Oysters with a Cucumber, Chive and Rice Vinegar Dressing

Serves 4

3-4 dozen freshly shucked oysters

Cucumber salsa
1 telegraph cucumber
4 golden shallots, finely chopped
pinch of sugar
3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp of good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp of finely chopped chives
freshly ground pepper

Peel the cucumber and halve lengthwise. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds from the cucumber and slice it on a mandolin cross-wise into paper thin slices. Combine all of the ingredients and let the salsa marinate for 20 minutes. Spoon over oysters and serve.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Emeri Moscato
Delight in the fresh sparkling flavour and fruit aromas of De Bortoli's Emeri Moscato and transform the everyday into a truly unexpected moment...

Spaghetti Al Tonno

Serves 4

4 tbsp olive oil (more if needed)
1 garlic clove, crushed
bunch of parsley, chopped
1 small dried chilli pepper
2-3 anchovy fillets
200g canned tuna in olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
500g spaghetti


Heat the olive oil, garlic, chilli and half of the parsley in a pan and cook gently for 2 minutes. Add anchovies and tuna (with oil) breaking up the tuna gently with a wooden spoon. Cook gently for a further 10 minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Cook pasta in plenty of salted boiling water until al dente, drain. Add sauce to the pasta* and toss in the rest of the parsley, mixing quickly.

*If a little dry, add more olive oil

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Grigio
Windy Peak Pinot Grigio is made at our Dixons Creek winery. Fruit is picked at optimum maturity and whole bunch pressed to retain varietal character and freshness. It's a refreshing wine with aromas of honey and hay and grassy, herbal fruit flavours on the palate. 

Roast Duck Breast With Black Olive Sauce

Serves 6

Slow cooked tomatoes
3 roma tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced very sliced thinly
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 120ºC. Core the tomatoes and cut in half lengthways. Place cut side up with 2 slices of garlic and 2-3 oregano leaves on each tomato in a roasting tray. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Cook for 1 to 1/1/2 hours until tomatoes are tender. Allow to cool


6 duck breasts
1 cup roasted black olives
200ml reduced duck or chicken stock
200g green beans
5 peeled garlic cloves
80g butter, diced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper


Season duck breasts liberally with salt on the skin side and lightly with salt and pepper on the flesh side. Place breasts skin side down in a heavy base fry pan and place over medium heat for 10 minutes. The skin will render its fat and become crisp.When the skin is golden brown, turn over and finish cooking on the flesh side for another 3 minutes. Remove the breasts from the pan and place onto a tray somewhere warm. In a saucepan of boiling water, blanch green beans for 3 minutes. In a small saucepan melt butter and garlic over medium heat. In another small saucepan heat reduced duck stock with roast olives and bring to the boil. Drain the green beans and place in a bowl. When the garlic is slightly brown pour garlic/butter mixture over the green beans.


To serve
Slice duck breasts lengthwise into 4 pieces and arrange onto warm plates. Place green beans to the side with half a slow cooked tomato then spoon the duck reduction with a few black olives over the duck breast.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Pinot Noir
Over the past decade we have been working to reach our goal of making truly memorable wines. The way we tend our vineyards and the meticulous handling of fruit from vine to cask have helped us preserve the details of this unique place. The characters of site, reflection of season and the nuances of variety are what we refer to as 'wine with detail'. Fruit is chosen from low cropping mature vines grown on premium sites of our Dixons Creek vineyard.

Roast Beef with Mushroom Ragu

Serves 6

Roast Beef
1 whole grass fed beef rump cap, weighing around 1kg (or another cut such as sirloin or ribeye, allowing 190g per serving)
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
200g baby spinach leaves

Preheat the oven to 240ºC. Ensure beef is at room temperature and season with salt and pepper. In a fry pan over high heat, add 1/2 cup olive oil and seal beef on both sides until a rich brown. Transfer beef rump to a tray or leave in the same fry pan and place in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes (or longer if you like your beef medium to well done). Rest beef for 20 minutes and make mushroom ragu. When ready to serve, wilt spinach in a fry pan with a little butter. Place beef into oven to warm through for a few minutes and place wilted spinach in the centre of a platter. Slice beef across the grain and place slices over spinach. Serve the mushroom ragu alongside the beef.

