Wine and Food Society of NSW 2026 Lunch Blog

L31 Tom Squires

Tue, 01 Sep 2026 02:30:00 GMT

L31 An afternoon escape to Italy

40 members and guests rolled up to enjoy some Italian delights, welcoming in the first day of Spring. The lunch was put togehter by newly sworn-in member Tom Squires, assisted in the kitchen by guest Sam Alexiou. Tom was presented with the WFSNSW 'Golden Apron' for his first time cooking for the Society.

Wine report by Stephen O'Halloran

The theme for today’s lunch was Italian, put together by one of our newest members, Tom Squires, with the assistance of potential new member Sam Alexiou. Their youthful keenness and drive to put on a good lunch were rewarded with an excellent lasagne, plus some delicious canapés. See food report.

It was terrific to see a good roll-up, with around 40 members supporting them at their first WFS lunch.

The canapé wine was a Prosecco Rosé by Riva dei Frati NV. I suppose it was only a matter of time before we saw a Prosecco joining us for lunch, given the popularity of this drink worldwide. I thought that one day we would have to move with the times and not be like King Canute.

So, what is so wrong with having a Prosecco with an Italian meal? Plenty, in my view. Put simply, it was far too sweet and sugary and not in balance. Sorry to sound negative, but that's how I saw it. I really did not like it.

A courageous choice by our Wine Master, who is always endeavouring to widen our wine horizons with something a bit different.

The first two lunch wines were top class: a Seghesio Langhe Nebbiolo 2019 at 14.5% and a Poderi Aldo Conterno Barbera d'Alba 2015 at 14.5%. Both wines were lovely.

The Nebbiolo was a lightish wine, the colour of mild cherry, with a matching structure, but packing in some wonderful full fruit flavours of strawberry and cherry. Spicy, earthy hints followed, leading to a well-balanced texture with firm tannins and sufficient acidity to ensure a delightful finish.

A fine wine. I can just see myself on the shore of Lake Garda, on a sunny day, sipping this wine with a plate of antipasto, with enjoyable company, of course. Heaven!

The second wine, the Barbera, was totally different. Full-bodied, dense purple/black in colour and almost opaque. A big wine, no doubt, but in perfect balance and showing lots of flavour of blackberries, leather and earth. Tannin, oak and acidity all teamed up together to produce a powerful and pleasant finish.

Very definitely a wine for a fine Osso Bucco. I can just taste it!

Next was the Wynns Black Label Cabernet 2015 at 13.8%. This wine needs no introduction to our Society. It never fails to hit the mark, time after time.

Medium-weight and jam-packed with the classic taste of mature Coonawarra Cabernet, I think this wine has a great future ahead. Now 11 years old, it will be showing its class well into the 2030s.

An Australian icon.

The wine had that unmistakable aroma and taste of an Australian red wine, so different from the preceding Italian wines.

Wine 4 was the Tyrrell’s Old Hut Shiraz from 2014 at 14.2%. This wine is commonly regarded as the poor cousin of the esteemed Tyrrell’s Sacred Site collection. However, it comes from a vineyard right next to their celebrated 4 Acres vineyard, and being a 2014 vintage, it just does not put a foot wrong.

Totally different from the Wynns, it was much lighter, with juicy, sweet fruit. A soft wine, with gentle tannins and spicy dark fruit of plum and blueberry. An excellent finish.

A great example of the excellence of the 2014 vintage in the Hunter.

The final wine for our table was a “Fridge Drop”, by reason of our table numbers: a Lindeman’s Limestone Ridge Cabernet/Shiraz from 2012.

Once again, this wine was so different from the Italian wines in flavour and structure. You really knew you were back in OZ!

However, as I am uncertain how many in the room tasted this wine, I will not bang on, save to say it was delicious.

My pick of the day: the Barbera.

Food report by James Hill

A great way to welcome Spring with an Italian-themed menu, with first-time Chef of the Day Tom Squires in the kitchen, assisted by Sam Alexiou (Bill’s son and Tom’s cousin).

Canapés

Caprese skewers of Roma tomatoes, basil, bocconcini, glazed balsamic and EVOO.

Whipped ricotta on crostini, topped with lemon oil, toasted walnuts, hot honey and thyme.

Mushroom arancini with aioli dip.

Main

Slow-cooked beef short rib lasagne.

Salad of butter lettuce, shaved fennel, Parmesan, pine nuts and lemon vinaigrette.

A lasagne with a difference. Tom used 10.5 kilos of braised beef short rib as the filling, with béchamel and pasta perfectly cooked. A simple salad accompanied the main course.

A great effort by a first-time Chef of the Day. All aspects of the lunch, from the canapés through to the main course and cheese accompaniment, were acclaimed by attendees today.

Plenty on the plate — no one went home hungry!

Great flavours, textures and presentation were a highlight.

Bread

Fiore Bakery - Mcmahons Point.

Cheese

Keeping with the Italian theme, our Cheese Master, Mark Bradford, presented a blue cow’s milk cheese from Italy, ‘Gorgonzola Dolce’.

Surrounded by the lush pastures of Lombardy, the Mauri family still mature cheeses in their purpose-built caves, carved into the foothills of the Italian Alps.

Typically made from a single milking, the white interior has thick green lines of mould and a soft, creamy flavour. The crusty rind bulges as it matures and develops distinct yeasty flavours reminiscent of Taleggio. Gorgonzola Dolce is soft and sweet, with a subtle creamy texture and a piquant finish.

The cheese was accompanied by peeled grapes baked with orange zest.

L30 Dennis Redfern - August Wine Lunch

Tue, 25 Aug 2026 02:30:00 GMT

L30 August Wine Lunch - COTD Denis Redfern

Today was certainly one for the books, with a stellar line-up of talent on display, both in the kitchen from our Chef of the Day and from our wine cellar. The day was expertly hosted by Chilly, who provided Members with a wealth of insight into the wines presented, bringing the stories and characters behind the wines to life.

The afternoon concluded with Members having the opportunity to sample wines from our two guest winemakers, providing a fitting end to an outstanding day of food, wine and conversation. More about this below!

To top things off, we were able to welcome a new Member into our Society.

Wine report by Stephen O’Halloran

A full house of 50+ enjoyed some terrific food and wine, and I am sure we all had a rollicking great time. The canapés by James Hill, Steve Sparkes and Gary Doherty were a great hit, while the roast beef prepared by Denis Redfern was plentiful and beautiful. Well done to all involved.

The canapé wine was a Society favourite, the Pewsey Vale Contours Riesling 2017. This wine never fails and remains one of our top canapé wines. Crisp, bright acidity and a clean finish, preceded by delicate hints of lemon and lime citrus. I did notice, however, that some bottles I poured were a tad darker than most — a little less vibrant perhaps. Bottle variation, or simply age, may have been a factor. Nonetheless, a delightful canapé wine.

Now for the serious business of the day: the Shiraz taste-off between Australian and French wines from the Northern Rhône. I do not intend to report in detail on all of the wines involved, but instead provide my summary of the comparison as I saw it on the day.

The Australian Shiraz was represented by the iconic Best’s Vineyard in Great Western Victoria, featuring their Bin 0 from 2010 and 2014. These wines come from vines planted in the late 1880s and early 1900s — truly a national treasure for Shiraz lovers. The French were represented by four Guigal wines: a 2010 St Joseph, and three Côte-Rôtie Brune et Blonde Syrah from 2012, 2010 and 2009. Interestingly, all six wines were 13.5% alcohol.

The local team elected to kick off with the 2014 leading the charge, followed closely by the 2010. Both wines were superb, although in my view the 2014 had the edge. Over the last few years I have drunk many bottles of their Bin 1 2014, which has become my go-to red wine.

Both the 2014 and 2010 Bin 0s were elegant, mid-weight wines, garnet in colour with traces of purple. Spicy and peppery, with wonderful balance between tannins, oak and acidity, they led to a lingering, powerful finish demanding another glass! Both wines were truly Shiraz of the highest quality.

The 2010 Bin 0 had won multiple awards at the Sydney Show in past years. However, on this occasion the room narrowly preferred the 2014, with personal taste probably being the key factor.

The French line-up was, I think it is fair to say, lighter in colour and structure than the Australian wines. The Côte-Rôtie wines were all 96% Syrah with 4% Viognier, while the St Joseph was 100% Syrah.

They were all mid- to light-weight wines, red-brick in colour, with hints of earthy spice and cherry on the palate. Balance was good, with noticeable acidity present. The wines were enjoyable to drink, but it must be said that, with the exception of the final wine — the 2009 — they left the palate without making much of an impression.

The 2009 was, in my opinion, the pick of the French bunch: a really nice wine, with a deeper and denser structure than the others, rich fruit and a fleshy, supple character.

A direct comparison between the two groups revealed, in my opinion, that the Australian wines had more flavour while retaining their elegance, finishing with a more appealing aftertaste. The French wines, with the exception of the 2009, finished in a somewhat bland fashion.

At the end of the day, by general acclaim it was a win for Team Australia, with the Best’s Bin 0 2014 the room’s first choice, the Côte-Rôtie 2009 in second place and the Best’s Bin 0 2010 third.

A most interesting afternoon, with special thanks to the late Paul Firman and our Gregg Chugg for selecting these outstanding wines many years ago, making a day like today possible.

My pick of the day: Best’s Bin 0 2014.

Words by Tony Scott

After completing his presentation of the Northern Rhône reds, Chilly invited Tony Scott to introduce his two winemaker guests, Tom Egan and Alex Head, who spoke to Members about a selection of their wines presented on the day.

Tom Egan learned his winemaking skills in Margaret River, Western Australia. For five years, he and two of his WA winemaker colleagues travelled to Mendoza, Argentina, for every vintage, making wines which they then marketed back in Australia under the Jed Wines label.

Tom is now National Marketing Manager for Viticult, based in Marrickville, which represents a number of impressive South American wines in Australia. These include wines from Bodega Colomé of Salta, high in the Andes of Argentina — an area where Phil Laffer himself spent five years working as a winemaker.

Alex Head, of Head Wines, spent several years working with Jon Osbeiston at Ultimo Cellars before moving to Langton’s, where he spent a further five years developing his knowledge of wine. During this time, he also graduated from Sydney University with a degree in Chemistry and Microbiology.

Alex has now completed 20 successive vintages making wines in the Barossa. His wines include several Shiraz made in a Northern Rhône style, notably Head Wines The Blonde and Head Wines The Brunette.

Perhaps most remarkably, Alex has achieved all of this without owning a winery himself — an impressive testament to his winemaking experience, relationships and resourcefulness.

Food report by James Hill

Full house today for our August wine tasting lunch, with Denis Redfern in the kitchen as Chef of the Day.

Guests were welcomed with a selection of canapés: James Hill’s coarse country-style terrine, based on a recipe from Damien Pignolet; Steve Sparke’s dried apricot with a splodge of crème fraîche, a piece of walnut and a drizzle of honey; and Gary Doherty’s salmon mousse tarts. A varied and enjoyable selection to get the afternoon underway.

The ribeye was the centrepiece of the meal, with four substantial pieces of beef prepared for the occasion. Each piece was carefully dried, seasoned and lightly oiled before being given a very hot sear to develop a rich, flavoursome crust. The beef was then finished gently in the oven, with the cooking closely monitored to ensure each piece reached the desired level of doneness.

As the pieces varied slightly in size, they were removed from the oven individually rather than all at once. After a long, well-insulated rest, the beef settled beautifully, resulting in a consistent rare to medium-rare finish across all four pieces.

The result was excellent. The exterior had a deep, well-developed crust, while the meat remained tender, juicy and beautifully pink through the centre. The long resting period also appeared to pay dividends, with very little juice lost when the beef was carved.

The beef was served with Beaver horseradish cream. The sharpness and gentle heat of the horseradish provided an excellent counterpoint to the richness of the ribeye and made for a classic combination.

Yorkshire puddings were prepared to accompany the beef, ensuring there were plenty to go around. The batter was made with eggs, plain flour and light milk, with the lighter milk helping produce a particularly crisp result.

The puddings were cooked in well-preheated muffin pans with beef tallow, giving them a wonderfully savoury flavour. They rose impressively in the oven, developing a crisp, golden exterior while remaining light and airy inside. Briefly reheated at the REX just before service, they retained their crispness and arrived at the table in excellent condition.

They proved to be the perfect partner for the ribeye — crisp on the outside, soft within and ideal for soaking up the meat juices and horseradish cream.

The roast potatoes were another highlight. Potatoes from Mitolo Farms were prepared and partially roasted in a combination of duck fat and ghee before being finished the following day at the REX. The result was exactly what you would hope for from a great roast potato — beautifully crisp and golden on the outside, with a soft and fluffy centre. They provided an excellent accompaniment to the beef and gravy.

The gravy was made by deglazing the roasting pans with Fantini Sangiovese, before combining this with beef stock, more of the wine and Oxo cubes — a nod to traditional Yorkshire practice. It was reduced to develop plenty of depth and body and provided a rich and flavoursome accompaniment to the beef and Yorkshire puddings.

The sauce soubise was particularly interesting. Cooked until tender before being combined with béchamel and finished with butter. This is a family tradition passed down from Denis’s grandparents and is rarely seen on menus today. Its creamy, savoury character made it a wonderful accompaniment to the beef.

The green beans were simply prepared, cooked until tender but retaining a pleasant crispness. Their freshness provided a welcome contrast to the richness of the main course.

The meal concluded with a washed-rind Langres from Fromagerie Germain, which arrived at the table in perfect condition. This was accompanied by a fresh spinach salad and crusty bread, both courtesy of Rob Guthrie.

Denis is indebted to James Hill, Steve Sparke and Gary Doherty for their excellent canapés, and to Rob Guthrie for the spinach salad and for sourcing the crusty bread that accompanied the cheese.

It has been ten years since Denis was last in the kitchen, and it was a very welcome return. There was clearly a great deal of thought, preparation and effort that went into today’s lunch, and it was masterfully executed, with flavours, textures and presentation all working beautifully together.

As Phil said today, we saw a perfect combination of food and wine — a fitting description of an excellent August tasting lunch.

New Member Alert

President Stephen O’Halloran welcomed a new member today, Peter Antaw, to our society presenting him with a society pin and our history “A table of delights”.

L29 Hal Epstein

Tue, 18 Aug 2026 02:30:00 GMT

L29 Hal and his Pork Knuckles

Today saw 30 members around the tables with Hal at the helm putting on a show with his pork knuckles. Our Wine Master brought back some fond memories for our President, brining out a wine he discovered on his honeymoon all those years ago.

Wine report by Stephen O'Halloran

Today, a crowd of about 30 or so gathered together for a bit of knuckle @ the WFS, and by that I mean Pork Knuckle, not what goes on in our Committee meetings. Hal Epstein had put on a delicious meal of perfectly cooked Pork Knuckle with red cabbage and all the other trimmings. It was a great effort from Hal & Amosh to put it all together. See Food Report for more detail.

Our Canapé wine was the Larry Cherubino Folklore Chardonnay 2022 @ 13.3%. This man is one of our best winemakers, and this is his entry-level chardy from his vineyards in WA. The wine is a very acceptable commercial-style drink for Canapés. Good acidity, hints of melon & stone fruits, quite a big wine packing lots of rich fruit flavours, but to me the finish was marred by a degree of sweetness which I found off-putting. However, it is what it is, a good-value Chardy which would appeal to many, but not this little black duck.

Wine number 1 on the lunch wines was the great Schloss Johannisburg Kabinett Rotlack Riesling 2021 @ 11.5% from the Rheingau district of Germany. What a wine!

My wife & I first tasted this wine when on our Honeymoon in 1972, when we visited Norfolk Island. One mouthful and we were hooked. I think we drank it with everything we ate: steak, roast beef, fish, pasta, salads and so on. The memories are very clear. It certainly washed away any honeymoon anxieties, including how we were going to afford bottle after bottle of this wine!

So much for an expedition down memory lane. Put simply, this is a magnificent Riesling. Elegant, restrained, perfectly balanced fruit/acid integrating seamlessly. Lingering finish that yearns for more! Pure, vibrant, everything in harmony. I can say no more. Wonderful.

Number 2 wine, the Port Philip Estate 2023 Pinot Noir @ 13.5%, was to me disappointing. The wine & I just did not hit it off together from my first glance at its insipid appearance. Light, pale red-brick colour, thin & lacking in any degree of depth or flavour. A cool-climate wine from the Mornington Peninsula, the wine was highly acidic & finished poorly. To me, this wine was a throwback to the early days of PN in Australia, watery & flavourless. I have no desire to see this wine again.

Wine 3 was the SC Pannell Adelaide Hills 2016 Shiraz @ 14%. This chap is one of my favourite winemakers, but I regret to say, this wine was not one of his best. Colour was good, a mid-weight Shiraz, quite elegant on the palate, showing nice earthy spices with firm tannins & good oak integration, but there was something lacking at the finish. Maybe acids were falling away a tad, leading to a rather dull finish. Still an enjoyable lunch wine, however, but perhaps I was expecting a bit more from this celebrated winemaker. Perhaps should have been drunk 2/3 years ago.

Final wine of the day was the 2016 Pagliarese Chainti Classico @ 13%. A wine from Tuscany, 90% Sangiovese. The colour was still good, dark fruit flavours of cherry, blueberry & raspberry, tannin & oak in balance, but I detected a touch of acid loss at the finish, with a touch of flabby aftertaste. Still quite an acceptable lunch wine, but again, in my view drinking a few years beyond its prime.

My wine of the day, the magnificent Schloss Johannisburg Riesling.

Food report by James Hill

Our chef of the day was Hal Epstein.

Hal always looks to do something a little different. Today, it was canapés with an indigenous ingredient.

Hal started with popcorn with a bush pepper blend.

Freshly popped popcorn dusted with a bush pepper blend.

A first as a canapé in my time with our society.

Yours truly followed up with some kangaroo loin meatballs with saltbush, some Davidson plum paste, and balsamic dipping sauce. Kangaroo is a lean meat, so when preparing the meatballs, we added some pork fat to stop them drying out.

Then came mini arancini coated with lemon myrtle crumbs and onion, breadcrumbs, mozzarella, and Parmesan mixed with the rice.

Roasted pork knuckle with red cabbage, cauliflower, and a panko crumb topping.

