7 March CoTD Steve Liebeskind (CoTY Cook Off 2)

Out second cook-off for Chef of the Year with Steve Liebeskind attracted a solid response from members. And I mean solid, well over 50. Assisted by Peter Manners and Martin MacMurray the show ran smoothly despite the load on the food supply.                                                     

Canapés. Steve gave us three canapés. In the order of the images above the first was innovative witlof “boats” with smoked chicken breast and cranberry sauce. This was topped off with chives et al. The smoked chicken was beautifully moist and the presentation was pleasing to the eye. Then came duck pate on a baguette with gherkin and herbs. Good pate texture and flavour. Not simple. Finally, gravlax with white sauce and fennel topping. All three excellent starters.

Aperitif wine. Paul gave us a William Fevre Chablis 2012 to start. Entry level but an excellent wine. Given there were well over 50 there it was topped up with DenMar Chardonnay 2010 and whilst a serviceable wine in that role it lost out to the Chablis.

Main course. Steve had sourced wild barramundi for the main. Barramundi is not always some members’ favourite but this had structure and texture it was soft and succulent.

Fish is difficult to cook for large numbers and given this was a loaves and fishes meal the roasted fish skin finish was impressive.

The protein was served in coconut broth with bok choy, sugar snaps, chilli and various mushrooms including enoki and oyster. As it was a cook-off the look of the dish scores points and this one did indeed.

The wines.

• Orlando Steingarten Riesling 1998 (cork, 13.0%)
• Gunther Steinmetz Riesling 2011 (cork, 11.5%)
• Ocean Eight Aylward Pinot Noir 2010 (screwcap, 13.0%)
• Yannick Amirault St Nicolas De Bourgueil La Source 2010 (cork, 13.0%)

Some nice contrast across the range. A 1998 Riesling under cork is always going to get a little controversy and this did. A few thought it past its best but for many it was aged to perfection with the acid and aged fruit balance superb notwithstanding some expected bottle variation. With a toasty colour, there was some kerosene character which we take as part of the style of an Australian Riesling approaching 20 years of age.

The Steinmetz Mosel in comparison had some residual sugar with adequate acid and a nice degree of minerality to add to the complexity. Most of the chat was that the Steingarten was the better wine but the Mosel was a better match with the fish.

Moving to reds, the Ocean Eight was the least of the two with a decidedly sweet character but with enough oomph and tannin to match the cheese. The La Source from Loire was 100% Cabernet Franc and had a tight palate with fruity and floral characters. An excellent food wine profile.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided one of our favourite cheeses, Holy Goat pasteurised organic goat cheese from Sutton Grange Organic Farm in Castlemaine. On this occasion we had both the La Luna (circular with a hole in the middle) and Brigid’s Well, both the same cheese (except the latter being ashed) but just different shapes. Full bodied and creamy and even at $170/kilo retail it is difficult to source.

Steve served a lightly flavoured lettuce based salad with toasted pine nuts and apple which was a good foil to the cheese.

Spencer in absentia provided Tanzanian peaberry coffee. A well-balanced coffee from the medium roast if a little lacking strength on the day.

With a birthday just past James provided each of the six tables with a half of his birthday wine, Cockburns Special Reserve Port. Beautifully drying Portuguese tawny style. Thank you James

Well done Steve and we now roll on to cook-off 3.

28 February CoTD Peter Kelso

Some 30 odd members attended our first wine tasting of 2017 presented by our cellar master Paul Ferman. In contrast to previous tastings the wines weren't masked and comment was made that this was appreciated by members to be able to fully assess the wines. In the kitchen was Peter Kelso ably assisted by Martin McMurray.

Canapés

Peter started off with cucumber rounds topped with white anchovies, mayonnaise and sumac. Some commented that this was one of the best canapés we've had for some time with a good balance of flavour, acid and texture.

Another offering was soppresso salami on toast topped with pickled beetroot and cornichons leaving a hint of chilli on the palate.

Aperitif wine.

De rigueur now, our sherry the La Goya Manzanilla, a dry style good balance under stelvin. 15% alcohol.

This was followed by the Tyrrells 2000 Vat 1 Semillon from the Hunter Valley under cork at 11% alcohol. Still fresh, elegant, balanced showing acid there was some small bottle variation. A very good wine for 17 years in bottle.

