27 AUGUST: Brash Higgins Wine Dinner
For 1 night only, meet acclaimed South Australian winemaker, Brad Hickney from Brash Higgins WIne to taste the best of the McLaren Valley. Discover new and unexpected varietals, including Australia’s only commercial Greek/Chinese varietal “Crystal”.
Enjoy a special Pipit set menu designed to best complement great wines such as
1. 2025 ‘CRYSTAL’ Sparkling White
1. 2024 ‘CINS’ Cinsault
2. 2017 ‘BLOOM’ Chardonnay
3. 2022 “Smart Vineyard” Grenache
4. 25Year Old TAWNY PORT
Pipit first stocked Brash Higgins in 2019/2020, and it has been a regular favourite on manager, Chloe Wilson’s current wine list. Brad’s wines are an easy and natural fit with Pipit with a shared ethos grounded in “sense of place”, sustainability and creativity. We’re excited to share even more delicious glasses with you!
BOOKING FAQS
5 course set menu (2 hour sitting time)
$165pp menu with drinks additional
Special wine pairing with Brad Hickney or by the glass wines available
2 x sittings from 5:30pm and 8pm
The menu will likely have seafood, meat, gluten, diary. There may be limited dietary adjustments, please add these notes to your booking
MORE ABOUT BRASH HIGGINS
Brash Higgins farm and produce organic and site-specific wines that capture the essence of McLaren Vale’s sun and soil and the elusive characters of the fruit. Omensetter Vineyard and the Brash Higgins Winery are both proudly ACO Certified Organic since 2017, and sit on 7 hectares of red-brown clay over limestone on the southwestern lip of McLaren Vale.
In 2007, Brad Hickey moved from NYC to McLaren Vale, South Australia. His journey through food and drink had taken him from his home in Chicago, to Paris, to Portland, to New York City where he flourished as head sommelier under 2 Star Michelin Chef David Bouley, and finally, to Australia, where he’d come to work his first vintage.
INNOVATING VARITEALS
Seeing how the Shiraz and Cabernet were hit the hardest by the drought, Brad began to investigate different grapes which might fare better in the harsh conditions.
In 2009 they added 1.2 hectares of Nero d’Avola as the first in McLaren Vale, and one of the first commercial plantings in Australia that kick-started the fervour the grape has since enjoyed. After learning in Sicily, from progressive producers using amphora to ferment, Brash commissioned Adelaide based potter John Bennett to make them some 200 litre terracotta vessels from the local SA clay.
They also have the first and only commercial planting of a Greek/Chinese varietal “Crystal” in Australia. Original brought to Australia in the 1950s by renowned McLaren Vale grower and Greek immigrant Chris Pappas.
Brad's interest in little-known or outre varietals has grown since then to encompass Zibibbo, Cinsault and Crystal. Their fascination with exploring fermentation techniques led to BLOOM, widely regarded as the closest any Australian winery has come to creating a local expression using methods associated with the famous, slow aged Vin Jaune wines of the Jura.