Mushroom ragu
1 leek
3 cloves garlic
50g butter
80ml extra virgin olive oil
750g mixed mushrooms, including any of the following; swiss brown, oyster, king brown, black fungi, shiitake, enoki, shimeji
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup cream
1/2 bunch flat parsley, finely chopped


Finely chop onions and garlic. Slice the mushrooms into small pieces. In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt butter in the oil, sauté the onions until transparent, add the garlic and the mushrooms, turn heat up to high and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the white wine and reduce. Add the cream and simmer until mushrooms are tender
(3-4 minutes). Add the parsley and season to taste.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Sero Shiraz Tempranillo
Introduce yourself to the Sero range and discover the unique flavours of these classic styles deliciously blended with interesting European varieties. This Shiraz Tempranillo comes from the King Valley in Victoria and displays generous fruit flavours with softness and balance.

Noble One

After falling in love with sauternes wines in Europe, Darren De Bortoli set out to create his own style of dessert wine which led to the development of Noble One. The first vintage released was from 1982 and it created a storm. Since this time, Noble One has received more awards and accolades than any other wine. In 2008, Noble One celebrates 25 years since its first release and is today enjoyed all around the world. Some of our favourite ways to enjoy are with the simple things; foie gras, blue cheese or biscotti, enjoy!

Hearty Winter Soup

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
3 medium carrots, chopped
3-4 pieces celery, chopped
2 parsnips
1/2 cup barley
1/4 tsp dry oregano or basil or any herb
pinch of salt and pepper
410g tin cannellini beans, drained
810g tin chopped tomatoes
2 litre stock
1/2 cup Gulf Station Riesling

Put olive oil in a large pot suitable for soup. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery and parsnips. Sauté until the onion is transparent. Add the barley and herbs and cook for 1 minute.

Turn heat to high, add the wine and cook off. You will know when this is done as it will no longer smell as strongly of alcohol. Add the stock, cannellini beans and tomatoes. Stir.

Put lid on and let simmer for 1-2 hours stirring occasionally. The barley will expand and thicken the soup. You may want to add more stock depending on your preference for thick or thin soup.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Deen Vat 8 Shiraz
Deen De Bortoli created his vat series with the idea of developing a range of delicious, full-flavoured wines at an affordable price. The shiraz is characterised by rich plum and spice with intense fruit driven mid palate and silky oak providing a lingering finish.

Barbeque Ribs with Potato Wedges and Green Salad

Serves 4

Barbeque Ribs
1kg beef ribs, cut into sections
1 tbsp brown sugar (or honey)
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp dry sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
2 tbsp tomato sauce

Mix the ribs with all the other ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for a few hours or overnight.
Cook ribs over hot coals on a barbeque grill or bake in a moderate oven 180ºC (350ºF) until well browned and crisp. Baste frequently with marinade while cooking.

Serve with bread, salad and lots of serviettes for sticky fingers!

Potato Wedges
1 tbsp duck fat* (or olive oil)
salt and ground black pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly squashed
6 medium potatoes
3-4 sprigs rosemary

Place oil, garlic, herbs and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Wash potatoes, cut in quarters (or eighths depending on size) lengthways and dry thoroughly. Toss potatoes in duck fat* mixture, coating evenly. Place in a single layer on a shallow oven tray. Bake 200ºC for 1 hour or until golden, turning once. Serve with a green salad tossed with vinaigrette. Use 3 parts extra virgin olive oil, 1 part wine vinegar and freshly ground salt and pepper to taste.

*Duck fat or goose fat can be bought from some specialist grocery stores but is worth the hunt. It keeps for a very long time if stored in a sealed plastic container or jar in the fridge. Simply scoop out what you need as required.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Windy Peak Sangiovese
The Windy Peak Sangiovese is our take on Tuscan style dry red. Sourced from the King Valley, a region creating excitement with Italian varieties, the wine displays complex vibrant fruit characters of black cherry and raisin integrated with the quite dry tannins. It is made in a restrained style with varietal expression.