The pork knuckles were perfectly cooked, crackling on the outside and the meat moist and tender, falling off the bone. On the plate, we had red cabbage that was slowly cooked with apples, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, and butter, and panko-crusted florets of cauliflower.

What a feast! No one went hungry today; the pork knuckle average weight was 800 gms.

A very good lunch today. Thanks, Hal.

Hal acknowledged the assistance of our kitchen brigade in preparing the pork knuckle.

Bread

Bread was baguettes from Baker Bleu, Double Bay.

Cheese

Hal got Claude to recommend a cheese, and cheese master Mark Bradford obliged. Today we had ‘Stilton’, a cow’s milk blue cheese from England.

A limited quantity of Stilton is made at Colston Bassett to a traditional recipe exclusively for Neal’s Yard Dairy using animal rennet, which creates a delicate, friable texture and long, complex flavour. Curds are hand-ladled into cylindrical moulds; a time-consuming and painstaking process, but one that helps to preserve the structure of the curd and deliver a smooth, rich-textured cheese.

The piercing takes place later in the maturation process in order to strike the right balance between creamy, flavoursome paste and blue mould.

During maturation, the crusty rind forms naturally, encouraged by rubbing and brushing, and after spiking, blueing radiates from the centre. This is a buttery, silky cheese with an elegant sweetness.

L28 Bernard Leung

Tue, 11 Aug 2026 02:30:00 GMT

L28 A Taste of Chinatown Comes to Gresham Street

36 members gathered around the tables to enjoy a taste of Chinatown, put on by our very talented Bernard Leung with the assistance of James Hill.

Wine report by Stephen O'Halloran

A quite reasonable crowd turned up today to sample Bernie Leung’s Chinese banquet, which was delicious from the canapés through to the main course of stir-fried pork. See the food report for full details.

Canapés — Collector Chardonnay 2021

Wine 1 — Pikes Merle Riesling 2022

Wine 2 — Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2023

Wine 4 — Orlando St Hugo Cabernet 2009

With the canapés, we enjoyed a really nice little Chardonnay from Collector Wines, near Canberra, although the grapes were grown in Tumbarumba, southern NSW.

This region has, in recent years, developed a worthy reputation for excellent Chardonnay. Some of Penfolds’ top Chardonnays are sourced from the region, as are some of our best sparkling wines.

The wine today was the 2021 vintage at 12.9%. A few years of bottle age have produced a rounded, well-balanced wine. It showed a gleaming green-gold colour, clear and crisp, with an abundance of quality fruit. Apple, melon and peach were prominent.

This is an extremely good commercial Chardy, drinking at its peak, with a powerful finish.

Wine 1 on the lunch menu was the highly rated Merle Riesling from Pikes in Clare. This is their flagship white wine, made only in the best years.

A beautiful Riesling at 11.5%, this wine came from the acclaimed 2022 vintage. It was an elegant, restrained Riesling showing real class.

I have no doubt that it will be drinking superbly in another 10 to 15 years. Today, the wine was showing hints of lime and lemon, with perfect acid/fruit balance on the palate, leading to a crisp, lingering finish.

I would really love to drink this wine again in 2036, by which time it will have become a classic.

Wine 2 was the Clonakilla Hilltops Shiraz 2023 at 13.5%, a wine grown in and around the Young district of NSW.

A mid-weight Shiraz, red-brick in colour and showing typical quality Shiraz flavours of pepper and spice. Oak and tannins were nicely in place. This is a cool-climate wine with great potential to develop into a refined Northern Rhône style.

I am sure that, given another five years of bottle age, this wine will become a delightful, elegant mid-weight Shiraz.

Just give it more time.

Wine 4 was a beauty — a 2009 Orlando St Hugo Cabernet at 14.2%.

A lovely 17-year-old Cabernet with all the trimmings. Huge berry-fruit aromas, an intense deep-red to near-black colour, and sweet, chewy flavours of plum, blackcurrant and chocolate.

The oak and tannins worked perfectly together on the finish to deliver great satisfaction. A rich, muscular wine and a real treat to drink.

A very typical example of a high-quality aged Australian Cabernet.

Our wine master also served some “table drop” reds. Our table scored a Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Malbec from Margaret River, which was delicious.

My wine of the day was the St Hugo.

Food report by James Hill

A welcome return to the kitchen today for former Chef of the Year winner, Bernard Leung, presenting a Chinese themed lunch for us today.

Canapés

First up Bernie presented some double fried pork bites:

Pork shoulder cut into small cubes, and marinated in Chinese Rice Wine and Soy Sauce overnight.

Batter of Corn Flour and Potato Starch + Xantham Gum (to repel water and keep crispy) made.

First fry to cook, and then packed away. 2nd fry for 2-3 minutes to heat up and crisp before tossing with a mixture of honey and Chun Kong vinegar to serve.

Yours truly presented a variation on prawn spring roll — shelled and deveined prawns marinated in garlic and ginger overnight. Then smashed on rice paper and deep fried and served with hoisin and soy dipping sauce.

Main

Braised Shanghainese Pork with Rice

Slow cooked for 2 hours in sugar, soy, garlic, cinnamon and star anise water mixture till skin is soft and silky.

Pork was vacuum packed and stored away until reheated in the REX oven.

Braising liquid was then passed through a sieve and then reduced by almost 1:10 until a thick glossy sauce was created.

The liquid was then tossed through the warmed pork before serving.

Jelly Fish Salad

Jellyfish soaked overnight, and then thinly sliced.

Carrots julienned and slightly pickled for 30 minutes.

Roast duck shredded and duck sauce kept to flavour the jellyfish.

Tossed together with rice vinegar and sesame oil, and sprinkled with roasted sesame seeds for serving.

Our main was served with Bok choy and rice.

An authentic meal executed with great success highlighting texture, flavours and innovation.

Much appreciated by all attending.

Thanks Bernie.

Cheese

Mark Bradford selected our cheese today, a hard, unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese from France, ‘Comté Symphonie’. A society favourite, it came to the table in perfect condition.

Comté is a type of Gruyere, a large mountain cheese made in the Jura region on the borders of France and Switzerland. This hard cooked raw milk cheese is made at small dairies or fruitieres using the milk from several herds of Montbeliard cows.

Affineur Marcel Petite selects and matures the young wheels under a cold maturation system at 1,100 metres in the old underground Fort of Saint Antoine, carefully grading cheese before, during and after maturation.

Only a few wheels are selected for extra maturation and branded under the special label ‘Symphonie’. These are selected because of the development of intense flavour and supple texture which is in perfect balance.

Simply served with cabbage and crispy noodle salad dressed with white vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil.

Love this salad, simple yet very tasty.

L27 Madan & Team REX

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 02:30:00 GMT

L27 A Food Tour Of Nepal

30 members came together to enjoy a taste of Nepal, put on by our very talented sous-chef Madan & the team in the REX kitchen.

Food report by James Hill

We had our talented kitchen team cooking for us today with Medan ,our sous chef, producing a Nepalese meal based on Newari cooking of Kathmandu Valley.

Canapés

BBQ Prawn  —  served with Nepalese-style mint achar (pickle).
The prawns were marinated in ginger and garlic for twenty four hours and then char grilled.

Kukhura Ko Jhol  —  spiced chicken soup made with chicken bones stock
coriander,cinnamon,hot oil and cumin.

Haas Ko Choila  —  char-grilled duck, marinated in Nepalese spice, a Newari specialty. The duck was marinated in ginger,garlic, tempered mustard and scallionsand wrapped with Chinese duck pancake.

Mains

Aloo Tama — potato and bamboo shoot curry soup made with yellow onion,tomatoes,cumin coriander and chicken stock.

Chicken Thigh — Nepalese style marinated in ginger garlic paste
Served with basmati rice,daikon radish and cucumber. The chicken was moist and tender with a crispy skin finish.

The ‘soup’ was served separately to the chicken and rice and we had to pour it over our meal.It looked great,glossy and inviting ,with a lovely depth of flavour with the right balance of spice and heat.
All the food presented to day was very favourably commented on and appreciated by members attending today, high quality, deliciously flavoured and perfectly executed.

Cheese

Our cheese master, Mark Bradford selected a white mould goat’s cheese from France ‘Buche De Lucay’.
It came to the table in perfect condition and a good match for wines on offer.

P.Jacquin et fils produce traditional style goats milk cheeses in the Loire region of western France. This typical, french log-shaped cheese takes its name from nearby Lucay-le-Male. Fresh salted curds are covered with p.candidum and ripened in humid rooms to encourage the moulds to form a velvety white coat.

Wine report by Stephen O'Halloran

A decent roll up participated in an outstanding Nepalese banquet put on by the very talented REX kitchen team of Amosh & Madan. The Canapes were delicious & the Chicken Main was superb. See food report for full details.

Wine 1 – Minaia Gavi 2021 @ 13%
Wine 2 – Gunderloch Riesling 2021 @ 11.5%
Wine 3 – Castellania Barbera 2010 @ 14.5%
Wine 4 – Magella Coonawarra Cabernet 2004 @ 14.5%
Wine 5 – Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet 2012 @ 14%

Wine wise, we got the party started with one of my favourites the Minaia Gavi 2021 @ 13%. A wine from the Piedmont region made from the Cortese grape. A very popular wine in Italy, for good reason. Quite acidic on the first taste, but dry & mouth filling with high quality fruit. Rich flavours of apple & citrus fruits. Perfect wine for the Canapes. Sadly, our last bottles for a while.

First wine for lunch was the Gunderloch Riesling 2021 @ 11.5%. Crystal clear, a delicious quality Riesling, from the home of Riesling. This wine from the Rhinehessin region was a delight. Gleaming gold in colour, crisp on the palate but dry & full of flavour. A slight hint of residual sugar as one would expect, but overall a lovely wine.

Wine 2 was the Castellania Barbera 2010. 14.5%. A 16 yo wine which may have proved a bridge too far for a Barbera. A mid weight wine, traces of red berry fruits such as cherry, raspberry & strawberry. Juicy flavours on the mid palate with the acid still just hanging in there. I thought it was a perfect lunch wine with it's lightish structure & still plenty of flavour. Maybe drunk a few years after it's prime.

Wine 3 was the Magella Coonawarra Cabernet 2004 @ 14.5%. A vineyard with a very long history in that area, producing some high quality Cabernet in good years. Today the wine presented as a big, opaque wine, full bodied with lots of Cabernet flavours. Some signs of ageing with acid diminishing, but still very drinkable. Tannin & oak balancing out equally leading to an enjoyable finish, still retaining it's deep black fruit flavours of that grape. 2004 was a top year in Coonawarra & at 22 yo the wine is still doing well, but I would have preferred to have drunk it in say 2020.

Final wine of the day was the 2012 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet @ 14%. This was a lovely wine. Great to see one of our most prestigious labels back in action.

In prior years this was one of our most sought after red wines especially in the 60 ' & 70 's. Any self respecting wine lover would have a few bottles of this wine in his cellar. This was the wine that gained enormous fame from it's famous " Peppermint Pattie ", a 1963 Cabernet, a truly unique wine which I was fortunate enough to taste many years ago.

Sadly, the brand became lost in the storm of takeovers & mergers during the 80's & 90's & it virtually disappeared for years eventually reappearing in the Treasury Wine Estates portfolio some years ago. In any event the wine today was in my view first class. Considerably more elegant than the Magella, but still showing strong cabernet indicators. A medium weight wine, deep garnet red & showing lots of blackberry, mulberry & plumb tastes, & was that a hint of mint I detected? Ah the memories!

Now at 14 yo, fully developed with plenty of time ahead, but don't keep it for too long!. Thanks for the memories.

My wine of the day? You guessed it. The Mildara. I plead guilty to being a sentimentalist.

L26 Mark Bradford - July Wine Lunch

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:30:00 GMT

L26 Basque Flavours Meet Cabernet Excellence

A sunny winter's day welcomed 37 attendees to our July wine lunch, with Mark Bradford back in the kitchen for the cohort. The same dish earned him a place in the running for COTY last time—can he do it again?

Our Wine Master, Nick Reynolds, certainly delivered some quality 'oldies' to accompany the food, with a stellar line-up of Australian Cabernets going head-to-head with their French counterparts.

Food report by Mark Bradford

Matt Holmes, Craig Smith and Fabian Dwyer assisted with canapés, with some wonderful Cabernets presented to accompany the lunch.

Canapés

These were in abundance.

Matt served us smoked trout on blinis, with sour cream and a garnish of capers, dill and diced onion.

Craig provided balsamic, onion and goat's cheese tarts. These had a baked puff pastry base with a topping of butter, sliced onion, thyme and sugar, then were garnished with additional thyme and EVOO.

Fabian presented colourful Caprese skewers, garnished with a high-quality balsamic drizzle.

Some Basque pintxos – Gildas – rounded off the pass-arounds.

Main

To accompany the Cabernets, the chef of the day cooked Basque-style lamb stew.

This was a rolled lamb shoulder, diced and marinated overnight in Chardonnay, garlic and rosemary. After drying, the lamb was braised and then cooked in a stew of sautéed onions and garlic, chopped, skinned, trussed tomatoes, sweet paprika, parsley, roasted capsicum, Cabernet, bay leaves, chicken stock and white radish (daikon) for 3 to 4 hours until tender.

The meat was accompanied by yellow onion rice, featuring long-grain white rice absorption-cooked in chicken stock with turmeric, butter and onion powder. A green pea and mint purée, strained to remove the roughage, also accompanied the lamb.

Cheese

The Cheese Master selected a Merco Iberico for the lunch, nominally 50 per cent cow's milk, rounded off with half goat's and half ewe's curds. This hard, blended-milk cheese is typical of those once traditionally found in many parts of Spain, where mixed herds of dairy animals were common and the ratios of milk types used in cheesemaking constantly altered according to seasonal availability. The cows' milk provides the volume, goats' milk gives the cheese a white colour and lingering piquancy, whilst the use of ewe's milk provides a rich, buttery texture. Iberico is commonly found all over Spain today.

The cheese was accompanied by Bengali rusk biscuits and honey to offset the piquant fromage.

Wine report by Stephen O'Halloran

Today was one of those special days when being a member of our Society really pays dividends!

The format for the day was a comparison of three top Australian Cabernets from the 1991, 1996 and 2002 vintages. The three French wines were from Bordeaux, all from the famous 2000 vintage, which many regard as one of the best vintages since the famous '82.

For the purposes of my report, I will depart from my usual practice of detailed assessments of each wine and will provide an overall summary of each region's wines.

Before I start, I should mention that with our delicious canapés we had a 2019 Tyrrell's HVD Semillon, which I thought was quite acceptable. However, when pouring the wine for members before lunch, I received some adverse comments. Perhaps we have some fussy drinkers. See the food report for details of our lunch.

On now to the comparison tasting. One of the early comments from the room crystallised the comparison: flavour vs elegance and structure. A worthy comment.

Dealing with the Australian contingent, the standout was the Seppelt Barossa Dorrien Vineyard Cabernet 1991. Put simply, a wonderful wine. Now at 35 years old, the wine was superb: vibrant, dark crimson, with powerful, sweet, chewy flavours of quality fruit. Tannins and oak combined perfectly to deliver a memorable, lingering finish. A real treat. A rich and intense wine.

Second Australian was the Yeringberg 1996 Cabernet from the Yarra Valley. A blend of the five classic grape varieties of Bordeaux reds. Lightish in colour with medium to light structure, this was a very elegant wine with strong hints of dark berry fruit, cedar and earthy overtones. Needs time in the glass.

Third Australian was the Penfolds Bin 407 2002, a straight Cabernet from the Barossa and McLaren Vale at 14.5%. I have often regarded 407 as my least favourite Penfolds red, as to me the wine has always been dull, opaque and unyielding. This continued today until the wine had been in my glass for at least 1.5 hours. At that time, the wine began to show some typical Cabernet indicators such as blackcurrant, mint, cedar and leather. Quite a recovery from a poor start.

Now for the French contingent. All of these wines were at 13%. The Australian wines ranged from about 13% to 14.5%.

First of the French was Château Talbot, a Fourth Growth from St Julien, one of the most respected regions in Bordeaux. A medium-bodied wine, mostly Cabernet, with that intoxicating Bordeaux aroma of cigar box, cedar and leather. God, how I love that unique smell of quality Bordeaux. I think sometimes I would be happy just to smell that aroma and not taste the wine! A graceful wine, with wonderful structure between oak, tannin and acid; it just wants to go on forever! Loved it.

Next was the Clos du Marquis, another St Julien wine. Mainly Cabernet with a hefty slug of Merlot (24%). Mid-garnet colour, redolent with the aromas of Bordeaux Cabernet, cassis, tobacco, cedar, leather and plum. Smooth tannins, with a velvety final taste leading to an alluring finish.

Last of the French was probably the best, the Ch Puy - Lacoste, a Fifth Growth from the Pauillac region, regarded as the pick of Bordeaux. Again, mainly Cabernet, but with a generous slug of Merlot (20%). Once again, medium-bodied and balanced, with an exquisite taste of cherry, leather and cedar. Does it get any better? Now a delight to drink, with no sign of ageing, and indeed all of the French wines have the key elements to continue as superb drinking for another 10 to 20 years at least.

So, after this awesome collection of fine wine, how do we emerge? It is, I think, a matter of personal choice. Powerful flavours from Australia against restrained elegance from the French. I feel that in 20 years' time the French will still be superb, whereas our wines will have long peaked some years previously.

My overall review: the star of the show today was the Dorrien. Silver medallist was the Puy-Lacoste.

Final comment: sincere thanks to Nick Reynolds for putting all this together, and to Greg Chugg, who had the foresight years ago to purchase these outstanding Bordeaux wines.

New Members Introduced

We also had the pleasure of introducing three new Society members to those attending the lunch.

Gary Edgar – Chemical Engineer – Proposed by Terry Johnston
David Weisbach – Software Engineer – Proposed by James Hill
Jordan Muskitta – Software Analyst – Proposed by Julian Parmegiani

Please take the opportunity to welcome our new members when you see them at future lunches.

L25 Leigh Hall

Thu, 23 Jul 2026 02:30:00 GMT

A welcome return to the kitchen today for Leigh Hall as our chef of the day.

Food Report

By James Hill

Canapés

Merv Peacock and Hilton chapman were on hand to assist in assembly .