Wines

Thanks to the generosity of our long-standing member Ross Tzannes we were able to taste seven wines on the day. Ross contributed the Boillet Pommard. Happy birthday and thanks Ross.

Wine 1

Fevre Premier Cru Chablis under cork 2010. 13% alcohol.

Showing wood, high acid and broad on the palate. Of the three white wines this was the one most preferred by members and a good match to the main course.

Wine 2

Savennieres Chenin Blanc Loire Valley under cork 2011. 15% alcohol

Of the wines presented this created a lot of comment. Not a favoured style. It showed high acid was short on the palate, some kero with no floral overtones you'd expect with a Chenin Blanc and prematurely aged.

Wine 3

Freycinet Tasmania Pinot noir under stelvin 2011. 14% alcohol.

A good style of wine and held its own in the Pinot Noir grouping unmistakably Australian, linear and showing good fruit and acid.

Wine 4

Maison Roche de Bellene Volnay Premier Cru under cork 2011. 13% alcohol.

A step up from previous wines. Terroir came to the fore with good fruit, complexity, balance and depth with good tannin structure.

Wine 5

Domaine JM Boillett Pommard Premier Cru under cork 2008. 13% alcohol.

Preferred wine of the Pinot Noir bracket showing structure, intensity, complexity and darker fruit.

Wine 6

Cape Mentelle Margaret River Shiraz under stelvin. 2007 14%

Showing tannin and fruit good dense cherry flavour, a good style.

Wine 7

Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz under cork 1996. 13.5% alcohol.

Drinking well now, at its peak, open with fruit still evident.

Food

Peter presented chicken (pollo) tonnato served at room temperature accompanied by white polenta and zucchini.

Great flavours with none to overwhelm our palates for the wine tasting. Peter thought the chicken could have been cut a little thinner for more moisture whilst the tonnato was superb. Zucchini was perfectly cooked.

Cheese and coffee

James Healey presented an Irish washed rind cheese, an unpasteurised cow milk cheese named 'Durrus' and most guessed the variety and the hemisphere but not the region.

A great example of the resurgence of the British and Irish cheese industry. A semi-soft washed rind, plump and pliable with a mild and buttery flavour.

Opinion was divided between the Pinot and Shiraz as best match for the cheese.

Spencer provided a Tanzanian Peabody coffee so named as an identifier of the coffee bean itself. A Peabody is a mutation of the coffee bean inside its cherry.

Full of flavour, fruit dominant it was regarded by members of some of the best coffee we've had for some time.

21 February CoTD Bill Alexiou-Hucker (CoTY Cook Off 1)

The chef-in-chief today was none other than our well-known seafood cook Bill Alexiou-Hucker. But no seafood today. He was assisted by the smiling Peters, Manners and Squires with considerable years of joint experience with food between them.                                                      

Canapés. A delight of contrasting colours with thinly sliced cucumber topped with a yogurt and olives and bread rounds with a vegetable paste topped with marinated red capsicum.

Aperitif wine. The main starter was the Mount Horrocks Riesling 2009. Simply Watervale Riesling at its best. A real winner.

Main course. We then moved on to another winner that some may say is winter food. To scotch that theory Bill’s slow cooked beef short ribs in red wine, mash potato, pickled cabbage and sautéed mushrooms was superb. Wonderfully gelatinous, sticky and viscous. I think I liked it. A few thought there was kidney in the mix but it was simply one of the range of mushrooms Bill used.

The wines.

• Anne Gros, Jean-Paul Tollot LA 50/50 2012 (Minervois area) (cork, 14.5%)
• Burton McLaren Shiraz 2004 (cork, 14.5%)
• Gaia Agiorgitiko (Greece) 2012 (cork, 13.5%)
• Vincent Girardin Bourgogne 2012 (screwcap, 13%)

A good bunch of wines. The Gros/Tollot husband and wife are well known Burgundians but are doing great things in the Midi. The LA is meant to be approachable when young and is predominately Grenache with Syrah and Carignan. No wood, delicate, fruity and very drinkable. A country mile from the Burton which was classic McLaren. In cork there were no bad bottles and despite the 14.5% it was very elegant and soft and belies its age. Clearly a member favourite. And of course from a member named Burton.

