On a recent Sunday, we had two hours to kill while our child was at a birthday party in Richmond. On the doorstep of wine country, we drove to Pressing Matters (711 Tea Tree Road, Tea Tree) and took up residence in a little nook in the main tasting room. The impressive cellar door opened six months ago and offers wine tastings and small plates. From our comfortable leather and timber lined spot, we opted for the $20 tasting, of which $10 could be redeemed on a purchase. It’s exceptional value and took us through seven wines – Rieslings from dry to sweet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. From a little further research I learned that the winemaker is, in fact, one of my favourites, Samantha Connew of her own Stargazer label, assisted by Luke Andree who also has his own label, Sonnen. So as to not return to the kids party boozed, we ordered a serve of Ortiz sardines and crusty bread ($19) which was just perfect particularly as the Rieslings got sweeter. The stand out for me was the 2022 Riesling RO dry ($43) and my tasting buddy, the 2020 R69 sweet Riesling ($43).

Recipe: One-pot Saucy Beef Pasta

This pasta is winter comfort in a bowl. It’s quick, easy and relatively inexpensive. You can also add finely chopped vegetables such as mushrooms, zucchini and carrot to up your veggie intake too.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced 1 onion, finely chopped

500g beef mince

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp mixed herbs

400g crushed tomatoes

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)

1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper

350g penne, fusili or another short pasta

3/4 cup thickened cream

Method:

Heat the oil in a large pot and cook the onion and garlic for about two minutes. Add the beef mince to the pot and fry, breaking it up with a spoon as you go, until it’s browned. Add the herbs, stir, then add the tomato paste and cook for one minute. Next, add the crushed tomatoes, stock, salt, pepper and chili flakes (if you’re using them). Give it a stir then add the pasta to the pot and stir again. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Toward the end of the 15 minutes, you’ll need to stir more often so it doesn’t stick. Add the cream but don’t worry that it’s quite ‘saucy’, it’s meant to be like this as the pasta will continue to cook and absorb. Serve hot and topped with parmesan cheese and parsley. Feeds four.

Wine: Paisley 2022 Six Strings Tempranillo

From all outward appearances, it’s clear that Paisley’s 2022 Six Strings Tempranillo is intended to be paired with music. From the dirty orange sticker in the shape of an LP vinyl record, to the description on the back of the record, signed by winemaker Derek, aka DJ Deadly. “The blending of music and wine are two of my lifelong passions,” writes DJ Deadly. Okay DJ Deadly, I thought, laced with scepticism, let’s see what you got.

I can’t lie, though, I was intrigued. Pairing wine with music might seem unorthodox compared to a wine-food pairing, but it made sense to me as someone who frequently puts on music with a drink. I looked him up and discovered his wine pairing playlists. I hit shuffle on the most popular one, then sat back with a glass of this Spanish red from the Adelaide Hills. As the warm, calming tunes of Massive Attack and Moby, among others, swayed me into the perfect Friday night vibe, it hit me: I judged DJ Deadly too quickly. He set the mood, and I drank it all in, not just the glass (and then some).

As for the wine itself, it had a peppery, savoury taste that filled me up and made me feel like I was glowing. I imagined how good it would pair with a paella, to play up the Spanish of it all. Pouring the tempranillo into the recipe as I sip from a glass. Now that’s a perfect Friday night.

Set the vibe:

Wine: Six Strings Tempranillo from Paisley

Music: Teardrop by Massive Attack

Food: Paella

When: Friday night