First up

Sun-dried tomatoes some cream cheese topped with anchovy on a croustade.

Guacamole and smoked salmon toper with capers on brown rice crackers.

Pork meat balls with dab of eggplant pickle. A little heat in the pickle that went well with pork.

Main course

A good choice for main on a cool winter’s today, day stuffed rolled pork loin with potatoes dauphinoise.

It was served with a wine and stock reduction that had an sweetness lingering on the palate and perfectly complimenting the pork ..

The roll was stuffed with figs,dates and crasins . A lot of effort evident preparation for lunch today ..there was some table variation as to ‘doneness’.

Many favorable comments on all food presented today.

Thanks Leigh.

Cheese

Mark Bradford selected a blue cow’s milk cheese from Italy today ‘Dolce Gorgonzola’.

Dolce is the term used for young or sweet cheese.

Typically made from a single milking, the white interior has thick green lines of mould and a soft creamy flavour. The crusty rind bulges as it matures and develops distinct yeasty flavours reminiscent of Taleggio. Gorgonzola Dolce is soft, sweet, with a subtle creamy texture, and piquant finish.

Leigh accompanied the cheese with some sliced apples and pears, dried apricots, figs, cashew and walnuts.

James Hill

Wine Report — 21 July 2026

By Stephen O'Halloran

Today saw a modest turnout of 25 for Leigh Hall's roast Loin of Pork with all the trimmings; we had hoped for a larger number. We did, however, have a large attendance last week and a likely solid roll-up for next week, so I think that perhaps today was a victim of "lunch fatigue."

Canapé wine: Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay 2022 @ 13%. His Folklore Chardy is excellent value, right up at the top end of good commercial Chardys. On presentation the wine was a gleaming gold colour, with still plenty of acid supporting quality fruit with melon and apple hints. A nice clean, crisp, persistent finish, driven along by the quality of the fruit base. A well-made wine from one of our top winemakers.

Wine 1 — 2015 Curley Flat Chardonnay @ 13%, grown in the Macedon Ranges, Vic. This vineyard has a well-deserved high reputation for its Chardy and Pinot. The wine today is now 11 years old and has developed into an elegant, beautifully balanced aged wine. The first sip shows its class — restrained flavours of peach and grapefruit, with a lingering finish. Acid falling away a little but still sufficient to deliver a rewarding experience. A lovely wine.

Wine 2 — Teusner Grenache 50%, Mataro 30%, Shiraz 20% blend from the Barossa @ 14.5%. Dry-grown and aged vines sourced by top winemaker Kym Teusner were used in this GSM. Light to medium body, lots of earthy and spice overtones. Not too heavy on the palate, an easy-drinking style. Good integration of tannin and oak — a good lunchtime wine.

Wine 3 — Pagliarese Chianti Classico 2016 @ 13%, a Sangiovese from Tuscany. I have developed over the years a very strong attraction for some of the better-quality Chiantis we have had at our lunches. For this reason I was really disappointed by this wine. To my palate it was flat and dull. A medium-bodied wine showing strong earthy, mossy flavours, but the taste and finish were, to me, a let-down. At 10 years old I suspected the wine had lost a significant amount of its acid balance, leading to a flabby and unexciting finish. To me, a big let-down — but as the old saying goes, "into each life a little rain must fall."

Wine 4 — Gilles Robin 2011 Crozes-Hermitage @ 13.5%. A very well-regarded northern Rhône producer, this wine a straight Syrah. I was full of hope for this wine, having an excellent pedigree. Sadly, my hopes were for a second time today dashed by a wine that had very little to offer. Colour and aroma were okay, but very little flavour — another flat and flabby wine, drinkable but unexciting. I was beginning to wonder if it was the wine or my palate having an off day. Very fortunately our table was able to scrounge a half bottle off the adjoining table, which we sparingly shared around. A remarkable difference between the two bottles — the second wine was terrific: lively fruit and acid, a good oak/tannin mix. Our table had obviously had a poor bottle first up! Reputation restored by a decent bottle. Bottle variation in older wines is a very real issue, as was evidenced today.

My wine of the day: the exquisite aged Chardonnay from Curley Flat.

Stephen O'Halloran

L24 Bastille Day - Steve Sparkes

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 02:30:00 GMT

A cold winter's day for Tuesday 14 July: Bastille Day! Vive la République!

Who better to prepare a hearty meal with a Francophile focus tham Steve Sparkes? It is well-known that Steve attracts a large turnout, and today was no exception; we had a full house and a wonderful, lively lunch, including a marvellous rendition of the first verse of La Marseillaise from Keith Steele:

"Allons enfant de la patrie
Le jour de gloire est arrivé
Contre nous de la tyrannie
L'étendard sanglant est levé
L'étendard sanglant est levé....."

Steve noted the high-level theme was rustic farmyard/country French fare — no truffles, no foie gras, no frills; just a celebration of Bastille Day. James Hill assisted with a canapé, and recent member Gary Doherty did a sterling job assisting Steve by jumping in with the canapés and main course service.

Food report by Mark Bradford

Canapés

Steve turned out some delightful rabbit rillettes. This canapé was a slow braise of wild Australian rabbit, pork belly and some aromatics. The meats were left to cool with the addition of some cooking liquid and fresh tarragon, thyme and parsley. It was left to rest for a couple of days and then served on crackers. Steve thought a simple slice of baguette would have been a better choice.

James presented a country terrine, based on pork and chicken and the usual goodies, topped with cornichon and red pepper sitting on toasts.

Steve also gave us onion tarts — a simple rendition of onions (filling and base) with apples, fresh herbs and a touch of red wine vinegar.

Great rustic French pass-arounds from two chefs of renown.

Main

Chicken chasseur — hunters' chicken! Steve told his butcher "off with their heads!"

This is a traditional dish based on the hunter's bounty: a fresh bird with wild-gathered mushrooms slowly braised in a tomato-based broth. Today's main was an interpretation of the famous Marco Pierre White chicken chasseur recipe. Steve told us that, as with most of these traditional recipes — boeuf bourguignon, coq au vin, bouillabaisse etc. — there are nearly as many variations as there are cooks preparing them. This was yet another, but true to the basics, with chicken, mushrooms, a tomato base and plenty of fresh herbs.

The dressed chicken Maryland was roasted in a very hot oven, with the drumstick parted for service. The sauce was based on shallots, tomato and chicken stock, with vast quantities of Swiss brown and button mushrooms as well as fresh herbs. The garnish was pan-fried oyster mushrooms. A simple mash, perfumed with spring onions, cream and plenty of butter, was served alongside basic petits pois which included bacon and shredded lettuce.

A "rustic" dish perhaps, but worthy of any fine dining establishment in town.

Cheese

The Cheese Master selected a farmhouse cheese — a traditional-style French brie — produced on the farm and presented in a wooden box.

Ferme de la Tremblaye is located south-west of Paris and produces a range of goat's and cow's milk cheeses. Today's was a cow's milk cheese. With a focus on environmental responsibility, the B Corp–approved farm has adopted the agroecology model of sustainable farming that works with nature.

A traditional-style brie with a soft, buttery paste and complex savoury flavours, contained within a delicate, thin rind.

The brie was served with a salad dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar, roasted spiced almonds and morello cherries.

The bread was a baguette from Taste Providores in Woollahra, served with the main and cheese.

Wine Report by Stephen O'Halloran

A splendid crowd of 50+ gathered to enjoy the 237th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille on this day in 1789. The room had great energy and a very positive atmosphere in anticipation of a wonderful afternoon that awaited us. Our theme of French food, wine and cheese was a natural choice, delivered to us in fine style by our excellent Chef du Jour Steve Sparkes, whose Chicken Chasseur was outstanding. See food report for full details.

The canapé wine was a white Côtes du Rhône 2022 @ 14%. A blend of Viognier 60%, Roussanne 15% and Marsanne 10%, with a few other bits and pieces thrown in.

Those familiar with this column will be aware that I have written harsh words about this Rhône white wine, as basically I just do not like the style. Heavy, unctuous and oily — it does just not appeal to my taste. Give me a crisp Riesling as a canapé wine any day. Being a harsh but fair marker, I must say that today's wine was not too bad! Certainly not my cup of tea for an aperitif, but nonetheless a reasonably enjoyable wine for the delicious canapés. I found the wine rich and full-bodied with powerful flavours of apricot and peach. Just too heavy for me, but it was clear that many in the room enjoyed it. Vive la différence!

Wine 1 was totally different — a Moreau Chablis 2018 @ 13%. Lovely light gold colour, flinty and restrained, dry but with flavours of stone fruit obvious. Great balance between acid and fruit, a crisp delightful finish. A top wine from a leading producer in a good 7/9 year.

Wine 2 was the Bouland Morgon 2023 @ 14%. This is a Beaujolais wine, but very much at the upper spectrum of the Beaujolais clan. Whilst many Beaujolais are designed to be glugged down without too much thought, this is a serious wine and deserves respect. Made from the Gamay grape, this is a mid-weight, strongly flavoured wine redolent with fruit flavours of cherry, plum and raspberry. Vibrant acid mixed with silky tannins and quality fruit make this wine a delight to drink. Great balance and a lingering fruit-driven finish made this wine the perfect partner for our Chicken Chasseur main. Mid-weight, never heavy on the palate, but powerful flavours lift this wine to its deserved status as a much sought-after luncheon wine.

Wine 3, the Ch. Rochemorin 2019 @ 13.5%, was a Bordeaux blend, 50/50 Cabernet and Merlot, from the Graves district. A lightish, quite elegant wine showing all the usual aspects of both grapes. Crimson red in colour with a noticeable plummy flavour from the hefty proportion of Merlot; dark cherry and blackcurrant from the Cabernet. Velvety and plush, it was an easy-drinking Bordeaux from a reasonable 6/8 year.

Final wine for the day was a Ch. Cruzeau 2019 @ 14%. Another Graves Cabernet/Merlot blend, 55%/45%. Medium body, very typical Bordeaux aroma and taste. Some stewed fruit aromas from the Cabernet balanced by the plummy Merlot. Strong, grippy tannin and a firm, lively finish with good acid. Another enjoyable, easy-drinking Bordeaux from a good 7/9 year.

Our member Tony Scott has once again, like last week, been very kind in donating these last two reds. Thank you, Tony — you are a very generous man.

My star of the day: the Morgon.

Chef of the Year 2025

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 09:09:13 GMT

Chef of the Year

2025

Report by James Hill

Full house of members and guests in our club rooms for our 2025 Chef of the Year awards evening.

Our ‘night of nights’, celebrating what we do at our Society, high-quality food, fine dining standard, and masterfully executed.

2024 Chef of the Year, Rob Guthrie, was assisted by former seafood Chef of the year Chilly Hargrave , Nigel Burton , Denis Redfern , Paul Thorne and the Royal Exchange kitchen brigade.

Chef of the Year Presentation

President Stephen O’Halloran welcomed us, and Bill Alexiou-Hucker was our MC, introducing our finalists, taking us through the meals that were cooked to earn the nomination for ‘Coty.’.

Our finalists were Nigel Burton, Paul Irwin, Jonathan Casson, Leigh Hall and Steve Sparkes.

The award of Chef of the Year, voted by members, went to Jonathan Casson for his dish of shredded brisket, topped with a great mash, topped with a portabella mushroom, with spinach and a silky red wine jus.

There were no nominees for Seafood Chef of the Year this year.

The Ross MacDonald trophy for the best accompaniment to the cheese course, selected by our Cheesemaster, was won by Steve Sparkes.

The finalists were presented with gourmet French cast iron skillets and our chef of the year a set of Kasumi knives.

The evening started with Champagne and canapés:

Duck Breast with Toast, Hoisin and Mandarin by Nigel Burton

Blinis with Mascarpone, Wasabi and Sardine by Paul Thorne

Black Truffle Foie Gras on Toast by Denis Redfern

Chilly Hargrave presented an entree of home made Gravlax Salmon.

Rob Guthrie’s main tonight was crusted Lamb Rack, Mash, French Beans, Hazelnuts and Vine Tomatoes.

Cheesemaster Mark Bradford selected a Quicks Cheddar. Rob accompanied the cheese with a rocket salad with a balsamic dressing and mandolin sliced pear.

Denis Redfern followed with a dessert of raspberry tart and mascarpone cream.

The Wines

Our cellar master Nick chose a great selection of wines from our cellar .. we are fortunate to have this opportunity to taste some great wines

Appetisers/on Arrival

NV Bernard Bremont Evidence Brut Champagne

NV Bernard Bremont Brut Rosé Champagne

Entrée

2018 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Bourgogne Aligoté

2018 Domaine Vincent et Francois Jouard Chassagne-Montrachet Les Champs-Gains Vieilles Vignes 1er Cru Chardonnay

Interlude wine

2015 Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir

Main

2010 Chateau Sociando-Mallet Grand Bourgeois, Haut-Medoc Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc

2013 Tyrrell's Wines Vat 9 Shiraz

Cheese

2010 Tenuta di Ghizzano Terre di Pisa Veneroso Sangiovese Cabernet

2009 Charles Melton Nine Popes Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre

Dessert

2007 Chateau De Myrat 2me Cru, Barsac Sauternes - 375ml

A Great Night

A great night was had by all, showcasing the talent of our members.

L23 Rex Chefs - American Independence Day Lunch

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 02:30:00 GMT

The American Lunch 7 July 2026

Food report by James Hill

On a day when Belgium beat USA and it wasn’t fake news, our talented kitchen team prepared an American-themed lunch for our enjoyment.

Canapés

First up, some corn ribs seasoned with salt and pepper and condensed milk then grilled.

Then came mini hot dogs in a potato bun with lashings of ‘ball park’ mustard and ketchup

To finish our canapé service we had beef sliders in a milk bun topped with ketchup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, malt vinegar and melted cheese.

Main

Our main today was 24-hour marinated beef short ribs with a wicked mac and cheese and sautéed green beans.

There was plenty of meat on the ribs. They were slow-cooked for three hours, and the marinade was brown sugar, honey balsamic and malt vinegar.

All the food served today was high quality, deliciously flavoured and perfectly executed.

A big thanks to our kitchen brigade led by executive chef Amosh KC.

Cheese

Our cheese master, in theme, chose a Cabot clothbound cheddar .cheese from Vermont in the USA

This clothbound cheese is the result of an unusual collaboration and is now recognised as one of the finest traditional cheddars produced in the USA.

Cabot Dairy Cooperative makes the cheese with milk from a single herd of Holstein cows and their own unique starter cultures at their huge facility in Vermont. The wheels are then transported to Mateo and Andy Kehler’s picturesque farmhouse dairy at Jasper Hill for expert ageing. After being carefully bound in cheesecloth and smeared with lard, the 16kg wheels are matured for at least 12 months in the underground caves carved out of the green hillside.

The result is crystalline-flecked, moist and crumbly cheddar with a sweet, tangy caramel flavour.

A salad of rocket and pears accompanied the cheese.

Wine

Wine report by Stephen O’Halloran

A modest crowd of 25 or so tucked into an American-themed lunch to mark America’s national day on 4^th July, just a few days previously. We had some great American-style food prepared by the very talented Amosh & his team in the REX kitchen. Well done boys, see food report for details.

With regard to wine, we started brilliantly with a Brian Croser Tapanatta Chardy 2021, 14%. This was a really nice wine, indeed a high-class wine from the famous Brian Croser from grapes grown in the Adelaide Hills region of SA. Clear & clean with lively acidity, a gleaming green/gold appearance. Traces of citrus & peach on the palate. Impeccable balance of acid & quality fruit. A beautifully made wine from one of our top Chardonnay makers. Say no more!

The first wine on the lunch list was an American Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson, a Californian wine at 14.5%. The comparison with the previous wine was stunning, to put it mildly. I have always known that Americans like their Chardy to be on the sweet side, but this wine took sweetness to the next level. If you like your Chardy with lots of sugar, then this wine is for you. Go ahead, knock yourself out! To me, the wine was just drinkable, a mouthful more than enough. Impossible to do a review of the wine as all I could taste was overpowering sweetness, blotting out any other flavours. Sorry, just could not write in any more detail.

Wine 2, also from America, was much better. A 2021 Murphy Goode Zinfandel at 15%. This was a good wine, a perfect partner for the excellent Beef Ribs we had for lunch. A full-bodied red, dark ruby colour, bursting with black fruit flavours. A powerful wine, but quite in balance with its oak & tannin flavours. Rich & luscious with a nice, clean finish. I would like to see more of this wine in our cellar, just for something different.

Wine 3 was a Chateau Bonnet 2020, a Bordeaux Blanc at 13%. This wine & I just did not get on right from the start. A Sav Blanc/Semillon blend, mostly Sav Blanc, was to my taste overpowering with what I describe as the smell of just crushed Lantana leaves, pungent & strongly vegetative, off-putting. I did not enjoy the wine.

What is evident is that Sav Blanc grown in Bordeaux has a vastly different taste to the same grape grown in the Loire, such as a Sancerre, which is quite delightful.

Wine 4 was another Chateau Bonnet wine, a 2021 Diane Rose at 12.5%. Fresh & clean, showing delicate fruit on the back palate. A nice aperitif wine on a warm afternoon with a good terrine. I must say that my taste buds had been smashed by the previous wine’s pungency, so that it was hard for me to get a real grip on this light rose, which however was quite enjoyable. Both of these French wines were kindly donated by Society member Tony Scott.

My wine of the day was the Tapanatta, by a whisker over the Zinfandel.

L22 Wine Lunch with Bruce Tyrrell - full report

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Food report by James Hill

Full house for our monthly wine tasting as we welcomed longstanding member Bruce Tyrrell to showcase Tyrrell wines from our cellar.

Former President and current Food Master Bill Alexiou-Hucker was in the kitchen with his nephew Tom Squires, also the grandson of well-known member Peter Squires.

Canapés

Tom presented some smoked trout pâté topped with dill and set on a blini.

Bill followed with white bean purée made with some chilli oil, topped with an anchovy and parsley, on a water cracker.

Next, some meatballs made on Sunday to ensure the flavours were integrated. The meatballs were made with pork, lamb and beef, seasoning spices and grated raw onion. A tasty roasted capsicum dipping sauce accompanied.

Eagerly devoured and praised by members today.

Main

A perfect winter dish to accompany the wines on taste today.