The next pair were lighter with the Agiorgitiko made in an early drinking style but intense fruit and oak apparent but not over powering. The Pinot was delightfully clean and a perfect example of a fruit driven Burgundy entry level wine from an excellent maker.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey jumped outside the square and served a curd cheese, Trinity Cellars Goat Curd from South Australia. It had a light moist texture and wonderful to spread rather than cut. A delightful diversion. Bill supplied an amazing array of accompaniments with the cheese including fruits and traditional Greek honey sweets.

Spencer was back in town and provided Colombian coffee a favourite. He managed to get in term oleaginous (Oxford: Rich in, covered with, or producing oil; oily) to describe the coffee’s look and taste. Only a lawyer!

Bill supplied Ouzo flavoured Turkish delight to go with coffee and Paul Ferman followed with Greek grappa. A day for pushing boundaries and fun.

The President. Keith Steele, invited Colin Cooke to close lunch and we heard a thoughtful toast from Horace.

An excellent and well attended lunch.

Lunch 14 February 2017 - CoTD Paul Ferman

This week saw our Winemaster, Paul Ferman, on the pans. This date coincides with the St Valentine's Day Massacre. The only thing massacred at our table were the two bottles of Sangiovese. Paul was assisted on the canapes by Martin McMurray.

Canapés. Paul started us off with a Raymond Blanc recipe of a pork belly, pork shoulder, turkey and chicken liver terrine on bread rounds with a homemade base of tomato relish. It was a wow of a dish and definitely bad for the arteries. He followed this up with a Mediterranean fish soup that was quite dark and full of flavour from the stock.

Aperitif wine. We began with the well-known Den Mar Chardonnay 2010 which most enjoy for its honest good drinking very Hunter style.

Main course. Our chef opted for ling fillets simply poached with a multitude of vegetables sautéed as an accompaniment. These included carrots, zucchini, eggplant, potato, cauliflower and capsicum. The fish flavour was subtle and not at all overpowered by the vegetable mix. A healthy dish to make up for the terrine.

The wines.

• Stoney Rise Riesling (screwcap, 12.5%%)
• Domaine Barmes-Buecher Rosenberg Riesling (Alsace) (cork, 12.5%)
• Antinori Reserva Chianti Classico 2009 (cork, 13.5%)
• Coriole Sangiovese 2009 (screwcap, 14%)

The two Rieslings were in marked contrast. The Tamar was vibrant and fresh with firm acid lift whilst the Alsace was deeper in colour with greater complexity and sweet fruit without being sweet. Both excellent although there was some comment on variation with the corks.

The two Sangioveses both from 2009 were an exercise in comparing the Italian style with a very a local version with pedigree as the Coriole 2009 was the 25^th consecutive vintage. The Antinori was from a useful rather than great year in Chianti and was as it should be, soft with some savoury aspects. The Coriole also had some savoury characteristics, light to medium in colour and would not be mistaken for Italian. Bravo to Mark Lloyd for staring this style in the mid-eighties.

Cheese and coffee. Swiss Le Gruyere was James Healey’s pick this week. An old favourite that reminds us all how good it can be. Dense and compact in texture wonderfully complex. Paul provided walnuts, almonds and a fruit loaf roll to accompany.

Coffee was the leftovers from last week. The origin remains unknown. 

Lunch 7 February 2017 - CoTD James Hill

Our welcome to 2017 lunch saw James Hill in the kitchen assisted by our Foodmaster Nick Reynolds. James is now the default starter for each year. Thank you James.

The attendance was some 50 members which is a great start to match a strong finish for 2016.

Canapés. James and Nick served up three canapes and the parable of the loaves and fishes held good for us. In no particular order the first was white bean purée topped capers with anise on crackers. The white beans had a beautiful creamy texture and the liquorice touch of anise topped it off. Next came coriander frittata with eggplant relish served in spoons. The frittata base was firm and tasty and a perfect  base for the topping. Lastly was the WA spanner crab with jalapeño infused gazpacho. A slight touch of heat with the crab providing a great contrast in texture to the cold “soup”. Well done guys.

Aperitif wine. Paul launched 2017 with Aubert Champagne and a range of single bottle whites. As the wine refrigerator was on the blink (23 C) some time in any available freezer or refrigerator at REX saved us from doom. There were some quibbles about the cool temperature of some wine but the alternative was warm wines.

