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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.
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.
Report by James Hill
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.
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.
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 4th 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 .
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Wine Report Lunch 3rd 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 .
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 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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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