The Food - by Rob Guthrie
Reviewed by Mark Bradford
The morning showers cleared for our lunch today, presented by incumbent Chef of the Year Rob Guthrie. Good to have a few guests in the room to enjoy Rob’s pork lunch.
Rob was assisted with canapés by Peter Fitzpatrick, Bayne Kelly and our President, Steve O’Halloran.
Canapés
Canapés aplenty and of variety and quality. First off came Steve’s signature pass around; goat cheese topped with white anchovy and black olives served on a Jatz cracker. Always a winner.
Peter gave us mini toasts with two different toppings. The first was butternut pumpkin, butter, fresh sage, and olive oil. Delicious. The second topping had sun dried tomatoes, chilli, fresh basil, garlic, coarse salt and EVOO. Also, delicious.
Not to be outdone, Bayne offered up smoked salmon pin wheels, flat bread, spread with cream cheese mixed with capers, dill, lemon juice, chives and tender care. A cracker as well!
Main
Rob chose pork for his protein of the day. In fact, Rob chose six P’s: Pork, Pesto, Prosciutto, Parmesan and Plumbs and Port.
 We enjoyed a stuffed pork loin with poached plumbs and balsamic potatoes. The loins were opened and stuffed with pesto, prosciutto and grated parmesan cheese and roasted. The pork was paired with plums that were poached in port, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar. The juice was reduced with chicken stock to create the jus.
The potatoes were dry roasted with red onions added later, then all coated in balsamic. These were then served with rocket.
Another great effort from our Chef of the Year 2024.
Cheese
The Cheese Master vacated the REX fridge of the leftovers from the previous two lunches to serve today. Both well-liked separately, these were goat milk cheeses, but very different. The Brabander is an unusual semi-hard cheese made from the fresh milk of Saanen goats in the Brabant region of Holland. Its porcelain white paste is a stark contrast to the typical deep amber associated with classic Dutch gouda. From the Loire region of western France, the white mould Buche du Lucay has a dry, crumbly centre surrounded by a ring of soft ripened goat’s cheese, all blanketed in a soft velvet-like rind. The flavour is rich and creamy with a traditional goat’s milk tang.
The chèvre accompaniment was red gapes roasted with oil, red wine vinegar and thyme. These were served with walnuts caramelised with maple syrup.
Wine Report - by Stephen O'Halloran
We certainly rode high on the hog today with Rob Guthrie’s magnificent roast loin of pork with all the trimmings. A real feast for the 35+ who were wise enough to be here. See the food report for full details.
For starters, with our delicious canapés, we were served an Italian white from Tuscany: a Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2021 (13%). The wine, made from the Vernaccia grape, was the latest in a series of Italian whites our Wine Master has introduced over the past year. Generally, they have ranged from good to very good — but not this one. A strange honey‑like sweetness was the first and most powerful impression, although it did not persist as the wine travelled through the tasting process. It showed strong acidic crispness with citrus overtones and finished quite dry. I suspect my overall assessment was negatively influenced by that initial taste.
The first wine on the lunch list was a powerful Chardonnay: Kumeu River “Ray’s Road” Vineyard 2021 (13.5%). From the Hawke’s Bay region of New Zealand — a district recognised for its excellent Chardonnay — this was a very good wine. To my taste, an “old‑style Chardy”: big oak and buttery flavours, peach and other stone‑fruit notes, high acidity, and a gleaming gold colour. Very clean and crisp on the finish. Rich, mouth‑filling, opulent.
Wine No. 2 was a Chianti Classico from Pargliarese 2016 (13%). This 10‑year‑old Sangiovese showed some loss of acidity, leading to a somewhat unexciting finish. In many respects it was a typical food‑oriented Italian wine — unobtrusive and not aggressive, sitting quietly in the background and allowing you to enjoy your meal without storming onto your taste buds the way many Australian reds do. A nice food wine with earthy spice and cherry flavours. Still enjoyable, but not a keeper.
Wine No. 3 was Lindeman’s Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 2012 (14%). One of the three wines that made up the famous Coonawarra trio — Limestone Ridge, St George, and Pyrus — created in the mid‑60s by Ray Kidd with significant input from our very own Phil Lafter, who assures me he still has calluses from the backbreaking toil of establishing this vineyard. Today’s bottle was a monument to Phil’s efforts. Phil was with us, and I’m sure he took great pleasure in drinking it. A wonderful wine: dark, rich, with noticeable oak and tannin. Spicy from its 70% Shiraz component, with hints of mulberry, plum, and blackcurrant from the Cabernet. Rich and exotic on the finish. Now 14 years old, fully developed, and offering many more years of pure drinking joy.
The final wine on the list was Wynns “V & A” Shiraz 2008 (14%). A medium‑bodied, deeply coloured wine still showing considerable oak and tannin. Spicy, vibrant dark fruits produced a strongly flavoured wine showing no sign of ageing despite its 18 years. To my taste, a classic Australian Shiraz.
Because our table had nine people, we were given an extra bottle: Yalumba “The Cigar” Coonawarra Cabernet 2008. A wine we have enjoyed here in recent times, and today’s bottle was just the same — delicious. My wine of the day — you guessed it — the Limestone Ridge.
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