Main course. James opted for a seafood start to the year with snapper baked in baking paper in a middle eastern themed chermoula sauce. This was served with cous cous with English spinach and roasted red peppers. It’s hard to make chermoula look good with its brown demeanour but the taste was spicy, tasty and scrumptious. James has served a couple of meals in baking paper and it certainly has the effect of producing a juicy result with no drying effect.

The wines.

• Hugel Gewurztraminer 2012 (cork, 14.0%)
• Tyrrells Vat 47 Chardonnay 2004 (screwcap, 12.5%)
• Heidi Schrock Blaufrankisch 2012 (cork, 13.5%)
• Lupe Cholet Premier Cru Beaune 2002 (cork, 13%)

The Hugel was as expected from a top Alsace maker with full varietal expression. Dryish but intensely aromatic. Matched well the spice of the main. The Vat 47 was a highlight. At 13 years of age under screwcap it tasted young and pristine. How long will it take excellent vintages of Vat 47 under screwcap to reach their potential? Some commented on the slightly cool temperature but a few minutes in the hand raised the temperature. Serving it at 23 C would have been a crime.

The Austrian Burgenland Blaufrankisch was as expected soft and aromatic with a pure fruit finish. Not to be outdone the 02 Beaune was in wonderful condition. Still retaining a “strong” colour with a balanced tannin/fruit balance a wine at its peak from a good/average Beaune vintage.

Cheese and coffee. James Healy presented us a Le Marquis Brie de Rambouillet from Will Studd. From Ile de France this cow’s milk soft cheese had a chalky centre after cutting through the soft white mould exterior.

Rob Forsythe dashed into the lunch and delivered some coffee and departed just as quickly. We don’t know the origin but it was enjoyed.

The finish. Being the President’s birthday the day previously, Keith Steele provide us with his birthday wine, bottles of the Cockburn’s LBV 2011. A marvellous way to finish any meal but especially the first Society lunch for 2017.

13 December 2016 - CoTD Nick Reynolds

The final lunch for the year, our Last Supper, was prepared for us by our Foodmaster Nick Reynolds. Nick was assisted by James Hill who in 2016 has probably spent more time in the kitchen or preparing canapés for others than any other member. Well done James

The attendance was some 55 members and guests which finishes 2016 with a series of well attended lunches. The Committee has been reviewing the feedback from members from the “what’s good/what would you like to change?” member survey and early in 2017 some feedback to members will be provided.

Canapés. Nick gave us two canapés. Firstly smoked salmon bilinis made with cream cheese, sour cream and horseradish. This was followed by Vietnamese spring rolls made with prawn. The bilnis impressed with the quality of both the base and salmon. Nick did not personally catch the salmon nor make the base, a rude departure from his often hand manufactured performances. Whilst not everyone had a the rolls those who did loved the crispness of the ingredients.

Aperitif wine. It being the last lunch for the year Paul served Aubert Champagne and an aged HV Semillon. Some found the fizz uninteresting but it is a very much entry level product. The Lindemans Bin 9555 1999 under cork had, unsurprisingly, much bottle variation. This wine was the source of some debate with one member who shall go unnamed (ok so it was Greg Chugg) suggesting some members had forgotten how to enjoy aged wines.

Main course. In the festive season theme Nick served turkey roulade. Sixty serving were produced from thirty turkey legs sous vide for 6 hours. It was very tender. It was served with couscous cooked in chicken stock and then mixed with cranberries and spinach. Lying across the top was a crispy length of Serrano ham. A good-looking dish (see below) which attracted only compliments.

The wines.

• Tyrrells Vat 47 Chardonnay 2003 (cork, 13.5%)
• Cos Pithos Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico (Nero d’avola, Sicily) 2011 (cork, 13%)
• Chateau Peyredon Haut Medoc 2009 (cork, 13.5%)
• Rosemount Mountain Blue 2006 (Shiraz/Cabernet) (screwcap, 14%)

The Vat 47 was in even an condition across seven tables and was a deep golden hue with a subtle nose. Oak was still evident but drinking well at its peak. These wines are treasures. The Cos wine was a delight to drink and did not overpower the bird. A very noticeably spice evident on the nose and medium bodied palate with some lively acid. A great food wine which would match an array of food. Elegant neatly sums it up.