Potato Gnocchi with Broad Beans, Prosciutto and Pecorino

Serves 4

Potato Gnocchi
1kg peeled potatoes
200g plain flour
3 egg yolks
150g parmesan cheese
2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
sea salt
freshly grated percorino cheese

Cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to the boil then simmer until potatoes are soft. Drain and push potatoes through a sieve onto a cold surface. Make a well in the centre and add flour and other ingredients. Rub together to form a dough and shape the mixture into sausage rolls. Cut the rolls into small pillow shapes. Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool while the braised broad bean sauce is prepared.

Braised Broad Beans
2kg broad beans, peeled
1 brown onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
40g butter
200g prosciutto, sliced into thin strips
1 cup white wine
1 cup semi reduced chicken stock

Melt the butter and over medium heat, add onions, prosciutto and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes until onions are transparent. Add the broad beans, wine and stock, turn heat to high and bring to the boil. Turn heat down slightly and allow the mixture to reduce for 5 minutes until the beans are tender.

To Serve
Add gnocchi to gently boiling water and cook until gnocchi rises to the top. Gently remove with slotted spoon and drain. Place onto plates and cover with the broad bean sauce. Sprinkle with the freshly grated pecorino.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Yarra Valley Reserve Release Chardonnay
Of all the philosophical changes we've made, the understanding of our soil and vineyards
is probably the most important. Our primary goals are provenance, detail and texture in wine from the land we cultivate. In each of our Reserve wines, we have tried to preserve the detail reflective of site and season.

Emeri's Seafood Salad

Serves 4

300g calamari tubes
300g baby octopus
300g large green prawns, peeled
2 sticks celery cut into 6cm strips
1/2 cup diced red capsicum
1/2 cup black or green olives to taste (optional)
1/2 cup fresh chives chopped (optional)
1/2 cup capers or to taste (optional)
touch of chopped chilli (optional)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
lots of finely chopped fresh Italian flat leafed parsley
lemon juice
olive oil
3/4 cup Emeri's vinegar (or any good quality white wine vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste

Clean octopus and calamari, pat dry. Slice calamari into rings and chop octopus into halves or thirds.

Place baby octopus in saucepan and just cover with water. Add 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 tsp salt, bring to boil and cook until tender. Repeat the process for calamari and prawns.

Place the seafood into a large serving dish with celery, capsicum, olives, chives, capers, chilli and garlic and mix through. Drizzle olive oil over as required to maintain moisture. Sprinkle with lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste. Just before serving, garnish with lots of fresh parsley and mix through.

This dish can be stored in the fridge for up to an hour before serving.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Gulf Station Sauvignon Blanc

Gulf Station wines are made from both estate grown fruit and that of other low yielding premium Yarra Valley vineyards. Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in both cask and tank. Frequent stirring of the lees is used to increase complexity, texture and balance.

Pan Seared Snapper Fillet with Chickpea Purée and a Fennel and Mint Salad

Serves 4

1 cup dried chickpeas
2 garlic cloves, peeled
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 snapper fillets weighing 180g each

Place chickpeas in a bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 24 hours.

Place soaked chickpeas in a saucepan, cover well with cold water, add garlic and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours until chickpeas are soft. Add more water if necessary as the water evaporates.

Scoop out the chickpeas with sufficient cooking liquid and place into a blender while still hot. Add half its weight in extra virgin olive oil and blend until very smooth. Season to taste and set aside.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add olive oil to coat. Season both the skin and flesh sides of the snapper fillets with salt and pepper and place in the oil, skin side down. Reduce heat and cook gently to crisp the skin. After 5 minutes or when the skin is crisp, turn fillets over to finish cooking. It should take 5-6 minutes if the fillets are quite thick. When cooked, remove the fillets from the pan and place onto a warm tray.

Spoon 2 tbsp of the warm chickpea purée onto 4 warm places then place snapper fillets on top of the purée. Serve with a lemon garnish and fennel salad

Fennel Salad

1 large fennel bulb
1 Spanish onion
2 sprigs of fresh mint, leaves picked
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Finely slice fennel and Spanish onions and combine in a bowl. Tear mint leaves and add to the bowl. Combine lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, season to taste and dress the salad. Serve with the snapper and chickpea purée.

Enjoy this recipe with...

De Bortoli Windy Peak Viognier

Our interpretation of viognier is a little different. As Viognier is a very intense and highly aromatic variety, we have tried to capture its nuances and perfume, balanced with subtlety and texture.