to serving.
Divide ice cream into serving bowls and pour sauce over the top.
Experience boutique Barossa wines with a personal touch.
Custom Personalised Wine Bottles
Perfect for Christmas, Birthdays, Corporate Gifts and Special Events
You choose the wine and packaging, we do the rest!
We offer a personalised boutique wine experience for our customers. Your custom label or personal message can be added to a selection of wine styles including cleanskins and current labelled stock.
Choose from ready-to-drink reds or fortified wines of various age and complexity. We can also arrange presentation packs of 1-4 bottles.
375mL from $8 per bottle
750mL – from $10 per bottle
This is the perfect gift for loved ones, corporate gifts, wedding bonbonnieres or events.
The Darkie Old Vine Shiraz which is a wonderful example of a classic Barossa Shiraz, and is the jewel in the crown at Liebichwein even amongst the many fabulous table wines and fortified wines on offer. The Darkie is a single vineyard flagship wine dedicated to Ron’s uncle Clarence Walter Liebich (1920-1988) who himself loved a good Barossa shiraz and regularly encouraged Ron’s winemaking abilities. He also planted the old 40 acre block of Shiraz grapes back in 1969 from which we source all the fruit for winemaking.
But why the name? A Barossa Shiraz is red – so why is it called ‘The Darkie’? Well…
Clarence Walter ‘Darkie’ Liebich was the second of three sons to Benno Liebich, who founded Rovalley Wines in 1919 at Rowland Flat. Rovalley Wines, and then Liebichwein which came after it, were known for their range of table wines and fortified wine including many port style Tawnys. In 1941, oldest son Leslie Alwyn ‘Lofty’ Liebich took over winemaking duties, and was succeeded as chief winemaker in 1953 by Clarence, his brother. Clarence Walter Liebich (or ‘Darkie’, as he was locally known due to his full head of dark black hair) was always a big fan of local Barossa Shiraz and other rich, hearty reds, and enjoyed sharing his passions in winemaking with nephew Ron. When Ron established his own boutique winery, it was only natural to create a big bold Shiraz in honour of Uncle Darkie who had inspired him along the way – and so in 1996, the Darkie Shiraz was born.
Vineyard: A lot goes in to making a high quality Barossa Shiraz. Initially the vines receive minimal attention and we allow nature to do the work. Dead arm affliction reduces yield but enhances flavour as does the use of hand-pruning and minimal irrigation. The vines grow on heavy black biscay soil at Rowland Flat on the eastern foothills of the Barossa. Vintages are very consistent in terms of quality and low yield averaging 2 tonne per acre, producing concentrated table wines and vintage fortified wine too.
Winemaking: Traditional techniques of hand plunging, basket-pressing with no fining or filtration were employed for fuller flavour. The Darkie is a unique Barossa shiraz that has been maturing for over five years in various aged American and French hogshead barrels, producing a multi-layered wine that showcases an enticingly rich nose, balanced intense flavours and subtle oak characters.
Taste Notes: The Darkie Shiraz nose typically exhibits black cherries, vanilla, chocolate with hints of sweet anise. A showcase of everything that makes Barossa shiraz so enjoyable, The Darkie Shiraz boasts amazingly complex concentrated flavours that fill the whole mouth, lingering long after the first sip. All this is perfectly balanced with the subtle oak maturation and super silky tannins. We recommend drinking at any age, but patiently cellaring for another 10-20 years will reward any wine connoisseur. Each vintage is unique and will have an initial impact that changes with each mouthful.
Vintage 2009 – a refined elegant wine with aromatic perfume, ripe plums, cherries and hints of savoury note like black olive, soft and complex
Vintage 2010 – exhibits more intense fruit characters balanced by the soft oak, dark brooding nose full of black cherries, chocolate mingled with sweet spiced vanilla
Vintage 2012 – a classic fruit-driven wine displaying ripe cherries, vanilla, chocolate and sweet spice with a seductively smooth, lingering finish
Out of all of the table wines and fortified wine on offer at Liebichwein, The Darkie Old Vine Shiraz is in a category of excellence all of its’ own. Special museum stock is currently available from vintage 2009, 2010 and 2012 but in strictly limited quantities. Like any good Barossa shiraz, it sells out very soon after it becomes available – something Uncle Darkie would be glad to hear!
Every year Liebichwein put the call out for the best home barrel blend. All amateur wine blenders around Australia are invited to submit their personal fortified wines for the chance to be crowned ‘best fortified blend’ in a competition organised by Barossa winery Liebichwein. The winner receives an engraved wooden dipstick trophy they can use to measure how much is in their barrel.
Fortified wines have a long history in the Barossa Valley and winemaker Ron Liebich certainly knows a thing or two about them. Ron has completed over 50 vintages growing and producing a range of wines with a special focus on fortifieds which have a widespread fan base across Australia.
Liebichwein cellar door offers varied fortified styles and blends made from red and white varietals including Muscat, Semillon, Frontignac and Grenache. Many customers come in to get regular refills of bulk fortifieds for aging and blending in their home barrel.
Having a home barrel to age your own fortified blend is one of life’s little luxuries. By running this competition, Liebichwein aim to reward the patience in taking on this challenge. Budding winemakers blenders are encouraged to enter one or more samples of their own blend for professional evaluation by Ron and an experienced judging panel.
During judging, an experienced panel taste all wine samples in a blind tasting. Tasting notes are written and quality scores given for overall flavour and balance. Judges look for wines that are in balance and provide a good drink no matter how old the wine is or what stage of development it is. All entrants receive feedback from the panel and blending advice from Ron which we know is greatly appreciated.
The competition was held in August-September. Entrants submitted a 200mL wine sample. A wide range of barrel-aged fortified wines was on show of all varieties and ages. There were five gold medals awarded to three different people who all received a prize of rare fortified samples over 20 years old. The winners were announced at an event for entrants at Liebichwein in mid September.