Another good pairing with the cheese followed. 2009 in Bordeaux produced lush and ripe wines and this Medoc wine was all the better for it. Drinking well already it had soft overtones and drying on the palate as you would expect from a good Cru Bourgeois. The Mountain Blue, well known to Society members, was in great shape. Clearly sweeter than its companion the berry and chocolate overtones made an interesting comparison.

Cheese and coffee. James Healy served us the Onetik Ossau a sheep’s milk cheese from Basque. Some people say this a French cheese but the local populace may not agree. This high-altitude cheese is supple with a wonderful nuttiness.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia provided New Guinea Pearle which had toasted nut aromas and a full-bodied, intense dark chocolate flavour.

Nick Reynold s gave an overview of the meals in 2016 thanking those who volunteered and those who could not evade the long arm of the Foodmaster. He is looking for chefs of the day for 2017 and if you don’t contact him he may just contact you.

That’s it for 2016.

Put Tuesday, 7 February 2017 in your diary for the first lunch and enjoy the festive season ahead.

6 December 2016 CoTD Vikram Arumugam

Once again we welcomed visitors of both sexes and, for the second time in a row, a guest chef. This week, it was Vikram, the owner/chef of Nithik’s Kitchen restaurant at Rozelle, well known to many members including Paul Thorne who organised Vikram’s appearance and helped in the kitchen. Word got out and around 48 members and guests were on hand to enjoy some quality food (and an eclectic range of wines).

We started with pieces of chicken thigh, fried in a spicy masala batter; and soft little lentil dumpling pillows, served with two types of fresh chutneys: mint and coconut. It was a great way to start proceedings, leaving a slight tingle on the tongue, inadequately addressed by a pink sparkling moscato from the Hunter which was too sweet to be refreshing. Some other bottles circulated, including a 1989 Lindemans Hunter Semillon, which was still eminently drinkable, and the ubiquitous sherry.

As the main course, Vikram produced two curries: a dry lamb with pieces of meat enveloped in a sticky crust made on peppercorns, aniseed, curry leaves and red chili, which was moist and very flavoursome; and a fish curry made with a blend of mango and fresh tamarind which suited the flavour and texture of the fish. Both were served at table on large plates for everyone to help themselves, along with an earthy dhal made on red lentils and, of course, lots of well cooked and seperated boiled rice. South Indian food of distinction, it was valiantly matched by a 2014 Provencal rose, quite full for its style and with a touch of sweetness which balanced the spices in the food well. The other wine, a 2009 Ch Grolet Cotes de Bourg from Bordeaux and predominantly merlot, was soft and savoury but a bit overwhelmed by the food.

Any doubts as to the suitability of a cheese after curry were dispelled by the quality on offer. A semi-hard cheese with loads of sweet nutty flavour and a good dry paste, many thought it was French; but it was in fact a young Pyengana cheddar from Tasmania, upholding its reputation as one of the country’s finest cheeses. Predictably good Iggy’s sourdough accompanied it, washed down by more unusual wines: a 2009 Ch Aydie Madiran from the S-W of France made mainly from the difficult grape tannat and showing tough tannins on the palate which will soften with time; and back home with a 1996 Bowen cabernet from Coonawarra, still sound but with a green leaf bitterness which detracted from the finish.

The coffee was a predictably good Kenya AA bean, light but fragrant and with a long citrusy finish. Also on offer was a special tea made by Spencer Ferrier from a blend of Fortnum & Mason English Breakfast and Australian Breakfast teas, acclaimed by those who tried it; and a bonus sticky from Paul Ferman in the shape of a 2011 Ch La Rame from Sainte-Croix-du- Mont, one of the lesser Sauternes regions, but displaying a nice apricot nose and good sweet fruit characters in a softer, less acid, style.

29 November Kham Signavong CoTD

After Wal’s 100^th last week we were delighted to acknowledge Ray Kidd’s 90^th birthday with an all Lindemans wine luncheon.

In the kitchen we had long-term member Kham Signavong former owner of Arun Thai in Potts Point and now Arun Thai in Hong Kong. It was pleasure to have him cook for us. James Hill was assisting.