Bill presented a six-hour roasted lamb shank marinated in lemon juice, EVOO and salt. It was served with a tomato sauce and a silky parsnip purée underneath. It was topped with a crusty panko and sultana gremolata — the meat fell off the bone!

A hearty lunch, executed with great success and very much appreciated by all today.

Cheese
Mark Bradford selected an Italian cow's and sheep's milk cheese, 'Occelli in Foglie di Castagno'. This semi-hard Italian masterpiece is crafted from a blend of cow's and sheep's milk and matured in Valcasotto. Wrapped in chestnut leaves, it develops a syrupy, nutty, and slightly sweet flavour profile.

This is one of my favourite cheeses, and it came to the table in perfect condition. Bill served it with figs poached in orange juice, water, sugar, honey and pistachios … a great complement to the cheese.

James Hill

Wine Report by Stephen O Halloran

Today we had one of our best days at the Society for a long time. A large crowd, 50+, some truly excellent wines from Tyrrells, a terrific lunch from our Food Master, all spiced by the presence of our Guest of Honour, Bruce Tyrrell.

The room had great atmosphere with our members warmly welcoming our five new members: Chris Switzer, Tom Squires, Dr Simon Poole, Gary Doherty and Terry Johnston

All in all a memorable occasion!

We got the party started in the best way possible, with bubbles from Tyrrells' 2017 Sparkling Blanc de Blanc, followed by a 2018 Stevens Semillon. Both wines were suitable partners to the canapés. Nothing like a few bubbles to lift the mood of any occasion. We were all anxious for the main course, so as to enable us to enjoy the glittering array of the wines for lunch, which were 3 whites & 3 reds, all selected by Bruce as some of his favourites from the best years. All of these wines came from the WFS Cellar, purchased years ago by our former Wine Master Paul Ferman, now sadly deceased. This clearly demonstrates the depth & quality of our Cellar, which has been maintained & developed further by our current Wine Master Nick Reynolds. It is a Cellar our members can be proud of.

The first bracket consisted of the 2013 Vat 1 Semillon @ 11.5%. Pure & clean, very faint green/gold in colour, restrained fruit flavours, with steely acid, a firm finish. Hints of the famous grassy overtones with some lime there somewhere! A multiple trophy winner.

The second wine was the 2013 Johnno's Basket-pressed Sem @ 10.3%. A vineyard established in 1908. Again, pure & clear appearance, smooth mouth feel with citrus hints & that unique lanolin overtone, so typical of quality Hunter Sems of age. The wine was slightly darker in contrast to the Vat 1, but not by much.

Wine 3 was, in my view, the odd man out, as you would expect, being a Chardonnay — Vat 47 from 2013 @ 13.5%, a very different wine indeed. I really liked this wine. Considerably more colour than the 2 Sems, but still bright green/gold, a vibrant-looking wine. Lovely buttery hints with some oak influence on the palate. I detected some stone fruit flavours such as white peach, along with grapefruit. A firm finish with plenty of acid to keep it going for a while yet. A wonderful Chardonnay, rich & graceful, with tons of flavour. My pick of the 3 whites.

Wine 4 was the 2014 Vat 9 Shiraz @ 14.5%. We were indeed a lucky bunch of campers to be able today to sample 3 of the Hunter's finest Shiraz from an iconic year. This Vat 9 was a medium-bodied, typical, classy Hunter Shiraz, with plenty of acid & some finely integrated oak/tannin flavours. Earthy spice on a great dark fruit base. Opulent, yet at the same time giving the impression that further development is ahead.

Wine 5 was the Johnno's Vineyard 2014 Shiraz @ 14%. Another medium-bodied, elegant Hunter Shiraz, packed with spice flavours on top of hints of cherry & blackberry fruit. Oak/tannin blend just right. Of the 3 Shiraz served, this was the one with the denser structure, suggesting a long-term slow further development lies ahead. This wine had more concentrated flavours than the Vat 9. A sumptuous wine, with more in store.

Final wine was the 4 Acres Shiraz, a Society favourite. From grapes grown on the oldest vineyard at Tyrrells, planted in 1879, this 2014 Shiraz @ 13.7% was a delightful wine, considerably lighter than the other two. Fresh, lively, spicy Shiraz, redolent with peppery dark fruit of cherry & red plum on the final palate taste. An exquisite, stylish wine with surprising power & grace, for a wine with such light appearance. Once again, room for further development.

What was interesting to me was that all 3 of these wines held the promise of more bottle development, notwithstanding the fact that they are now 12 years old. My pick, impossible to say at present, but I suspect that the Johnno's may get the prize in say 8 years' time.

Stephen O'Halloran

Jonathan Casson Lunch Report 23June 2026

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 02:30:00 GMT

reviewed by Mark Bradford (food) and Stephen O'Halloran (wine)

A cold winter’s day saw Jonathan Casson – crowned Chef of the Year 2025 just two days earlier – in the kitchen today. Well done, Jonathan! While winning the accolades for last year’s brisket stack treat, Jonathan presented juicy baked ham cooked two ways today.

Our President Steve O’Halloran helped out with his signature dish of white anchovies on goat’s cheese with a black olive. Always a good starter, this dish originated from Steve’s boating buddies.

Jonathan came good with two canapés: an asparagus on Philadelphia crostini – with crushed pistachios – and smoked salmon rosettes on cucumber slices with crème fraiche and topped with roe.

All good, tasty, light and well-matched with the Coal River Riesling on the table.

Ham baked two ways today: steaks and rotoli di prosciutto e porri (ricotta – leek parcels), with greens aplenty. Jonathan served his ham with broccolini and spinach leaves. This was accompanied by champagne-mustard cream sauce, using one bottle of dry sparkling wine, four shallots, 800 ml of chicken stock and twice as much cream, and a hint of Dijon mustard to allow the sparkling wine to shine. Tarragon and lemons were included as well.

The Cheese Master sourced a Gruyere Heidi, a hard mountain style cow’s milk cheese prepared by Frank and Elizabeth Marchand, originally from Switzerland, who established a dairy farm in northern Tasmania in the 1980s. The cheese has a fine, smooth textured paste and a firm, elastic texture with excellent melting properties and is perfect for grilling, soufflés, and for fondue.

Cultures and non-animal rennet set the curd before it is cut into tiny, rice-sized grains that are then washed and reheated before hooping and pressing. During maturation, the large 10 kg wheels are washed and brushed encouraging the development of brevibacterium linens on the damp rind. This orange-coloured, pungent rind is slightly sticky to the touch and provides a rich, savoury flavour that compliments the nuttiness of the cheese within.

Wine Report

Today, on a crisp late‑June afternoon, we sat down to a delightful lunch of ham done two ways by our recently crowned COTY winner, Jonathan Casson. An excellent choice for a cold afternoon. The crowd of 32 certainly enjoyed this hearty meal, along with the canapés and the cheese to follow. See the Food Report for full details.

With regard to the wines, we started with a terrific Tasmanian Riesling from well‑respected winemakers Bubb & Pooley in the Coal River region near Hobart. The wine was their 2022 Riesling (12.5%). From old vines, this wine was a joy: complex, delicate fruit flavours including apple and grapefruit, crisp acidity, and a lovely light‑gold appearance. A first‑rate canape wine, drinking at the beginning of its prime period.

First of the lunch wines was the Tiger Tiger Chardonnay from Collector Wines near Canberra, although made from Tumbarumba fruit, as are many top‑quality Chardonnays these days. The wine was the 2021 vintage (14.5%). Now fully developed, it was a delight: intense fruit flavours, great acid balance, and a powerful finish with vibrant acidity. This wine won Best Chardonnay at the Canberra Wine Show in 2022. A lovely, complex wine we were fortunate to enjoy.

Wine 2 on the lunch list was the Willunga 2021 Trott Vineyard Grenache (14%) from Blewitt Springs in SA. We were very much in Silk Purse territory today, with this wine winning Best Grenache at the National Wine Show in 2023. This is Australian Grenache at its best: light in colour but packing powerful flavours of cherry and strawberry, plus some spicy plum. Mild tannin and fresh acidity. A great food wine. Grenache has certainly come a long way in the last 40 or 50 years, when it was regarded merely as a wine for the flagon trade rather than a serious table wine.

Wine 3 was the Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Shiraz 2012 (13.5%). I am aware that Phil Laffer was very impressed with this wine, which he regarded as the top of today’s reds. I beg to differ—a courageous decision, as Sir Humphrey Appleby would say. To my taste, this wine showed itself as a graceful, well‑aged Shiraz with fine tannin and good oak integration, with some spicy overtones, but the finish was disappointing, perhaps due to acid loss over the last 14 years. In any event, perhaps Phil had a better bottle at his table than ours, which can sometimes explain differing opinions about the same wine. Nice try, Steve.

Today’s final wine was the 2012 Yalumba Menzies Cabernet (14%). A wine from Coonawarra and from a very good year. Now fully developed, rich, intense, and lavish in its array of blackberry, mulberry, and earthy spice flavours. Concentrated power, yet at the same time an exquisite aftertaste. The structured acids, oak, and tannin were just right. A lovely wine.

My wine of the day: the Menzies, just ahead of the Collector Chardonnay.

Chef of the Year

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:30:00 GMT

INVITATION

════════════════════════════════════════════════════

CHEF OF THE YEAR DINNER CELEBRATION ════════════════════════════════════════════════════

This special evening

will showcase a menu designed to highlight the skill, creativity

and culinary philosophy of our Chef of the Year, Rob Guthrie.

Members and partners are very welcome

════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Date: 19 June 2026

Time: 6.30 for 7pm

Venue: REX

Dress: Smart Casual

Cost: $140

════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Wine & Food Society of NSW

Celebrating excellence in food, wine and fellowship

L19 Nick Reynolds Lunch Report 9 June 2026

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Lunch report- Nick Reynolds,

by James Hill (food) and Stephen O'Halloran (wine)

Always guarantee a crowd turning up when our cellar master Nick Reynolds is in the kitchen. A good number attending today especially after a long weekend.

Canapés

Yours truly presented oven baked persimmon with cherry bocconcini, a drizzle of garlic and pepper infused balsamic syrup and crispy prosciutto served on spoons. Nick followed with some crisp tart shells made from baked wonton wrappers filled with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and chopped chives, served garnished with chopped smoked salmon and chives.

Sourdough blinis topped with lime marmalade, sour cream and a cooked prawn as a tribute to Peter Gilmore’s sourdough pikelet with marmalade, sour cream and yabby served at Bennelong’s cultured and cured bar.

Main

The main was slow-cooked lamb shoulder shredded and formed into a roulade cooked like a filet steak and topped with a pickled celery, parsley, and pistachio pesto. Also served was 57° cooked lamb tenderloin seared and cut diagonally. The cooking juices from the lamb shoulder were made into a jus for the tenderloin with the addition of some extra chicken stock, Japanese umami stock, and port wine. The dish was served with a potato pavé with a layer of eggplant through the middle; carrot, cream, and mint purée; and some steamed broccolini.

It had that wow effect!

Many comments suggesting fine dining restaurant quality.

A high standard set today,

thanks Nick.

Bread: organic bread stick from Bonfire bread.

Cheese

Mark Bradford selected a hard cow’s milk cheese from northern Italy near Venice for our lunch today ‘Latteria Perenzin’

In 2015, at the Global Cheese Awards, the cheese San Pietro in Beeswax was elected Best Italian and Best European Cheese. This renowned cheese made by Perenzin Latteria became one amongst the 60 excellent handmade cheeses in the world.

Such cheese, made with 100% cow’s milk cheese, is covered on its rind by natural beeswax and left to age for at least 12 months; the aging preserves humidity within its paste, spreading it in a homogeneous way and giving it a silky texture, as well as a persisting taste, with its aromas of honey, vanilla and toasted notes.

It was served with organic dates and mixed nuts.

Wine Report

A good roll up of 37 or so enjoyed a terrific afternoon. Excellent food via our multi skilled Nick Reynolds who cooked Lamb 2 ways & then backed up as Wine master with some delicious wines. Quite a feat. See food report for full details.

The Canape wine was an excellent Brian Croser Tapanappa Chardonnay 2021 @ 14%. A wine from the Piccadilly Valley in SA near Adelaide. I have always been a fan of Croser's chardonnays since the early days of his Petaluma wines. He makes his chardy in a very definable style, disciplined, restrained & structured. A far cry from the huge chardys we were drinking in the 1980's, just a few years before the first Petalumas were released.

This wine was highly enjoyable, wonderful quality fruit, acid balance just right producing a crisp tantalising finish. A perfect wine for a plate of Melon & Purscuttio on a warm sunny day. Colour was gleaming green gold, peach, grapefruit & nectrine flavours swirling around on the palate. There was however some dissenting views expressed about an excess of oak. A fair point. Whilst I accept the oak issue, to my taste it did not stop me from enjoying the wine. Oak was certainly detectable, but not in my view overdone. Another Bottle Garcon!

First wine on the lunch list was a beauty, the Stella Bella Cab 2019 @ 14.3%. A wine from Margaret River, 94% Cab & 6% Malbec. If anyone has difficulty in picking the Cab grape from other red wines, buy a bottle of this wine & you will be thoroughly educated I what Cab tastes & smells like. The wine presented as a medium bodied elegant wine, redolent with strong aromas of cassis, mulberries & plumbs. A very profound aroma, gorgeous. Firm tannin & some oak showing in a precise finish, utterly delicious. What else can I say? Many years ahead of great drinking. My wine of the day, the others may as well pack up now & go home!

Wine 2 was a Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz 2015 @ 14.3%. Any red wine following upon the Stella Bella would have the impossible task of presenting itself well, batting after Bradman, as the old saying went. That said & appropriate allowances made, this wine was definitely off the pace. I have always had a high regard for S & S Wines which are universally first rate, however this particular wine was a disappointment. A cool climate Adelaide Hills shiraz, mid weight now fully developed. Mouth feel was velvety & smooth, but it lacked flavour, possibly due to acid fall off. Some nice hints on the front palate of pepper & spice, which however soon vanished in a flat finish. I was surprised the wine did not live up to the high standards of S & S.

Wine 3 the Curley Flat Pinot 2016 @ 13.7%, was indeed a pleasing surprise. I had thought that at 10 yo the pinot might have seen better days, but I was proved wrong! The wine proved to be a real charmer. From the Macedon Ranges in VIC, this wine still had plenty of life, rich cherry & strawberry aromas, light to medium body for a pinot. Curley Flat has earned a well deserved reputation as a top class Pinot producer, amply demonstrated by this wine. I really liked the fruit acid balance & the delightful finish. I like surprises like this!

Final wine for the room was another Vic wine from the Yarra Valley, the Helens Hill Shiraz 2020 @ 14.8%. This wine initially appeared to be an old style Barossa Blockbuster Shiraz with its huge black opaque colour. Appearances can be deceptive. The wine turned out on the palate to be quite elegant & restrained. I really liked the matching of the wine's oak, tannin & acids leading to a delightfully well balanced, easily drinkable red wine despite its threating initial appearance. This producer has gained a growing reputation for some high-quality reds & this wine is a good example of its skills. Sound buying Wine master.

Peter Kelso 2 June 2026 Lunch

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Peter Kelso

June 2 Lunch

Peter Kelso

June 2 Lunch

Review by Jame Hill

On a cool winters day no better place to be than at lunch with Peter Kelso in the kitchen with the promise of a warm Burmese curry.

Canapés

Bountiful canapés today with our vice president Jonathan Casson first up with cauliflower turmeric purée topped with dukkah sitting atop a crispy prawn cracker.

Good to see James Tinslay back today presenting lamb and pork meatballs made with onion,cumin and paprika and a dipping sauce of Greek yogurt, evoo, lemon juice, cumin and tumeric.

Great flavour with a little residual heat .

Our chef sent out some steamed cuttlefish balls made with sweet chili and soy topped with capsicum.

- Pork curry Burmese style and rice.

Peter’s curry was made with pork neck,shrimp paste,onions, garlic and ginger .. ginger heat evident. For those that like it hotter we had bowls of rice vinegar infused scud chili to add. Condiments on the table were home made mint chutney, mango chutney and banana. Many favourable comments today citing a good flavour pairing and a delightful lunch. Bread was loaf and baguette white sourdough from Le Pastissier Neutral Bay.

Cheese

Our cheese master Mark Bradford selected an Australian washed ring cow’s milk cheese from south west Victoria ‘la artisan rouge’.

Annatto infused brine imparts a bright orangey-red colour to the thin and sticky rind. Originally from the French Alps, Matthieu values the importance of ‘terroir’ in the cheese making process to reflect the local environment and selects the finest organic milk from family owned dairies in the South West of Victoria.

This deep coloured washed rind cheese contains a dense paste that slowly breaks down to a rich, unctuous texture as it ages. With a savoury, meaty flavour this cheese has both strong aromas and robust flavours.

Pears and almonds accompanied the cheese.

Wine Report - by Stephen O'Halloran

A smallish but select group attended for today's knees up by our Chef Du Jour Pierre Kelso, who produced a delicious Burmese pork curry. Just right for a cold wintery Tuesday. The curry had just the right amount of heat to suit most tastes. See food report for full details.

With regard to wine, we kicked off with a lovely Bannockburn Chardonnay 2018 @ 13.5%. The wine is titled 1314 to mark the Battle of Bannockburn between the Scots & the English armies. In a thriller, the Scots prevailed, Robert the Bruce of Scotland 1, King Edward the 2nd of England nil.

Getting back to the wine, it was in my view most enjoyable. Green/yellow in colour, fully mature, well balanced with outstanding fruit on the palate, fleshy & mouthfilling with a clean acidic finish. Some oak treatment noticeable. Perfect for our Canapes. I really liked it.

First wine on the lunch wine menu was the Dr Loosen Kabinett Reisling Sonnenuhr, from 2022, @ 8% from the Mosel Valley (not pictured). In my view an excellent choice for a wine with a curry, a notoriously difficult match. The wine had some pleasant spritzig on the first sip, but then finishing with a dry taste. Good acidity with some quality fruit of a variety of citrus flavours. A very straightforward German good value Reisling from a renowned maker. Perfect wine for a curry.

