At home in the Adelaide Hills
Our Story
"As individuals we are both highly flawed, or slightly flawed depending on your opinion, but if you put us together into one person we are quite impressive. Martin's discipline and my enthusiasm for new ideas - my flights of fancy tempered by Martin's pragmatism. It works."
Michael Hill-Smith AM MW
Shaw + Smith was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill-Smith MW and Martin Shaw. They focus on varieties that suit the cooler Hills climate: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
Growing the best possible grapes, managing vineyards sustainably, and valuing vine health, soil health, and low yields are central to the Shaw + Smith approach. In the pursuit of quality the wines are fermented, aged and bottled on site at Balhannah. The wines are vibrant, modern expressions of their varieties, their sites and the season. Shaw + Smith own four Adelaide Hills vineyards, in Lenswood, Piccadilly, Balhannah and Lobethal.
Shaw + Smith’s first vintage was in 1990 and in 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage.
Shaw + Smith’s first vintage was in 1990 and in 1999 they purchased a property at Balhannah, where they planted vines, and built the winery and tasting room in time for the 2000 vintage.
As the business has grown Michael and Martin have built a formidable team - including Master of Wine and Joint CEO David LeMire, Senior Winemaker and Joint CEO Adam Wadewitz, CFO Grant Lovelock and Group Viticulturist Murray Leake.
The next generation have also started working in the business, with Ella Shaw and Mathilda Hill-Smith joining the Shaw + Smith team in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
The next generation have also started working in the business, with Ella Shaw and Mathilda Hill-Smith joining the Shaw + Smith team in 2019 and 2022, respectively.
"...We realised that we needed to surround ourselves with outstanding people who would challenge us. If you're an ageing rock and roll band, what do you do? You go out and hire the best musicians you can."
Michael Hill-Smith MW
Michael Hill-Smith MW
Martin Shaw, Founder David LeMire MW, Joint CEO Michael Hill-Smith MW, Founder Adam Wadewitz, Joint CEO
Adam Wadewitz
David LeMire MW
Mathilda Hill-Smith and Ella Shaw
The Adelaide Hills: It's cooler, higher, wetter
Although grapes were planted as early as 1839, it was not until 1979 that viticulture was revived in the Adelaide Hills. Over the last three decades the Adelaide Hills has built a reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting regions.
Located in the Mt Lofty Ranges thirty minutes drive from Adelaide, the elevation varies from around 350 metres, to over 710 metres at Mt Lofty. The Adelaide Hills is bordered to the North by the Barossa and Eden Valleys and McLaren Vale to the South, but due to its altitude, the Adelaide Hills is significantly cooler and wetter.
Located in the Mt Lofty Ranges thirty minutes drive from Adelaide, the elevation varies from around 350 metres, to over 710 metres at Mt Lofty. The Adelaide Hills is bordered to the North by the Barossa and Eden Valleys and McLaren Vale to the South, but due to its altitude, the Adelaide Hills is significantly cooler and wetter.
Shaw + Smith own four vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, at Balhannah, Lenswood, Piccadilly and Lobethal totalling 70 hectares. The vineyards are planted to varieties that perform particularly well in the region, namely Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. We also use a number of different cultivars or ‘clones’ of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.
Site selection is particularly important in the Adelaide Hills, with its diversity of altitude, aspect, microclimate, and soil. We also use a number of different cultivars or ‘clones’ of each grape variety, which contribute different qualities to the final product.
The Winery
"In the Adelaide Hills in the 1990s, wineries were seen by the EPA and Council as persona non grata. There was Petaluma of course, but there wasn't much else of any size because wineries were portrayed as potential polluters. And so we had quite a lot of work to do convincing the powers to be of the positives of well considered winery development. Hopefully we made it easier for those who followed.
Before we actually settled on the property in the first half of 1999 I had designed the winery, had all permits in place so the winery was built in double quick time and was ready for vintage in February 2000. The build was a huge undertaking – fair to say I had hair prior to that.
Invariably people forget about growth when designing a winery. Our simple design allowed for future expansion and I think it's still pretty interesting and well designed. At the end of the day it is still a tin shed - but it’s a tin shed that is double-skinned, heavily insulated, above all practical and looks great.
Before we actually settled on the property in the first half of 1999 I had designed the winery, had all permits in place so the winery was built in double quick time and was ready for vintage in February 2000. The build was a huge undertaking – fair to say I had hair prior to that.
Invariably people forget about growth when designing a winery. Our simple design allowed for future expansion and I think it's still pretty interesting and well designed. At the end of the day it is still a tin shed - but it’s a tin shed that is double-skinned, heavily insulated, above all practical and looks great.
I still get a great deal of pleasure when people say this is a really terrifically designed cellar space. For me, it needed to be flexible, expandable, and to do everything we wanted to do, including a bit of contract work for others.
It was initially intended to handle 250 tonnes, but I’d designed the basic infrastructure for 500 but had expansion to 1000 tonnes in mind. Now we’re doing about 1600 tonnes in total for us and others.
We have a council and EPA imposed ceiling of 2000 tonnes on this site, and that’s a good thing for us. We’re still a fair way off reaching that, but what do we do if we reach 2000 tonnes? If we can’t increase the amount of wine we make, it makes us focus on making better and better wines."
Martin Shaw
It was initially intended to handle 250 tonnes, but I’d designed the basic infrastructure for 500 but had expansion to 1000 tonnes in mind. Now we’re doing about 1600 tonnes in total for us and others.
We have a council and EPA imposed ceiling of 2000 tonnes on this site, and that’s a good thing for us. We’re still a fair way off reaching that, but what do we do if we reach 2000 tonnes? If we can’t increase the amount of wine we make, it makes us focus on making better and better wines."
Martin Shaw
Winemaking at Shaw + Smith
Behind-the-scenes of Vintage 2023
“Our 30+ years of Shaw + Smith have been about making wines that I'm genuinely excited about, genuinely proud of, and represent the best that we can possibly do.”
Michael Hill-Smith MW
The Shaw + Smith Tasting Room opened in 2000 overlooking the Balhannah Vineyard.
The award-winning venue has become a must-visit destination when visiting the Adelaide Hills. A committed and passionate team of wine professionals host wine flights daily, explaining the Shaw + Smith wines in relation to the Adelaide Hills as a region and how our sites express their varieties differently.
The award-winning venue has become a must-visit destination when visiting the Adelaide Hills. A committed and passionate team of wine professionals host wine flights daily, explaining the Shaw + Smith wines in relation to the Adelaide Hills as a region and how our sites express their varieties differently.
Wine Education has always played an important role at Shaw + Smith, whether this be for trade, consumers or our own team.
Besides embedding educational elements into the wine flights for our guests, Shaw + Smith also host workshops and masterclasses nationally, and support the likes of the Len Evans’ Tutorial and Sommeliers Australia.
Besides embedding educational elements into the wine flights for our guests, Shaw + Smith also host workshops and masterclasses nationally, and support the likes of the Len Evans’ Tutorial and Sommeliers Australia.
Visit the Shaw + Smith
Tasting Room
Tasting Room
Award-winning wine
experiences and tours
experiences and tours
Next: Sustainability
Learn more about Shaw + Smith's commitment to sustainable grape growing and winemaking