Canapés. We enjoyed two canapés from Kham. Firstly, we had betel leaves with roasted peanuts, pieces of lime, shallot and ginger a speciality of his. This was followed by grilled pork fillet on skewers served with semi-spicy sauce. Both much enjoyed.

Aperitif wine. The main aperitif wine was the Lindemans Bin 1150 Semillon 2011. A wine in great condition (under screwcap) and some time to go. Given the numbers were above the normal wine luncheon numbers a few bin ends (Lindemans of course) were also served.

Entrée. Kham also provided us with an entrée using oysters delivered fresh on the morning and using them for individual servings of oyster omelette.

Main course. Goat curry was Kham’s choice and a very good choice it was. Often goat is all bone and no meat. His dish had a good portion of slow cooked goat meat in a curry sauce with minimal heat to cover all tastes. He picked his audience well.

The wines (main and cheese). All Lindemans:

• Bin 9655 HV Semillon 2000
• Bin 8850 HV Semillon 1996
• Bin 1100 HV Shiraz 2011
• Stevens Vineyard Shiraz 2005
• Pyrus (Cabernet blend) 1998
• Bin 9625 HV Shiraz 1998

A wonderful collection of Lindemans wines with some bottle variation, as expected, in the whites but little in the reds. The favourite varied with personal choice but the Pyrus had much support.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey selected what may be a first with Perenzin Formajo Ciock ak Vino Rosso from the Veneto region in Italy. If you spotted the vino reference it’s because the cheese is immersed for 10 days in red grape must and some grape skins remain on the skin of the finished product. Semi-hard with a smooth texture.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with arguably the best commercial (and possibly most expensive) coffee with Illy. Always sweet and flavoursome.

To finish Ray Kidd gave us a short presentation on his years in the wine industry and the Society. If you missed this article on Ray from the luncheon notice you can see it here https://www.bestwinesunder20.com.au/ray-kidd-visionary-ceo-lindemans/

22 November 2016 - Wal Edwards's 100th birthday

A very special day with Wal Edwards turning 100 years of age and 75 members and guests there to celebrate with him and his wife Joan. He was also joined by his son and family friends.

Nigel Burton was in the kitchen and John Rourke on canapés. We had the entire space of the Royal Exchange Club which worked particularly well.

Wal Edwards. What a guy. Looking dapper as always in his suit in our 30 degrees room currently without air conditioning he looked cool as a cucumber. He was presented by our President with the Society’s first 100th birthday plaque and gave a moving, sometimes emotional and sometimes amusing birthday talk. I won’t call it a speech.

Without notes Wal recited the Ode of Remembrance with those moving final words “at the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them”.

Of course we had a “cake” with 100 candles which Wal extinguished in a few seconds.

Canapés. John provided three canapés starting with a beetroot and fetta mix on crostini and finished with coriander. Then came ocean trout rillette with ginger on very fancy filo pastry pieces. The third were mini quiche lorraine, simple, tasty and authentic. An excellent start to feed the what was a crowd just shy of a military company.

Aperitif wine. Much celebratory Champagne was consumed including Gosset, Camille Savès and Aubert Et Fils. This was supplemented by some aged single bottles of Tyrrells and Lindemans Hunter whites.

Entrée. Given the special occasion Nigel served cup-sized portions of French onion soup topped with a crouton and cheese. With this we much enjoyed the wonderful Lustau Manzanilla Sherry.

Main course. Nigel’s meal had a theme of food Wal would have enjoyed (or more likely survived on) during his war years in the 1940s. The main was beef Bourgogne with “authentic” tinned/bottled mushrooms and onions for the experience. The beef was wonderfully slow cooked, moist and most likely to be of somewhat higher quality than Wal was served in the war years. The sauce was made using carrot puree and a good parsley content. This was served with mashed potato and mushy peas.

The wines (main and cheese).

• Tyrrells 4 Acres Shiraz 2006 (screwcap, 12.4%)
• Glaetzer Bishop Shiraz 2006 (cork, 14.5%)
• Rosemount Mountain Blue Shiraz Cabernet 2002 (cork, 14%)
• Burton McLaren Vale Shiraz 2004 (cork, 14.5%)

The 4 Acres, a terrific Hunter label, was drinking wonderfully. Medium bodied, savoury fruit and a pleasing mouth feel of “just right” alcohol at 12.4%. The Bishop in comparison was, well, weighty and somewhat jammy. The fruit was of high quality and appealed to those who like this larger and sweeter Australian style.