Wine 2 was the SC Pannell Adelaide Hills Syrah 2016 @ 14%. A bottle from one of our best winemakers. A cool climate Syrah grown at 400 m above sea level in the hills of Adelaide. Medium lightish body, quite elegant with flavours of cherry & earthy spice. Gentle tannin & oak integration producing a most enjoyable wine. A wonderful food wine, just the right balance.

Wine 3 was a gem, the Deep Woods Estate Cabernet Malbec @ 14% from 2020. A really lovely wine from the Margaret River. Rich & luscious with abundant Cabernet flavours of dark fruits, garnet red with some sweet spice overtones. Acid/oak/tannins all perfect for a persisting lingering finish. A top wine. Deep Wood is now the largest producer in the Margaret River, established in 1987 & now also owning several other vineyards in NSW & Vic. This wine won the Wine of the Show award in the Decanter Wine Awards in 2022. How's that in your CV!

Final wine was a "Fridge Drop" & for our table we scored a Pirra Dolcetto d'Alba from 2020. A light to medium wine from Piedmont, very popular in Italy for good reason. Lightish & refreshing with great juicy flavours, oak, acid & tannin in harmony. Perfect food wine, suiting a vast array of meals from light to heavy. The trick is to not over analyse this wine, just drink it! You will enjoy it without worrying too much about its component parts! Buy a pizza with extra anchovy, grab a bottle of this wine & have some fun!

Wine of the day: I was very impressed by the Pannell Syrah, but I really could not go past the Deep Woods.

L17 Wine Lunch Merv Peacock 26 May 2026

Tue, 26 May 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Report by James Hill

Merv Peacock was in the kitchen today, reprising boeuf bourguignon that he had presented last year. It perfectly complemented the brace of Shiraz we enjoyed with our monthly wine tasting. Merv also crafted all the canapés with Kerry’s inspiration and assistance.

Canapés

First up was trout pâté served with homemade croutons. The pâté, made with cayenne, sour cream, chives, garlic and dill, had a subtle heat that wasn’t overpowering.

Next were warm zucchini muffins. Grated zucchini, eggs, bacon and sweetcorn made for a light, fluffy and flavoursome treat. I want the recipe!

Moroccan lamb meatballs and a yoghurt mint dip.The meatballs were seasoned with herbs and spices, and cayenne for some heat.

Main

Today’s boeuf bourguignon featured seared beef, carrots, onions, mushrooms and speck. The bourguignon sauce was thick and flavoursome. It was served minted peas and a buttery and creamy mash made with Dutch cream potatoes.

A hearty lunch, it was a great success, with everyone commenting on its deliciousness.

Cheese

Our cheese master Mark Bradford chose the society favourite, ‘Pyengana’, a cloth-bound cow’s milk cheese from Tasmania’s east.

Produced using the stirred curd method, the cheese develops a fine textured crumbly body and aromas of summer grass, herbs and honey. Maturation on pine shelves for up to 12 months encourages natural microflora, crucial for its long, sweet and nutty flavour.

Merv paired the cheese with a rocket, pear and honeyed walnut salad dressed with sherry vinegar and vincotto.

Wine Report by Stephen O'Halloran

First wine on the lunch wine menu was the Dr Loosen Kabinett Reisling Sonnenuhr, from 2922, @ 8% from the Mosel Valley. In my view an excellent choice for a wine with a curry, a notoriously difficult match. The wine had some pleasant spritzig on the first sip, but then finishing with a dry taste. Good acidity with some quality fruit of a variety of citrus flavours. A very straightforward German good value Reisling from a renown maker. Perfect wine for a curry.

Wine of the day: I was very impressed by the Pannell Syrah, but I really could not go past the Deep Woods.

L16 Rob Guthrie 19 May 2026

Tue, 19 May 2026 02:30:00 GMT

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.

James Hill COTD 12th May

Fri, 15 May 2026 05:11:51 GMT

James Hill COTD 12TH May The morning autumnal showers cleared today for our Spanish lunch, presented by Society favourite James Hill — or just for today, Jaime Colina.

Our most recent Life Member and multiply awarded Chef of the Year and Alexiou Trophy winner, James (Jaime), put together a cracker of a lunch with some great wines to match. Bucking recent trends of delegating responsibilities, Chef of the Day James prepared the entire meal himself.

Food Report - Mark Bradford

James served us three delightful canapés with a southern European theme.

The first was Wagyu bresaola with Fuyu persimmons. The persimmon was baked for 15 minutes with EVOO and served with balsamic vinegar.

Second to appear was baby bocconcini with anchovy and stuffed green olives, baked with oregano and topped with baby Roma tomatoes. Both of these canapés were held together by toothpicks.

Finally, we were served tiger prawns with Marie Rose sauce on lettuce in spoons — reminiscent of retro prawn cocktails.

All were tasty, not too filling, and a good match with the canapé wine.

The main meal — Catalan‑themed — was a real gem. It featured skin‑on, bone‑out organic chicken thighs cooked with a sauce of tomato, spring onion, garlic and white wine. James added a Catalan picada during the cooking process.

Lastly, freshly steamed clams (vongole) were added, with the sauce served over saffron rice. This was accompanied by al dente snow peas and more picada on top of the chicken.

The picada was made with garlic cloves, blanched almonds and hazelnuts, ciabatta slices, parsley and EVOO.

The chicken was cooked to perfection — moist inside with a firm, crispy skin. Understandably, comments in the room were highly favourable.

Cheese

As requested by James, the Cheese Master sourced L’Amuse Brabander Gouda, an artisan goat‑milk cheese from the Netherlands. It has been some three years since this popular cheese last appeared on our tables.

The porcelain‑white paste of this cheese is a stark contrast to the deep amber colour synonymous with classic Dutch gouda. Brabander comes from the Brabant region in the south, not far from Antwerp in Belgium.

The fresh milk of Saanen goats is used to create large wheels of gouda that age for three weeks before selection by oplegger (ripener) Betty Koster for maturation at her facility just outside Amsterdam. Betty’s unique technique of maturing gouda in warm rooms is unusual in the Netherlands. The higher temperature and humidity encourage complex flavours of sweet cream and toasted nuts, while the texture remains creamy and dense with a smooth finish.

James accompanied the cheese with fennel, apple, cucumber, celery, parsley, apple cider vinegar and EVOO.

Today’s bread was from Iggy’s in Bronte, and the chicken and Wagyu were sourced from Sam the Butcher in Bondi.

Wine Report - by Stephen O'Halloran

A reasonable turnout of 30+ sat down to a superb meal prepared by one of our finest chefs, James Hill, who never fails to deliver in the high‑quality food department.

For the very tasty canapés we drank a wine that was not on the list — namely, the Orlando Steingarten Riesling 2013 @ 11%. The anticipated wine, the Vickery Riesling, was nowhere to be seen. A missed delivery perhaps. In any event, thanks to some quick work by our acting wine master for the day, Rob Guthrie, disaster was averted and we secured sufficient supplies of Steingarten off the reserve bench to jolly us along with the canapés. It just goes to show the strength of our cellar when the reserve wine is one of Australia’s finest whites.

The Orlando Steingarten Riesling has developed a cult following since its first release in 1968, the vineyard having been established by the legendary Colin Gramp in 1962. A rocky hill amongst the otherwise flat ground of Rowland Flat in the Barossa, the vineyard stands 1600 ft above sea level and is home to one of the best Rieslings we have. The name translates from German as “Garden of Stones”, and having been there, I can say the name is very apt.

Now at 13 years old, the wine is still fresh, clean, and in great shape. Green‑gold in colour, with sufficient acid to deliver a crisp finish. Powerful flavours of lime and other citrus fruits — a joy to drink now, and seemingly with many years of wonderful drinking ahead. A top cool‑climate wine.

The first wine for our meal was a cracker: the Yabby Lake Pinot 2014 @ 12.5%. What a treat. A wine from the Mornington Peninsula — elegant and classy. A great bouquet of typical Pinot Noir red fruits, spice, and earth; very aromatic with a lifted nose. On the palate, silky, generous, and inviting. Light red‑brick colour with a tantalising finish. Mild tannin and oak interwoven seamlessly. This must be one of our top Pinots. An inspired choice by our wine master.

Our second wine was the Scorpo Chardonnay “Aubaine”, from the ancient French name for Chardonnay. Another wine from the Mornington Peninsula. Vintage 2017 @ 12.9%. Wow — what a big wine, leaving you in no doubt that you were drinking an Australian Chardy. Big fruit, buttery, with strong oak influence and sharp acidity. Redolent of stone fruits and very mouth‑filling.

To my taste, I found the wine overwhelming — too muscular and dominating for my palate. I found myself wishing for a much more restrained Chardonnay, such as a Brian Croser Tapanappa. There was some talk around the room about where on the wine list this wine should have been placed — first, second, or down with the cheese. I’m glad it wasn’t our first wine, as I’m sure it would have crushed the living daylights out of the more elegant Pinot.

The third wine was a perennial Society favourite: Wynns Black Label Cabernet. 2009 @ 14%. A very typical Black Label — the wine our members love in any vintage. Winemaker Sue Hodder has the recipe just right, producing year after year a wine of consistent appeal and high quality.

Over the years I’ve often thought that the Black Label series has become a bit like a can of Coke — you always know it will be good. But on a serious note, the winemaking team at Wynns deserve congratulations for their consistency of excellence with this Coonawarra Cabernet.

The wine today, now 17 years old, with colour not fading in any noticeable way, is a delight to drink. Rich and opulent, medium‑bodied, cellared for six years before release, allowing the wine to develop its typical Wynns composition of dark red/black fruits, tannin, and oak — all well integrated, leading to a powerful and satisfying finish. The room loved it.

The final wine of the day was the Bruno Rocca Barbera d’Alba 2021 @ 15%. Rich and intense. Opaque in its black darkness, this is a wine made by one of Italy’s top Barbera producers. To my taste, some slight tannic and acidic overtones (nothing like a Nebbiolo) were noticeable. The wine was lush, with cherry, plum, and mulberry flavours.

From the Piedmont region, the wine today gave the impression of being in a brooding phase — now only six years old, pausing in its structure until full development in ten years or so. Enjoyable, but with more to offer in the years ahead.

My wine of the day: the Yabby Lake. But I suspect the room would have gone for the Wynns.

If you’d like, I can also format this into a clean, board‑ready tasting report layout consistent with your Society’s style.

May 5 Lunch Amosh and REX team

Tue, 05 May 2026 02:30:00 GMT

May 5 Lunch

Amosh and REX team

The Food - by James HillA modest number attending today with Amosh KC executive chef of our club preparing lunch. Perfectly executed, robust flavours and great presentation as we’d expect from our talented chef.

Canapés

The canapes were prepped by our kitchen team.

Spinach and mushroom quiche made with button mushrooms, spinach, garlic and puff pastry.

Crispy prawn roll served with sriracha mayonnaise. A little heat in both the prawn and the sauce however not too dominant, great texture.

Cheesy beef ragu wonton cup made with Nduja, a spicy, spreadable cured pork sausage originating from Calabria.

Members thought the last canapé was outstanding …a lot of effort and thought in the canapés, all favourably commented upon.

Main

Our main was confit duck leg with brown-butter celeriac, nepalese style mixed beans ragout and duck sauce.

The duck was nigh on perfect with crisp skin with meat falling off the bone, its glaze was made with sugar balsamic and orange.

A silky celeriac purée sat on top of the six bean mix made with duck fat juniper and star anise.

The sauce was made tomato, chicken stock white wine butter with cumin and coriander, elegant and delicious.

Tremendous amount of flavour in our dish today without too much heat.

Bread sourdough with our main and seeded served with the cheese.

Cheese

Cheese master Mark Bradford selected a French white mould goat’s cheese ‘Buche de Lucay’.

P.Jacquin et fils produce traditional style goats milk cheeses in the Loire region of western France. This typical, French log-shaped cheese takes its name from nearby Lucay-le-Male. Fresh salted curds are covered with p.candidum and ripened in humid rooms to encourage the moulds to form a velvety white coat.

Transported in a special ‘cloche’ to ensure the mould continues to ripen, this chevre 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.

Our cheese was served with green apples and walnuts.

Wine Report - by Stephen O'Halloran

A modest crowd of around 30, including four guests (excellent work, Tony Scott and James Hill), dined in fine style today with some delicious duck presented by Amosh, the Rex chef, in one of his occasional lunches for our Society. What a talent he is — truly outstanding. See the Food Report for full details.

Canapé Wine

For the canapés, we enjoyed the Brokenwood 2023 Semillon (11%). We have had this wine before and it continues to be very popular. Fresh, clean, with excellent fruit–acid balance. Remarkable drinking for such a young Hunter Semillon, which would normally need five to six years of bottle age before approaching drinkability. A clear example of modern winemaking technique. A great canapé wine.

Luncheon Wines

Wine 1 – Seppelt Sparkling Show Shiraz 2008 (13%)

A terrific start. This wine, made by our very own winemaker Chilly Hargrave — who regrettably was not with us today to enjoy the fruits of his skill — was universally regarded as outstanding. A wonderful example of this unique Australian style. Now fully mature, soft and embracing, with still‑generous mousse (aka bubbles). Glorious dark fruits wrapped in a voluptuous mouthfeel, perfect with the duck. From a great year, this was a rare gift for all to enjoy. Our guests certainly picked the right day to join us — come again, we hope to see you soon.

Wine 2 – Willunga 100 Bush Vine Grenache 2024 (14.5%)

Grown in McLaren Vale from 50‑year‑old vines, this wine was luscious and sensual. Mid‑weight, red‑brick in colour, spicy and acidic, but excellent on the palate with plentiful hints of strawberry and cherry. An excellent partner for the duck. This wine reflects the modern approach to Grenache — a grape once dismissed as a “weed” suitable only for cheap bulk flagon wine. We have certainly come a long way. The team at Willunga are among the top Grenache producers in the country.

My only criticism of the grape is that it lacks follow‑through — no lingering flavour, unlike a great Cabernet or Shiraz. That’s my view anyway. Fire at will.

Wine 3 – Greywacke Pinot Noir 2015 (13.5%)

This New Zealand Pinot provoked mixed reactions. I quite liked it, notwithstanding that it was an unusual Pinot. Very dark in colour for PN, medium‑bodied, with an alluring aftertaste not typical of the variety. A big wine, probably nearing the end of its good drinking window. Made by the legendary NZ Pinot grower Kevin Judd. At the end of the day, I was not entirely sure what to make of it — certainly unusual, but still drinkable. Definitely a drink‑now proposition.

Wine 4 – Helen’s Hill Shiraz 2021 (14.8%)

From the Yarra Valley, Victoria. Very deep in colour, almost opaque. Intense Shiraz with dark berry fruits, some tannin and spice. A powerful wine, but in balance — fruit, acid, oak and tannin all working together to produce a very pleasant wine, enjoyable to the last mouthful. The sort of wine to drink with a rare rump steak and chips.

Wine of the Day

No need to guess — of course, the Sparkling Shiraz.

Wine Lunch 28 April 2026 Steve Liebeskind

Tue, 28 Apr 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Wine Lunch 28 April 2026

Steve Liebeskind

The Food - by Mark Bradford

A pleasant autumn afternoon for our third wine tasting lunch of the year, with the theme being Spanish. Chef of the day Steve Liebeskind also went Spanish in the kitchen, with a little flamenco here and there while preparing the meal. David Simmonds assisted Steve by assembling the canapés.

Canapés

Steve served us three Spanish canapes, or pinchos (pintxos in Basque).

These were marinated mushroom with roasted capsicum with an olive on a spoon. Then came a sardine, tomato chutney and sun-dried tomato on toast. Finally, zucchini with tarragon, a small bocconcini and topped with a white anchovy on a spoon.

Ole! A great start to the afternoon.

Main

The plato principal was lamb, or cordero.

Steve slow cooked lamb shoulder for10 hours following a 24-hour rub of garlic, smoked paprika and olive oil. It was then cooked on a rue of onions, celery and carrots.

During plating, the vegetables were processed and used as a base for the lamb. The broth from cooking – excluding the fat - was reserved and used for plating. The meal was accompanied by ratatouille (Spanish style), duck fat roasted potatoes and beans.

A great match with the Spanish wines on show today.

Cheese

As requested by Steve, a society favourite – Ossau Iraty – was sourced by the Cheese Master. Although French, it is from the Basque region of the Pyrenees.

Basque cheese making traditions date back at least 4000 years. Onetik is the largest dairy cooperative in the French Basque region collecting milk from 250 dairies across the Ossau Valley and Iraty Forest. Only milk from the local breeds of sheep: Manech and Basco-Bearnaise and traditional techniques can be used under PDO conditions. An uncooked, pressed curd cheese, the rind is washed and hand salted during six months maturation which encourages a hard crusty rind. It develops a succulent firm texture and complex flavour, developing notes of hazelnut and a slightly sweet finish.

Steve – or Esteban as he had become by now – served a wonderful salad of mixed lettuce with a dressing of oil and white balsamic and served with pear to accompany the cheese.

Wine Report - by Stephen O'Halloran

Today we were treated to some very fine Spanish fare from Steve Liebeskind. Wine Master Nick Reynolds scoured Spain for wines from a range of regions, and Mark Bradford rounded things out with his usual delicious cheese from the Basque country.

We opened proceedings with a Society favourite canapé wine, the Valminor Albariño 2022 (13%). We have seen this wine on several occasions and it always hits the spot with the canapés. Quite acidic, with a lively blend of excellent fruit and biting freshness. Mouth‑filling but dry, with a persistent and enjoyable finish. Pale yellow in colour, clean and refreshing — a wonderful partner for our Spanish tapas. A great way to start.

Unfortunately, that is about as far as the favourable comments go regarding the wines, with one exception.

The luncheon wines — six in total — were drawn from different regions of Spain and made from different grape varieties. They were all quite expensive. No dead wood here; only the best for the best. Very sadly, in my view, five of these wines did not live up to the hype. So much so that I do not intend to review the first five individually, as they were, in my view, well below the standard of red wines we regularly enjoy at our lunches.

I accept that these comments will disappoint our Wine Master, who put a great deal of time and effort into procuring these wines, providing each table with a map of Spain showing their origins, along with commentary on each wine. However, as I have said on prior occasions, I value my integrity when reporting, and I call it as I see it on the day.

