THE HUMBLE SPITTOON

There are five basic steps in wine tasting: colour, swirl, taste, and savour – often known as the five S’s, see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savour. From humble beginnings the spittoon has become an integral part of the tasting experience, the sixth S.

Guided by our wine experts, guests are taken on a wine journey, recognising in glass appearance, the
in-mouth sensation, and the finish.  The spittoon gives them the option to move onto another wine without imbibing – the purpose remaining to sample and compare.

Pt. Leo Estate has long fostered collaborations with local producers across seasonal menus for all three dining spaces to deliver authentic, locally inspired dishes. The search for an artisan to create an object part of the Pt. Leo Estate experience was approached with the same vigour.

The brief was established; create a vessel that reflects the rich reds of the Estate’s iconic Pinot Noir and deep red tones of autumnal foliage dotted throughout the vineyard. Inspiration was to be drawn from the red fruits of the region that define the flavours, and the challenge was to find a medium that spoke to the environment, where light is bright and vast. It was decided, glass would be the perfect embodiment of these characteristics and who better to create the vessel than Red Hill based, Gordon Studio Glassblowers.  A business shaped over sixty years and three generations from Norway to Scotland and Australia, each Gordon-Donaldson glassblower exhibits their own interpretation of the ancient craft and artisanal design.

A new collaboration, the artisans rose to the challenge. Needing more than one spittoon to service the guests of Pt. Leo Estate, the process of creating multiple objects that are the same is always a test of the artisans’ love. Through the challenges of glass, the wabi-sabi handmade approach is ever present, and something that they love about the work. Each piece is individual.

Who knew the humble spittoon could be such a thing of beauty?