The cheese wines were again a contrast of styles but with more alignment of fruit weight. The Rosemount from Mudgee was a dryer more elegant style whilst the Burton from McLaren was a fuller fruit style and spot-on with its regional style. Not only did Nigel cook but he donated his namesake wine for the luncheon. Thank you, Nigel.

Special treats. The food went on and on and we are even at cheese yet. Peter Manners prepared some 80 mini chocolate cakes complete with an edible photo sticker of Wal on the top. Then Hilton Chapman’s Bundaberg rum balls were served. The size of golf balls and coated in white coconut there may have been a message about one of Wal’s pastimes. Thank you guys.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey went Australian for this lunch with Berry’s Creek Tarwin Blue from Gippsland. A jersey cow’s milk cheese it was, creamy, not crumbly. This was served with walnuts.

Spencer Ferrier provided us with peaberry beans (also called caracol, or "snail" in Spanish) which are smaller and rounder beans with some extra sweetness and body.

Other thanks. So many people made this a special day for Wal, his family and indeed us. Peter Kelso as the convenor was all over the day’s plans. Stuart Stow for all the printing of nostalgic material on the tables. Josef Condrau for the menus again with historical context. Nigel, again, for the wall and table decorations. Paul Thorne for his trumpet rendition. Of course, the President, Keith Steele, for running a smooth lunch in the face of almost 80 people keen on a chat.

Apologies if I have forgotten input from others.

A great day and importantly much enjoyed by Wal.

15 November 2016 CoTD James Hill

James Hill once again lobbed into the kitchen with a completely new armoury of dishes for us to enjoy. He had assistance from Gary Linnane, Nick Reynolds and others.

Canapés. Two canapes were provided by James. The first was salted blue-eyed trevalla 'Baccalà’ served with potato crisps James' take on "fish and chips". The second was smoked trout "parfait"  served on rounds of Iggys bagel. The former has formed a great salty offset to the Riesling.

Aperitif wine. Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling 2006 was served after the starting gun was sounded by Paul Ferman. An excellent wine at its peak. Minerally, flinty, limes, floral overtones and finishing dry.

Main course. James presented us with a wonderful lamb pie. We all love a pie and not a potted pie but a real pastry pie. The lamb shoulder was slow cooked, combined with allspice,garic onion and made into “meat ball’ portions which were wrapped into pastry pies. A wonderful look. They were baked and served with portobello mushrooms cooked with garlic and served underneath the pie in a light jus with parsley ,tarragon and chives.Accompanying the pie was char grilled asparagus served with butter.

The wines.

• Poggio Antico Brunello di Montalcino 2006 (cork, 13.5%)
• Fuligni Brunello di Montalcino (cork, 14.5%)
• Bowen Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 (screwcap, 13.5%)
• Vincent Giradin Saint-Vincent Bourgogne 2012 (cork, 13%)
• Tyrrells Stevens Semillon 2004 (screwcap, 11%)

Thanks to the generosity of Richard Gibson, we enjoyed two Brunellos from the fabulous 2006 Montalcino vintage. These are sangiovese royalty. Locally the grape can be referred to as brunello or sangiovese grosso. Both were plush and savoury with delicious sweet, soft overtones. The Fuligni was a full 1% higher in alcohol (at least by the label) and was arguably the better of the two with a little bit more richness. A treat.

The Bowen with its sweeter Australian style struggled against the savoury Tuscans. Nevertheless, it is an excellent Australian Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon.

The cheese wines started with the Giradin Burgundy which did not lack sweet fruit but was a little flat and overdeveloped. The 2004 Semillon was in great shape with nice fruit/acid balance and great mouthfeel. The Tyrrells was the better match by a country mile.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided a favourite in aged Comte. It was a Will Studd La Couronne. Made from unpasteurised cow’s milk in the Franche-Comte region. Nutty and elegant. Wonderful. This was served with a salad of iceberg, radish, Dijon mustard and an olive oil based dressing.

In absentia, Spencer provided us Forsythe’s Blend from our main coffee provide.

Well done James and again our appreciation to Richard Gibson for the Brunello.