The only wine of any class was Wine 6, a straight Tempranillo — Antídoto 2020 (14.5%), from Bertrand Sourdais. An enjoyable wine with excellent fruit and plenty of tannin. Sufficient acidity to give it good balance. Smooth and very drinkable, though not in any way outstanding.

So that’s it — certainly my shortest report ever.

To finish, I should note that at the end of lunch, in accordance with tradition, we drank a delicious Armagnac in a toast to our recently deceased member, Peter Karr.

The wines not reported upon were in order of service; 1 Guimaro Mundin { Rio Mino } 2020 Mencia. 2 Guimaro San Pedro {Rio Sil } 2020 Mencia. 3 Luis Anxo A Torna dos Pasas 2023 Brancello. 4 Alvaro Palacious Camins del Priorat 2020 Garnacha / Carinyena. 5 Alvaro Palacios Les Terrasses 2020 Garnacha / Samso.

Nigel Burton Lunch- 21 April 2026

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 02:30:00 GMT

Wine Report by Stephen O' Halloran

A modest turnout of 34 would have regarded themselves fortunate for making the decision to attend. Nigel Burton’s duck main was certainly a winner. This was the final COTY of the year, and I am sure those attending will rate the meal highly on their score sheets. For more about the food, see the Food Report.

Aperitif

We began in fine style with a Society favourite: Minaia Gavi 2021 (13%). Not only is this wine a favourite here at the WFS, it is also highly regarded in Italy. From Piedmont and made from the Cortese grape, it shows high acidity balanced with quality fruit, producing a delicious, mouth‑filling wine—dry yet very flavoursome. A perfect partner for antipasto and an excellent aperitif.

Main Course Wines

Wine 1 – Cherubino Margaret River Chardonnay 2022 (12%)

This wine proved a lightning rod for diverse opinion—some loved it, others sneered at it. Intense, rich and voluptuous, verging on overpowering. Huge quality fruit: peachy, buttery, gleaming gold in colour and in excellent condition. Heaven for those who enjoy that style and made by one of our finest winemakers.

On the negative side, many in the room felt it was an abomination of quality Chardonnay fruit. Fair enough—battle lines drawn. To the cognoscenti, compared with a good White Burgundy, it was coarse, uncouth and vulgar. I can understand those assessments. On the other hand, many enjoyed its huge, fruit‑driven style, leaving no doubt that they were drinking an Australian Chardonnay.

Wine 2 – Girardin Pinot Noir 2012, Côte de Beaune (13%)

For me, this wine was overpowered by the lingering flavours of the preceding Chardonnay. An entry‑level Pinot from a year that produced some good wines, though patchy overall. Now at 14 years of age, it showed light structure, some cherry fruit and fine tannins. Pleasant drinking, but a little nondescript, leaving the impression that it had peaked a few years ago and was now beginning to fade.

Wine 3 – Yalumba “The Cigar” Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Coonawarra (13.5%)

A very big wine: dark, almost opaque, brimming with ripe fruit and strong tannin and oak overtones. Hints of mulberry and blackberry—rich and powerful, though possibly over‑extracted. At 18 years old, I felt that this once big and muscular wine was beginning to fade. Acidity dropping off slightly, and the finish was disappointing.

Wine 4 – Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 2007 (14%)

A good‑quality wine, consistently reliable over many years and excellent value. Today, however, it showed the hallmarks of 19 years of bottle age. Still very drinkable but not offering much excitement.

Pick of the Day

The Gavi.

Mixed Lunch Bill andVoula

Tue, 14 Apr 2026 02:30:00 GMT

A full house on Orthodox Easter Tuesday saw our food master Bill Alexiou in the kitchen with friend Voula Price, presenting Greek Easter fare for the first mixed luncheon of the year. It is well known that nobody leaves hungry when Bill is involved in a lunch, and today was no exception.

Canapés

They were aplenty.

We started with taramasalata topped with caviar on toast.

Following this was quality anchovies on a bed of tomato on sourdough toast. Very tasty…Voula said the tomato salsa was made with tomatoes from her father’s garden.

Finally, we were served spanakopita bites , a buttery filo pastry filled with spinach, feta, onion, herbs, and eggs.

All canapés were delicious and eagerly devoured.

A very good match for the aged Prosecco, our canapé wine.

Entrée

Sitting down to an alternate serve entrée, one was Lahanodolmades, cabbage rolls sitting in a light sauce of lemon and chicken stock with beaten eggs. The cabbage rolls were stuffed with ground beef and rice.

It’s not a complete lunch with Bill in the kitchen if there’s no octopus; today was octopus on skordalia that were braised for one hour then charred with sweet paprika oil.

Texture and flavours perfect.

Bill passed on information about the significance of the painted Greek eggs on our table ,including their significance and the etiquette of cracking them and eating them in a group.

Main

Today we were served a deconstructed moussaka of béchamel and eggplant slices with seared pink slices of lamb back-strap and eggplant chips. The food came to the table at a perfect temperature.

This was served with Marouliesalata (lettuce salad), having lettuce, dill, lemon, and olive oil with apple cider vinegar.

As someone said, it’s great when Bill cooks and sensational when Voula is the executive chef.

As Voula said, you should always cook with love.

Thank you, Voula and Bill – much thought and effort went into today’s Greek-themed lunch – a lively atmosphere around the room today with good company, wine, and food.

Dessert

The cheese master was given the day off, and we had a tasty version of baklava and galaktoboureko ( baked custard ) in a Kataifi nest served with ice cream and pomegranate molasses .

Delightful.

We welcomed a new member to our society today, Stuart Macwhirter. Stuart was proposed by Miles Hedge.

Miles is pictured under the portrait of his great-grandfather, George Cohen.

He was presented with a society pin and our society publication, ‘A Table with Delights’, by our Vice President, Jonathan Casson.

Today the Society and its guests (mixed lunch) were treated to an array of wines from around the world.

We started with a 2021 Riva Dei Frati DOC Prosecco Rose Extra Dry Millesimato from Vento. A bright and vibrant pale pink prosecco. Aromas are delicate, with typical floral hint of rose, fruity with notes of peach and red berries. Flavours are soft and well structured, fresh and harmonious with a fruity finish. The ladies across the board enjoyed the bubbles. The bubbles complemented the canapes which were varied from anchovies on toast, Taramasalata and Spanakopita.

A 2015 Tyrrells Belford Chardonnay 13% was selected to go with the entrée. Pale, bright green colour, the nose is intense with white peach, some citrus, dry straw and delicate oak in the background. The palate is not unlike a Semillon in that there is a dense and robust nature to the fruit weight, with bright acidity. These rich flavours are balanced nicely by the textural elements from the solids ferment, and extended time on yeast lees.

Main was served with the often-seen wines at the Society:

2021 Domaine Melanie & Daniel Bouland, Morgon Bellevue Sable Beaujolais Cru (Gamay) 13%. This was a medium-to-deep ruby colour, nose of red cherry, strawberry, black pepper, and a bit floral; palate is medium-bodied, smooth, dry, acidic, with mild yet noticeably tannin; pleasant, long finish, with fruit followed by spice. A number felt it was a flavour bomb.

2016 Massolino Dolcetto d’Alba 14%. This was aromatic and fruity, with flavours of plums and black cherries, as well as aromatic violet and herb characteristics bouncing around the palate. Soft tannins and balanced. It has a long freshness with chalky acidity, made from Dolcetto vines.

2013 Ch Raymond-Lafon 13.5% (375ml) Sauternes. What a great way to finish a lunch. This wine has been in the cellar for a little while and it doesn’t disappoint. Still drinking super well, We were treated to a fruit salad of flavours apricot, tart plum and orange marmalade with a full bodied structure of mineral and sweetness, with a lush texture finely balanced by mouthwatering acid.

Dave Madson 7 April 2026 Lunch Report

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 02:30:00 GMT

March Wine Lunch Report Hal Epstein

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 23:34:37 GMT

Report by James Hill

Canapés

Hal started our canapé service with sliced figs topped with a pomegranate seed on mascarpone and biscuits. He followed up with mini Roma tomatoes stuffed with a cornichon and white anchovy.

Yours truly assisted with some chicken salami with witlof and a sour cherry. The chicken salami was sourced from Sunshine Meats, formerly owned by society friend Jose Silva.

The canapés were well received by members and a good match for our canapé wine.

Main

Hal always looks to serve something different and also a challenge.

Our information was that it was ‘mountain lamb’.

Ten goat shoulders, 5 boned and 5 on the bone, were marinated the evening prior then slow roasted en cartouche in the pan for three and a half hours prior to serving .The marinade consisted of ten different dried herbs ,evoo,lemon zest and juice, and fresh basil and coriander plus a generous portion of red wine.

The meat amazingly fell off the bone; it was pink and moist, the texture perfect. Juices generated during the cooking were used as a final finish ingredient.

The meat was served with a salad of pearl couscous incorporating pomegranate, cucumber and further finely chopped fresh herbs that added a good sharpness to the dish. Fresh rocket leaves on the side .

Great flavours today, not too much as to dominate the wines on taste.

Many favourable comments on the food today, many reflecting the quality of the meal. As Steve Sparkes said, ‘ the wine benefited from the food and the food benefited from the wine.’

Hal praised our Rex kitchen team for their assistance today.

Bread today: sourdough baguettes one sesame, the other plain from Baker Blue Double Bay.

Cheese

Research showed that the best cheese match for goat was goat!

Mark Bradford provided a French Basque region semi-hard goat’s cheese, Chabrin Tomme Pur Chèvre.

A mild goat’s milk cheese with sweet and nutty overtones. Onetik Dairy specialises in sheep and goat’s milk cheeses in the heart of the Basque Country, using milk from around 250 farms, scattered across the Pyrenees. Chabrin is a naturally rinded pressed cheese, aged in their cellars for just three months, resulting in a dense but smooth, creamy texture that coats the palate and lingers with a mineral aroma.

It came to the table in perfect condition, as Phil Laffer commented, a complimentary flavour to the wine, a very good match.

Wine Report by Stephen O'Halloran

A beautiful Autumn day saw 48 of us gathered together in our tribal meeting place in the REX dining room . We enjoyed an excellent main of roast Goat with a Couscous

Salad, some fine goat's cheese, all proceeded by some delicious canapes . The whole cooking team including Amosh, deserve our sincere thanks for a wonderful afternoon at this Tasting lunch .

The Canape wine was perfect, a Vickery Reisling from 2020 @11.5 % , fruit from Watervale SA . The wine was named in honour of the great John Vickery { RIP } , probably the greatest reisling wine maker in Australian wine history. The wine was perfect for the Canapes. Fresh , crisp , good acid balance & tons of lime & other citrus flavours . Now at 6 yo & nearing its peak maturity window , the wine was delivering a lovely lingering finish .Top marks to our Wine Master for securing this wine independently from our Cellar Stocks .

Wine no 1 for the main was a truly brilliant Farr Pinot 2012 @ 13.5 % . A wine grown in the Moorabool Valley Vic . Always a highly rated wine , but this one was to me exceptional . Dark cherry colour with strawberry hints , just showing a few brownish glimpses around the glass rim , as one would expect from a 12 yo PN . The wine to me had that much sought after " lift" on the first sip as a good PN will do , velvety in the mouth . Rich & complex , great integration of all component parts, a firm inviting finish. A top wine .

Wine 2 was the lovely Ch Dominique 2010 Grand Cru from St Emilion, on the right bank of the Gironde River that runs through Bordeaux . The wine is the next door neighbour of the famous Cheval Blanc vineyard, no dead wood here! Wine was a Merlot blend @ 14.5% . The wine was pure class, unmistakably a high quality Bordeaux . Dark almost opaque colour brimming with flavours of plumb , cedar & earthy spices . Silky tannins on the back palate . A wine from an excellent year showing it's best features . Initially the wine on first taste seemed a little sour, which thankfully soon disappeared after more time in glass . Overall, a beautiful wine .

Wine 3 was the legendary Tyrrells 4 Acres shiraz from 2005 @ 13.5% . A wine grown on the oldest vineyard in the Tyrrells Hunter Estate , planted in 1879 . This wine has over the years become a favourite of Tyrrells followers . The 05 of this wine presented as an elegant lighter style , red brick in colour , now 21 yo & drinking so well . No sign of ageing . Sweetish leather & spices on the mid palate , aromatic bouquet with a complex restrained finish . A very light structure .

Wine 4 was the 2010 Conterno Fantino Barolo @ 14% . A powerful wine from a top year, this is the hard face of Nebbiolo, as represented in its variant Barolo .

Tannic , acidic , meaty , chunky & tarry . One sip of this wine tells you that you are dealing with a very serious wine . The wine is often referred to as the " Wine of Kings , & the King of Wines " That is how the Italians have dubbed it over the centuries . For those who love that style , go for it , my personal preference is for Nebbiolo in another variant , Barbaresco , a lighter style, very flavoursome but less confrontational . In my view a more elegant style . Having said that, the Barolo today was in great shape, intense massive black appearance but on the palate , chewy, thick & overflowing with ripe black fruits of high quality . Now a 15 yo wine drinking well with years ahead of it .

Wine 5 was a beauty , the Ch La Pierre a 4^th growth from the renown district of St Julian in Bordeaux, on the left side of the Gironde River . This district hosts the highest number of classified Growth wines in Bordeaux . A good address with the right neighbours ! This wine was from 2009 , a Cabernet blend { 70 % } with some Merlot & Cab Franc . 13.5 % . Medium body , dark black fruits , cherry & plumb overtones . Very typical Bordeaux on the mouth feel with earthy hints & leather & cigar box aromas, a most enjoyable wine, I could just sit there smelling the aroma & I'd be happy. Plenty of time ahead .

Final wine for the day was the grandfather of the group a 1998 Penfolds Bin 389 . This wine is now 28 yo & I must concede I was a tad apprehensive . A blend of 58% Cab & 42 % Shiraz , with 14 % alcohol . My fears were soon dismissed, with the wine opening wonderfully well . Intense & concreated with ripe fruit . Great balance , & no over oaky influence although the wine had spent 14 months in oak . Acid still holding up , but I did detect some slightly Porty flavours . Showing the blessing of a great year in SA the wine is an Australian classic in the Cab /Shiraz world . In this regard I notice that Australia is one of the few , if any other countries that blend Cab with Shiraz . Interesting . A great wine to finish off with .

So , how did all these great wines match up? In my assessment , it was a dead heat between the Farr Pinot & the St Pierre for my wines of the day .

L9 lunch Bill Alexiou-Hucker 24 March

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 01:18:00 GMT

Steve Sparkes Lunch Report 17th March

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 01:30:00 GMT

Full house for our former food master and previous Seafood Chef of the Year winner, Steve Sparkes. He was in the kitchen today for our fourth ‘cook-off’ for our Chef of the Year award for 2025.

Author James Hill

Canapés

Steve prepared three canapés for us today all excellent.

Steak tartare made with leftover trimmings from the main course meat,

it was made with capers,cornichon,mustard and served

in short crust pastry cups.

Prawn roll made with celery,spring onions, mascarpone, mayo and Steve’s homemade sriracha which gave the heat, all wrapped in prosciutto.

Tuna mousse served on brown rice crackers and topped with biquinho (little beak) peppers known as sweety drop, these are small, tear drop shaped pods originating from Brazil. They have a mild sweet smoky flavour with a very low heat. Love this mousse, Steve introduced our society some time ago, ingredients are unsalted butter, 1 large shallot, chopped, 400 g can of tuna in oil, 1 bay leaf,

2 sprigs finely chopped fresh tarragon, 10 anchovy fillets, finely chopped, 1/2 cup sherry, preferably Oloroso and freshly ground black pepper. Blend for five minutes till pale in colour and pipe onto the biscuit.

Bold robust flavours today, as Frank said , not flavour bombs but flavour explosions.

Main

Tournedos Rossini,

Steve’s recipe was taken from Auguste Escoffier’s “A Guide to Modern Cookery”, first published in 1907. It is one of 65 Tournedos recipes in the book! Reliable sources report that M. Escoffier named the dish in honour of his friend, who moved from Italy to France.

The dish consists of a piece of fillet steak (the Tournedos) served on a baguette crust topped with a slice of Foie Gras, a Madeira sauce and decorated with fresh truffle. Today Steve served the beef on a toasted baguette with some spinach and the beef topped with black truffle foie gras from Great Southern Truffles. The Madeira sauce,the hero today, was made with port,Madeira and a truffle butter mixed through then served with a herb oil.

Steve accompanied the tournedos with green beans and almond slivers dressed with olive oil and raspberry wine vinegar.

Much praise in the room today for this dish, great flavours and textures prepared to the standards of a top restaurant.

Bread today from Bourke st bakery

Cheese

We should know by now that Steve always requests cheese from his home state, Tasmania. Today , Mark Bradford sourced a cow’s milk ashed cheese from Coal River Farm. It’s a triple cream Brie rolled in charcoal ,which enhances the creamy nutty flavour. It came to the table in perfect condition today and showed how good Australian cheese production has become.

Steve accompanied the cheese with a dressed mixed leaf salad and carrots.

Wine Report from Stephen O'Halloran

A Steve Sparkes lunch of Tournedos Rossini was always going to attract a crowd, & yesterday was no different, with nearly 50 members attending for what would be a memorable afternoon of great food & cheese together with an outstanding array of Red wines. Being St Patrick's Day, the room soon developed an excellent atmosphere of fun & vitality.

Some truly delicious canapes set the scene for a superb lunch to follow. The First wine was a Pike's Clare Valley Riesling 2022, a top vintage in that district. Sourced mainly from grapes grown in the Clare sub district of Polish Hill, I found this wine to be an ideal match for our canapes. Fresh, yellow /green in colour, bright lively acidity producing a clean finish with citrus & lime overtones. I enjoyed this wine, a 4 year old Riesling, still 2/3 years away from peak drinking. I must say I was surprised to hear some discordant notes from some members in the room regarding this wine. A few were not impressed! To my taste I could not find any objectionable features in the wine which I would regard as being a better than average commercial Riesling obtainable at reasonable cost.

Everybody as far as I could tell from moving around the room pouring the wine, had sufficient of the Pikes, of which our supply was soon exhausted. We then had some French & Italian white wines which were one up one down. The French wine was considered poor, however the Italian wine was much better. I will not review these wines as I am sure not everybody had a taste of both.

We then moved onto the main event with our luncheon wines, which as it unfolded would be a comparison of 2 high quality French & Italian Reds matching up to 2 of our top notch Cabernet & Shiraz. A mouthwatering prospect. The Europeans won the toss & elected to kick off.

First up was a Ch Haut Brisson from 2016 @ 14.5% which incidentally was the alcohol strength of all 4 wines. This was a wine from the St Emilion region of Bordeaux, right bank. A blend of 95% Merlot & 5% Cabernet. Dark ruby in colour, medium weight, now fully developed. Elegant, plummy & soft as expected from a top year in that district. My initial assessment was somewhat underwhelming, "is that your hardest punch"?, but then something happened on the way to the bottom of the glass over the course of 20 mins or so. The wine really came together in that time & presented as a much more attractive proposition. In a word outstanding. A St Emilion merlot, just beautiful, gentle tannin, sweet & alluring finish. Great wine.

Wine 2 in Team Europe was a Super Tuscan from Bolgheri Rosso 2015. A cocktail of mainly Merlot 60% with Cab Franc 20% & 2 Cabernet & Syrah filling in the gaps. This was a lovely Italian wine. From a top year, fully developed, rich, full bodied plummy mouthfeel. A joy! Silky & juicy a refined classy wine, you just never wanted the glass to finish. So that was what the Team Europe put on the table & threw down the Gauntlet in empathetic style to those upstart Colonials!

Behind our parapets, team Oz were waiting with a 2010 Vass Felix Cab & a 2015 Shaw & Smith Adelaide Hills Shiraz. "Hold fire till you see the whites of their eyes, then let them have it both barrels". Our first wave of attack was led the Vass Felix, in my view the hero of the battle. What a wine! 88% Coonawarra Cab with a dash of Malbec & an even smaller dash of Cab Franc & Petit Verdot. A wine with impeccable balance between oak, tannin & acid. Wonderful aroma of a developed Margaret River Cabernet, just superb. Complex dark fruit hints, powerful but elegant mouthfeel. A 15 yo masterpiece in Australian Cabernet from a top year. That wine certainly put the Europeans back on their heels!

Then came our second wine the Shaw & Smith Shiraz 2015. A superb back up. Rich, intense & nearly opaque in the glass, this wine spent 14 months in Oak, which superbly blended with the tannins & acid delivering a stunning sensation on the back palate. In my view a tremendous wine. My view was not shared by our living treasure, ex winemaker Phil Laffer who considered the wine had suffered from desiccation {loss of some moisture} in the grapes. To my amateur palate, & with of course great respect to Phil, if this wine was effected by desiccation, please tell me where if can source more wines similarly effected!

So, when the smoke had cleared from the battlefield & each team counted their losses who won? Who knows? I think the answer is "Personal Choice." A matter of style that one prefers, elegance & balance or powerful fruit driven flavour.

At the conclusion of the wonderful day we were treated to a Hollicks sauterne style sweet wine from Coonawarra which was delicious. Generously donated by Robert Wiggins to celebrate his 71st birthday Many thanks to all who helped create a wonderful afternoon, the Beef was first rate, the canapes terrific, Cheese superb & wines awesome. Behind the scenes admin & room organisation was as usual smooth & effective, thanks to Frank Liebeskind & James Hill.

Mark Bradford 10th March - Operation Pomegranate Storm

Tue, 10 Mar 2026 01:30:00 GMT

There was no ducking for cover when Mark served up his Fesenjan . It was like the Iranian war starting with one bold strike of flavour, and five minutes later the entire plate is involved in a full-scale escalation. Mark called on extra troops to assist with his lunch today and was ably assisted by Fabian Dwyer and Craig Smith with the first assault of a home baked pastry tartlet of creme fraiche, smoked salmon and dill. Denys Moore came over the top with his pate on a Jatz biscuit, the saltiness of the biscuit complemented the pate , Mark also jumped in with a Chilean smoked mussels on mini toast spread with sour cream. Gary Linnane supported the crew with a White Bean Anchoiade-blended white beans, anchovies, capers, cream cheese, lemon, served on his favourite Ritz biscuit

The Duck marylands were sourced at Hudson Meats Cammeray. Seasoned with SNP then browned in vegetable oil for circa 8 minutes. They were removed so they could watch me prepare the stew. Duck fat removed and pan deglazed.

Walnuts powdered in food processor then toasted for a few minutes.

Yellow onions sauteed in duck fat and olive oil until brown like the ones on your Bunnings sausage sandwich. Turmeric, cinnamon and a little nutmeg added until fragrant. Then chicken stock, honey, pomegranate molasses and walnuts added with the duck legs and deglaze liquid, stewed low and slow for 3 hours. Legs had 2 nights in the stew and were separated from the sauce on the day.

Basmati rice washed and par boiled for 6 minutes. EVOO heated in large saucepan and bottom lined with waxy potato slices then rice added but not packed. Butter on top then kitchen paper and lid on with low boil for 45 minutes. Real saffron used to prepare saffron water for about a quarter of the rice.

Meal garnished with the "potato scallops", walnuts, pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.

Cheese was Gruyere, same as last week and some "Persian" feta. The Persian Feta added to the theme of the day

Wine Report, Lunch 10th March 2026 by Stephen O'Halloran .

A modest roll up of about 30 were rewarded for their attendance by an excellent main of Persian Duck, followed by a terrific Gruyere, all provided by the multi-skilled Mark Bradford. A great effort Mark, well done.

For the Canape wine we enjoyed a very drinkable Orlando Lyndale Chardonnay 2019 @ 13.3%. Green /gold in colour, bright & intense, a full bodied Chardy which went well with the Canapes, of which there were plenty & very tasty. I really liked this wine which had an abundance of quality fruit, buttery & a well balanced integration of oak & acid. A clean finish. Overall a most enjoyable aged Chardy drinking at it's peak. Well chosen by our Wine Master.

Wine 1 on the lunch list was the Bouland Corcelette Gamay, from 2021 @ 13%. This Beaujolais is designated as a Morgon, being up at the top of Beaujolais ratings. A thick, luscious wine, a joy to drink. Perfect match with the duck. Powerful, yet elegant complex flavours. Let's not over analyse this wine, just drink it & enjoy. My wine of the day.

Wine 2 was the Yabby Lake Pinot Noir from 2010 @ 14%. This is a most respected wine from the Mornington Peninsular in Vic. Regarded by many as one of our top Pinots. Medium weight, firm tannins with a complex array of flavours. Ruby colour with some browning at the rim, as one might expect from a 16 yo Pinot. Still drinking well, fully developed with sufficient acid to ensure a pleasant finish. The strong flavours of the Duck were perhaps a little overwhelming for this wine. Defiantly a wine for very short time cellaring.

The third wine was a Society favourite, the Wynns Black Label Coonawarra Shiraz @ 13.5% from 2012. An excellent vintage for that region & the wine showed it's quality pedigree. Dense & full bodied, colour dark red/black. Terrific oak/tannin integration producing strong flavours on the back palate of dark fruit, spice & earthy hints. Fully matured but drinking so extremely well. I think this wine was the room favourite.

For the last wine we had a pick of 3 top class wines, my table got the Shiraz by Farr 2014 @ 13.5%. My comments will necessarily be restricted to this wine. We have enjoyed this wine before, { see my report of lunch 17 Feb. } In that report I gave the wine a very high rating as I thought it was one of the best Shiraz I had tasted. I will not repeat here my full review of this wine, only to say, nothing has changed, still magnificent! By way of a comparison with the Wynns, the Farr wine had in my view a softer, more elegant & refined taste over the Wynns which in contrast seemed rather coarse in terms of mouthfeel. I know many will disagree, however when I took on the role of Wine Reporter, I promised to honestly assess the wines as I saw them.

Walnuts powdered in food processor then toasted for a few minutes.

Meal garnished with the "potato scallops", walnuts, pomegranate seeds and chopped parsley.

Cheese was Gruyere, same as last week and some "Persian" feta. The Persian Feta added to the theme of the day

Wine Report, Lunch 10th March 2026 by Stephen O'Halloran .

Paul Irwin March 3rd Lunch Review

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:30:00 GMT

Wine Report Lunch 3^rd March 2026 from Stephen O'Halloran .

Today we lucky members who were there enjoyed a rare treat , Paul Irwin's de constructed famous Ruben Sandwich, New York Style . As Paul told us , this meal took a huge amount of time & effort in putting it all together . The Brisket was sensational & the various trimmings worked so well . Paul , we are indebted to you for this rare feast .

With regard to the wines , the Canape wine was a Mitchell McNicol Clare Riesling from 2015 . This wine really got people talking . The reason ? It was most unusual ! . An 11yo Riesling still in great shape in terms of colour & a crisp mouthfeel , however it had some unusual features , such as high acidity , high alcohol 13.5 %, a slightly sweetish finish but the overall product teamed up well with the canapes served . An unusual Riesling . Discuss .

Wine no 1 on the lunch menu was an Argentinian Malbec " Alamos " from the Mendoza region 2024 @ 13% . Malbec from this region is amongst my favourites of that grape , big colours , big fruit, powerful but well balanced & an attractive finish . A bit more time in bottle would not go astray , however the wine today was still a great match for the strong beef flavours of the Ruben . A fair amount of Tannin detected , with some cherry, prune & plumb hints . Overall an enjoyable paring with the main . Well chosen .

Wine 2 was the Eden Rd Syrah 2021@ 12.5 % from the Murrumbateman region near Canberra . A classic cool climate Syrah , light to medium weight, spicy with good acidity & some tannic hints. An Elegant finish . I was enjoying this wine until our resident wine maker Phil Laffer explained to me that I should not be having such a good time with this wine, due to the unwelcome presence of excessive Malic acid , which is commonly found in grapes as well as other acids such as tartaric acid . The chemistry of the wine grape is a very complex field , & I will not attempt to go into that subject , which is far above my pay grade . I am sure Phil will be delighted to provide more info on Malic acid if you ask him nicely . I will of course defer to Phil's assessment of the wine & will down grade my assessment from " enjoyable " to " just average , marred by excessive Malic Acid ". Everybody now happy ?

Wine 3 was the room favourite , the Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz from Coonawarra , 2002 @ 14 % . Now a 24 YO wine , with obvious traits of the ageing process , but none the less , still drinking beautifully . The Vintage was tricky with low yields & some variable results . Some of the red grapes were of high quality however . This Bin 128 shiraz was clearly one of the better ones from that year . Some browning around the rim , to be expected , but still generous flavours of blackberry & plum . Medium weight with fine tannins & a lasting persistent spicy finish . A lovely old wine .

Final wine of the day was the Poderi Barbera d'Alba 2015 @ 14.5 % . Assessment of wine is of course a matter of personal taste & subjective evaluation . This was my wine of the day . A wine from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy , dense , juicy & chewy . Not overpowering , but very evident high quality Barbera fruit . Delicious , some acidity noted , minimal tannin . A delightful Italian lunch wine , just the perfect match for a good Veal Scaloppini .

Paul Irwin COTY Lunch Review - A Deli delight

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 01:30:00 GMT

Every so often it feels appropriate to commit to a cooking project that borders on the slightly unreasonable. This lunch fell squarely into that category: a home-cured pastrami brisket and a deconstructed Reuben, supported by some excellent canapés and a potato salad contribution from Steve Liebeskind.

It started weeks earlier, as most good pastrami projects do.

But first — the opening act.

The Canapés

Steve Liebeskind’s Pâté

Steve produced a pâté that disappeared rapidly. Precise details remain under Steve’s jurisdiction, though several attendees have expressed a strong interest in acquiring the recipe.

Pickled Herring on Rye

Another of Steve’s contributions: pickled herring on rye with sliced onion and sour cream.

Individually, these ingredients can be somewhat polarising. Together they form one of those combinations that makes complete sense once you taste it — salty, creamy, sharp and deeply satisfying.5-

Hour Potato Squares

Thin layers of potato were carefully stacked, compressed and slow-cooked for around fifteen hours until they formed a dense, sliceable slab.

The slab was cut into small squares and finished in rendered smoked brisket tallow, producing a crisp exterior with a soft interior. The result was a smoky, savoury one-bite preview of what was coming next.

The Main Event: A Deconstructed Reuben

The Reuben is one of the great deli sandwiches: pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and rye bread.

Rather than assembling it traditionally, each component was presented separately so guests could experience the elements individually — and in whatever proportions they preferred.

The Pastrami

The centerpiece was approximately 10 kilograms of brisket, using the point end only.

The point is the larger, fattier section of the brisket and produces a far more flavourful pastrami. It also shrinks dramatically during cooking — this one lost roughly 40% of its weight by the time it reached the table.

The Brine

The brisket was submerged in a curing brine for two weeks.

The brine contained coriander seeds / cloves / black pepper / mustard seeds / salt

The long curing time wasn’t accidental. Last year’s attempt used a 72-hour brine, which proved insufficient for a thick point cut. This time the goal was ensuring the cure penetrated fully to the center.

Desalination

After curing, the brisket was Drained and rinsed then submerged in fresh water for 24 hours

This step pulls back excess salt while preserving the corned beef character, cured flavour and distinctive pink colour.

The Rueben is complete with a supporting cast and Paul , with some help from Steve Liebeskind, did not disappoint

Once dried, the brisket received a coating of American mustard as a binder, followed by a traditional pastrami spice crust consisting largely of cracked black pepper , coriander , garlic powder , onion powder , salt

The brisket was smoked in an offset smoker until it reached an internal temperature of 60°C.. From there it was wrapped and finished in the oven until it reached 90°C, then rested.

On the day of service the whole brisket went into a sous vide bath early in the morning, bringing it gently back to a consistent 60°C so it could be sliced perfectly for lunch.

Sauerkraut

Two heads of finely sliced white cabbage were mixed with salt and caraway seeds.

No water was added. The salt draws liquid from the cabbage, creating its own brine.

The mixture fermented for about five weeks, during which natural fermentation converts the cabbage’s carbohydrates into lactic acid, producing the distinctive sour flavour.

Before serving, the sauerkraut was cooked and drained to soften the acidity and make it more suitable for plating alongside the pastrami.

Russian Dressing

The dressing started with a mayonnaise base, but with a twist.

Instead of ketchup, it used ajvar — a Balkan condiment made from roasted red capsicum. The result is a deeper, richer flavour and a bit more complexity.

The dressing also included diced sweet pickles / finely diced onion / generous horseradish / sharp mustard

No Rueben is complete without a supporting cast and Paul , with some help from Steve Liebeskind, did not disappoint

Franken Mustard

A completely unplanned condiment that turned out surprisingly good:
a blend of hot English mustard, Dijon mustard and American mustard.

Born from indecision at the supermarket, it delivered both heat and complexity. Store-bought European pickles. Excellent crunch. No apologies.

Swiss Cheese Tuile

Swiss cheese was melted at high heat, then wrapped around a rolling pin while still pliable to form a crisp curved wafer.

Rye Crispbread

Made from a store-bought rye sourdough, pressed flat and toasted into a cracker. One triangular piece per serving.

Chives

Because everything looks better with a little green on top.

Potato Salad (Steve Liebeskind)

Steve also contributed a classic deli-style potato salad, served at the table for sharing.

It paired beautifully with the pastrami.

Effort , skill and talent all blended the elements to this marvelous offering by Paul

Peter Kelso February Wine Lunch Review

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 01:30:00 GMT

Lunch Review - author Mark Bradford (Cheese Master)

A hot and humid Tuesday greeted the first wine tasting lunch of the year, presented by the ever-reliable former President and Chef of the Year, Peter Kelso. Jonathan Casson assisted with canapés. A good turn out again for this wine lunch, featuring Burgundies.

Canapés

Jonathan gave us cream cheese with sun-dried tomatoes and chives on crispy quinoa crackers. We had another from the kitchen – and inspired by James Hill – of smoked salmon, crème fraiche and grated horseradish on crackers. Both were light and worthy of whetting our taste buds, and were a fitting match with the canape wines.

Main

Peter presented tunnel-boned spatchcocks; the birds being stuffed with warrigal greens as well as Japanese spinach and breadcrumbs flavoured with nutmeg and a touch of cayenne pepper. The reduction sauce included a little blue cheese. There was some corn bread on the plate and a garnish of spinach leaves. Lovely presentation with the birds browned to perfection and ideal for a wine lunch.

Cheese

The Cheese Master presented Taleggio, always a society favourite and in theme to mark the closing of the Winter Olympics in northern Italy. The microclimate in the natural caves where these cheeses are matured, high in the Alps, encourages the development of a unique flora on the outer rind. Washed and brushed several times over a month, the cheese develops a thin bloom flecked with blue penicillium moulds.

Beneath the rind, the ivory chalky texture of the cheese begins to change slowly as it ripens, becoming buttery and soft. The creamy texture, when balanced with the delicious yeasty taste provided by the rind, is one of Italy’s best kept secrets. Mauri Taleggio is considered one of the finest DOP cheeses made in Italy and should not be confused with the industrial waxed or vacuum-packed copies that are a poor imitation of the original.

Peter served seasonal juicy figs and walnuts to accompany the cheese.

Wine Report - Stephen O'Halloran (President)

At the outset let me say simply, this was a terrific afternoon. The food, the wine & the cheese were uniformly excellent. Congratulations to Peter Kelso, Nick Reynolds & Mark Bradford for their work. Well, done chaps. One of our best in recent times in my view. We all went away more than happy with our membership of the WFS, what a lunch for $ 100. !

Dealing now with the wines, we enjoyed a Society canape favourite , the Kumeu River Village chardonnay from NZ 2022 @ 12 %. Fresh, bright & cheery, easy drinking as a value for money canape wine. Nice acid, aromas of peach & pear leading to a crisp finish. Good value.

We also had a few bottles of a Brian Croser Tapanatta Chardy from the Adelaide hills. Not sure if everyone had some. I had a small sample which I found very agreeable, disciplined in typical Croser style, a quality wine.

For the Lunch wines we commenced with a superb French White Burgundy, a Saint Aubin from Colin Morey, 2019 @ 13.5 &%. Wow, what a wine, absolutely gorgeous. From a top year, medium to full body, very elegant & restrained in manner that only the French can at times achieve. Bright yellow/gold, a mouthfeel of melon & stone fruits wonderful balance, magnificent finish. What more can I say?

With regard to the red wines, we were indulged by our Wine master with 5 high quality Burgundies from vintages ranging from 2005 to 2015. There was not one bottle in that line up that could be considered as less than high quality.

Those of you familiar with my reports over the years, will be aware that I do not embark upon a detailed examination of the same grape variety in 5/6 separate bottles. That stretches my lexicon of wine descriptions to breaking point. I just cannot go on after 2/3 bottles saying basically the same or nearly the same thing. Too boring! So, what I intend to do in this report is to share with you my opinions on the best 3 of the red wines on the list. So, sticking my neck out in the truest meaning of a " courageous decision " , my vote for the top 3 are as follows .

Winner by a close margin goes to the Morey St Denis 2015 @13 % . An outstanding vintage, great balance & intensity of flavours . Mid weight, seductive mouthfeel of black fruits, persistent lingering finish. The top wine.

Wine 2, by a narrow margin was the Alex Corton 2005 @ 13%. At 21 yo still a powerful wine, some exotic aromas & tastes, mulberry & earth hints. An alluring & strong finish, just edged out of top spot by the 10-year younger Morey St Denis.

The bronze goes to the 2012 Chambolle Musigny by Cheron @ 13 %. A much lighter structure than the others, but a velvety & supple texture, delicate flavours . A great vintage.

So, there you have it, my picks. Go ahead fire at will!

A memorable afternoon, & again deepest thanks to those who put it all together.

Jonathan Casson-Cheese report 17th Feb 26

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:39:31 GMT

Cheese Report / Author Bill Alexiou-Hucker / Food Master

The cheese report was omitted from the Lunch Report

Our Cheese master , Mark Bradford, could not attend this week’s lunch but that doesn’t mean he neglected his duties in providing the members with a very tasty Vintage Farmhouse Clothbound Cheddar, well done Mark.

The cheese was made by the Quicke family , a 14 generation, family of farmers, from Newton St . Cyres , in the Devon area. The Quickes use rotational grazing, giving the herds the opportunity to graze on grass when at its peak and ensure the milk is rich in nutrients for their cheese

The cheese is homemade on the farm and using a culture that has been unchanged for many decades. Cornish salt is added before each wheel is wrapped in cloth and the cheese is then matured fort a minimum of 24 hours

This cheddar is known for its depth in flavour , hints of salty caramel whilst keeping that classic crumbly texture.

Chef of the Day Jonathan Casson

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 02:11:08 GMT

Lunch Report / Author Bill Alexiou-Hucker / Food Master

The warm weather did not stop the accolades coming in for Jonathan Casson’s brisket stack. More a winter dish, the timing could not be helped given it was a contender for the Chef of the Year award.

We were spoilt with Leigh Halls succulent venison dish last week, and Jonathan doubled down (up?) with his brisket dish today

We started with 3 flavour bombs of canapes , light canapes which made for perfect starters before the richness of the brisket . Jonathan was ably assisted by Peter Kelso, pickled Herring salad on zucchini medallions, Paul Thorne’s duck consume enriched with Lychees, the sweetness in the consume had everyone guessing, and star-anise made for a wonderful light canape. The 3^rd canape was Jonathan’s Pea and Mint Croustades. mixed with a hard goat’s cheese.

Jonathan made his croustades by simply rolling our crustless tip top bread to become a fine dough, line a muffin pan with the bread rounds, bake for 10 – 12 minutes and there you have them. A very simple but practical way of serving purees, dips and diced ingredients, I am sure future C’sOTD will give it a go

The canapes, not too heavy, were a well-balanced starter to the main.

Jonathan’s dish was nominated for COTY based largely on its presentation, however today, we were gifted with not only a professional presentation but a juicy, tasty beef brisket, topped with a creamy mash and a sous vide field mushroom. The mushroom was firm but also very tasty. The brisket was surrounded by droplets of a pea puree, charred broccolini and a tasty jus. Jonathan slow cooked 12 kgs of brisket to feed the members today

It was a triumph in presentation and flavour, well done Jonathan .

Wine Report / Author Stephen O'Halloran / President

Today was the 3^rd of our lunches for this year , & the second in our COTY challenge . We have certainly set the bar high with some terrific meals so far . Jonathon Casson presented us with a first class meal of Brisket . Visually stunning & just as good to eat . Peter Kelso & Paul Thorne assisted with the canapes which were excellent , especially the Herrings on zucchini slices . A delightful cheddar was perfect with the wines served . Many thanks to the Chef & the sous chefs .

With regard to wine , for canapes we started with an Italian white, Falanghina del Sannio Taburo 2024 @ 14 % . The wine hails from the Campania region in southern Italy . A most interesting wine . Tons of fruit flavours , lime, lemon, melon to name a few . Bighting acidity , which blended well with the overall texture of the wine . A crisp clean finish . This was a strongly flavoured aperitif style wine which to my taste partnered well with the fishy herring canape . Overall a great start .

Wine No 1 on the wine list was the 2015 Langhe Nebbiolo from the well regarded producer Massolino @14 % . A Piedmont wine , lighter in structure than the Nebbiolo used to create Barolo , same grape variety , but worlds apart in many respects . In my view , if you like Nebbiolo, drink the Langhe , a much more approachable wine after say 5 years from vintage , rather than waiting around another 5 + years for the Barolo to mature . In any event , I really liked this wine, silky smooth , mid weight . Elegant & well balanced , with an enticing aftertaste . At 10 + YO , probably reaching the a " drink now " status . A lovely food wine .

Wine 2 was the Pannell 2016 Syrah from the Adelaide Hills region of SA . Stephen Pannell is one of my favourite wine makers , & I wish I could afford to buy a lot more of his excellent wines . This wine @ 14% was a big wine , powerful but at the same time juicy & smooth . The colour was intense black / dark red . Flavours of blackberry & blue berry , perfumed aroma & a long satisfying finish . A delightful wine .

Wine 3 was a beauty , at least to my palate , the By Farr 2014 Shiraz @ 13.5 % from the Geelong region of Vic . A classic Australian Shiraz with all the trimmings 1 Deeply Coloured , almost sucking the light out of the room in to it's vortex of red/ black appearance . A rich mouth filling flavour of dark fruits , earth & leather . Tannins & oak hints combining to produce a memorable finish . My wine of the day . The mouthfeel of this wine took me back to the top Hunter Shiraz wines produced in the 60" & 70"s some of which had the famous " sweaty saddle " aroma & after taste . I understand now that the aroma & taste was the result of a wine making fault , but hell, did it taste good ! Murray Tyrrell , God rest his soul , was the champion of that Hunter characteristic . To me, this wine brought on a nostalgic stroll down memory lane to the early 70's & the fun we had at the many Rothbury dinners we attended in those years . Ah, the memories , all before kids arrived , we were poor , but happy as they say .

Great times , we actually had FUN , does anyone remember that sensation !!

Final wine for the day was also excellent , a Pirra Dolcetto d'Alba 2022 @ 13.5 % . A wine that drank perfectly with the Cheese . Medium to light structure , ruby red / purple fruity & aromatic . A complex wine in terms of taste , showing wonderful integration of acid , oak & tannin , but all the time remaining unintrusive . Along with Sangiovese , I have become a convert to good Dolcetto as well . Many thanks to Nick Reynolds for putting this package together . Outstanding .

PS Those at yesterday's lunch may recall that I helped Jono Casson with the name of a book . It was " Lessons in Chemistry " by Bonnie Garmus published in 2022 . A best seller . Still in print . Read it . I thought it was one of the most entertaining books I have read in recent times .

COTD Leigh Hall

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 01:10:54 GMT

Leigh Hall was back in the kitchen as cord for our first ‘cook-off’ for the 2025 Chef of the Year award.

He was assisted with assembly and plating by Merv Peacock and Nigel Burton.

Canapés

Tapenade on brown rice cracker with jalapeño and whole olive topping.

Guacamole on corn chip with salmon, pickled red onion and black roe.

Venison sausage with eggplant chutney and cornichon.

Bountiful canapés today with robust flavours and a touch of heat in the first two.

Main was venison with mash, beans and carrots.

Leigh marinated the venison in red wine, oil and herbs for over 48 hours; the venison was seared to medium-rare.

It was sourced from Alpine Game Meats.

The venison was presented with a glossy mashed potato, with crispy, perfectly green beans and carrots perfectly done, drizzled with honey.

The stock was superbly made with 3 kilos of beef bones, 5 kilos of venison bones,a bottle of 40-year-old tawny port,1kg of cranberries and mirepoix .

The stock reduced to an amazing sauce with layers of flavour,the mash a perfect vehicle to soak up the

sauce. It was made with butter,cream and hot English mustard.

Perfectly executed, the venison was pink,moist,easily cut and

came to the table at temperature.

Good to see many comments from the floor today praising the high quality of all aspects of today’s lunch.

Best lunch this year, someone said.

Today we saw why Leigh was a contender for Chef of the Year.

Thanks Leigh.

Cheese

Mark Bradford presented an Australian washed-rind cow’s milk cheese from Victoria.

Mountain Man is a washed-rind cheese replicating the classic Reblochon de Savoie, ideal for the classic French potato-based dish ‘Tartiflette’.

Matthieu Megard is a 3rd-generation French cheesemaker who selects the finest organic milk from family-owned dairies to make a selection of French-inspired cheeses. The small rounds are regularly washed in brine and after four weeks of maturation, they develop a light orange rind with smooth paste and a mild, creamy flavour. It was in very good condition today.

The cheese was accompanied by apples,muscatels,dried figs, and dates

Wine Report, lunch 10th Feb 2026 from Steve O'Halloran.

Our lunch today featured some great food in the form of Venison from Leigh Hall & assorted canapes from Nigel Burton & Merv Peacock & finally a terrific Cheese from Mark Bradford. See food report for full details.

The canape wine was a Society favourite, the Pewsey Vale Riesling 2024. Yalumba acquired this old vineyard in 1961, it having been first planted in 1847. This wine has been a consistent top notch performer ever since. I have over the years drunk my bodyweight in Pewsey Vale Riesling & can honestly say I have never encountered a dud bottle. From the entry level we had today to the celebrated Contours Riesling, it is always a winner. Incidentally, my research indicates that this wine was in 1977 the first Australian wine to be bottled under screw cap. Congratulations to Yalumba for their courage & initiative in embracing the new Stelvin screw cap seal. We are all indebted to Yalumba for this. Dealing with the wine, it was as usual impeccable & fault free. Crisp, bright acidity, lovely finish. Flavours of lemon & lime abounded. A perfect aperitif wine.

Wine no 1 on the lunch list was the Willunga 100 Grenache from McLaren Vale 2024 @14.5%. Brilliant clear cherry red colour, spicy & showing some high acidity. Dry grown in the sub district of Blewett Springs. Lightish body, but strong flavours with some tannic influence. I think the wine was a little on the premature release side, another 2/3 years in bottle would help. Good structures in place for the near future.

Wine 2 on the list was another Grenache from the Master Stephen Pannell { son of Bill Pannell of Moss Wood fame }. This was an older wine, 2020, this wine has the title of "Old McDonald" & it had benefited from the extra years of bottle development. Light to medium body, very flavoursome, juicy & spicey with some tannin & peppery overtones. Dark sweet cherry on the mid palate. An excellent partner for the roast Venison. Overall, a good example of a well made Grenache, from a top winemaker. Congrats to our Wine master for bringing more Grenache into our stable of Red Wines.

Wine 3 was a beauty, the Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet 2012 @14% from Lindeman's, the third part of the famous Coonawarra trio of St George, Pyrus & this wine. It gives me considerable pleasure to confirm to all our members that our own Phil Laffer was an integral part of the team from Lindeman's who planted & established the vineyard in 1967. Phil assures me he still has the calluses on his hands in testimony of how hard the job was. Well done Phil, your labours have benefited us all. Turning to the wine, the colour was still vibrant, deep purple, dark/red, no browning on the rim, a very intense wine, with flavours of stewed fruit, blackberry & chocolate. Some firm tannin & oak evident. Now at 14 yo, the wine shows no sign of slowing down, with in my view many years ahead of great drinking. A wine that grabbed your attention, powerful. My wine of the day.

Final wine for the day was again one of our Favourites, the Paolo Scavino Dolcetto 2022 @13.5%. A high quality food wine. Unobtrusive, great balance, just blends in so well with, in this instance, the beautiful washed rind cheese we were having. Those Italians sure know to make a wine that combines quality with restraint! The wine today was velvety, medium bodied, dark ruby red with flavours of blackcurrant, blueberries & cherry. Fine tannins on the palate. A really enjoyable wine, drinking so well now, plenty of good drinking ahead.

COTD James Hill - 3rd February 2026

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 03:52:53 GMT

Food Report - Reviewed by Mark Bradford ( CheeseMaster )

Good to be back for culinary adventures at the REX for 2026!

Our first lunch of the year saw, yet again, James Hill in the kitchen. It’s the 14th consecutive time that James has presented the opening lunch and, unsurprisingly, a full house today. This is always a keynote lunch for the year ahead, cooked to the impeccable standards for which James is renowned. Current COTY Rob Guthrie assisted with canapés.

Canapés

Rob started us off with feta cheese, beetroot puree and walnuts served on a blini. Very good and enough for two rounds.

Next was James’ take on “Tuna Pringles”. These were made from tuna marinated in chives, lemon zest and EVOO, served in a humble stackable pringle crisp that is often eaten in front of the TV watching the cricket.

James also served bresaola wrapped nectarines. The salty savoury meat was an excellent pairing with the in-season sweet and juicy nectarine.

Canapes were aplenty, light and all a good match for the young Brokenwood semillon, as well as a few more odds and ends that ended up in our glasses.

Main

As he often does for the opening lunch for the year, James served us a seafood dish. This time it was baked salmon, with dill beurre blanc, snow peas, kipfler potatoes, warmed fennel and EVOO.

The salmon was baked to perfection and perfectly seared, the peas crisp and bright green, the potatoes baked to perfection and the fennel strong in aniseed. Nothing but praise from the floor for this wonderful French dish.

The baguettes were from Humble Bakery, down the road in Circular Quay.

Cheese

In theme with the main, the Cheese Master selected Bûche de Lucay, a white mould goat cheese from the Loire region south-west of Paris.

This typical, French log-shaped cheese takes its name from nearby Lucay-le-Male. Fresh salted curds are covered with penicillium candidum and ripened in humid rooms to encourage the moulds to form a velvety white coat. Transported in a special ‘cloche’ to ensure the mould continues to ripen, this chevre 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 cheese was applauded on the day.

James accompanied the cheese with refreshing seasonal queen garnet plums.

A great start to our 2026 Tuesday lunches.

Wine report - Reviewed by Stephen O'Halloran ( President )

Our first lunch for the new year kicked off yesterday & what a beauty it was . James Hill & his sous chef Rob Guthrie presented us with some terrific canapes which were delicious & plentiful , followed by Salmon perfectly cooked , with a wonderful cheese to finish up, presented by Mark Bradford . See food report for full details .

With regard to wines for the day , we started with the canapes an excellent young Hunter Sem from 2023 ,a Brokenwood @ 11 % . We have had this wine before , last year , & at the time I was amazed how drinkable it was for such a young wine . I normally like my Hunter Sems with at least 5 years bottle age . The wine yesterday drank as before , crisp & refreshing , great acid /fruit balance delivering a rewarding finish . Hints of apple & lime , a real delight to drink . Perhaps the winemaker had in mind producing a wine for high enjoyment now , & let the future look after itself ! It will be interesting to see how the wine develops , if we can keep our hands off it !

Wine no 1 on the lunch list

Wine no 1 on the lunch list was a real cracker , a Deep Woods Estate Margaret River Chardy 2021, @ 13 % . This was really my style of Aust chardy , & I guess from comments around the room , everyone felt the same way . A deeply flavoured wine, quite intense flavour of peach & grapefruit . Creamy & smooth with a powerful clean lingering finish . Medium to full body with delightful gleaming gold colour . In my view the quintessential MR Chardy .

Deep Woods Estate was founded in 1987 in WA & has expanded since then to become a multi vineyard conglomerate with vineyards nation wide . It is now the largest producer in the MR region . This was a truly great Chardy , I hope our wine master can secure us some more . At the time of drinking yesterday , I thought that this wine was quite comparable to the Leeuwin Estate Chardy , perhaps not as elegant as the Art series , but there would not be a great deal of difference between them .

Wine no 2 on the list

Wine no 2 on the list was the Yabby Lake Pinot 2015 @ 13.5 % . This wine is highly regarded, with a sound reputation as a quality PN from the Mornington Peninsular. I felt today drinking it , we were enjoying it just in time , as in my view the wine was beginning to fade . Still had those PN flavours of ripe cherry & raspberry , silky & smooth , mild red brick colour with an enjoyable finish , but in my view the acid was beginning to drop off at the finish . Still drinking well as a 11yo PN , but definitely not one for keeping .

Wine 3

Wine 3 was a French Sav Blanc 2013 @ 13 % from Pierre Morin , a Sancerre Vielles Vignes . I was a bit apprehensive about this wine even before I had tasted a mouthful . A nearly 13 yo S/B , is it going to make the grade ? Before condemning the wine prematurely , I thought I would at least give it a try , my memory taking me back to August last year when we had a Craggy Range S/B from 2011 which was excellent . Fresh , clean, well balanced , a perfect match for the Goats Cheese then served . Bear in mind that was a 14 yo S/B .

So I suspended judgement on todays wine until I had at least tried it . I need not have bothered ! Exhausted & flabby, acid gone , a mere shadow of it's former self as a quality Sancerre which I have always liked . The difference between the French S/B & our local stuff is amazing . I do not let local S/B into the house. Anyhow this poor old thing was not " off " in the accepted sense , just too old & frail . Always sad to see when this happens .

Final wine of the day

Final wine of the day was the truly excellent Andrew Thomas Dam Block Shiraz 2018 from the Hunter @ 14.2%. 2018 vintage in the Hunter was rated 10/10 , along with the famous 2014 . This wine certainly showed it's pure class . Deep colour almost inky , medium weight, but packing huge concreated flavour, this wine was outstanding . The balance of tannin /oak & acid was perfect . A powerful , but elegant wine , it got my vote for the wine of the day . I suspect that was also the view of the majority of the 50 members in the room. The Deep Woods Chardy was lovely , but this wine was next level .