7 November 2017 Melbourne Cup Lunch- ABC Cucina

A wonderful lunch with thanks to James Hill for his skillful negotiations with ABC Cucina to provide excellent food, service and companionship. 

Paul Ferman's choice of Gosset NV Champagne was a huge success. 

Much fun was had and hats galore but the blokes were a bit reticent.

31 October 2017 - CoTD Graham Fear

[Thanks to those who provided some notes on the lunch in my absence]

This wine lunch was prepared for us by the dynamic duo winners of the Chef of the Year 2016, Graham Fear assisted by Steve Liebeskind. Along with an impressive group of wines the lunch had all the right moves. 

Paul Ferman as Winemaster introduced the lunch by saying he was looking for matches for lamb rather than Cabernet.

Canapes. Two canapes today. Beetroot/spinach cracker biscuits from the UK sourced from DJ’s were topped with a beetroot relish made with cooked beetroot slivers and a balsamic reduction and sugar. Topping was fresh goat’s curd. Any goats cheese and beetroot are a great match.

Second canape was a rerun from two years back. From Graham “they are simple and easy to make. Aldi sell mini German sausages in bottles of around 30 units. The had strips of butter puff around them held in place by a good quality tooth pick that also assisted in eating. A simple spicy tomato relish was used as dipping sauce rather just bottle tomato sauce.”

Aperitif wine

• Henschke Julius Riesling 2002

Main. Cowra Lamb Noisettes were presented with a herb crust made up of Panko bread crumbs, lemon zest, parsley and garlic, lots of salt and pepper and combined with a lemon infused olive oil for moisture. The noisettes were smeared with Dijon mustard before rolling. The trays were cooked for 10 to 12 minutes then rested and cut into portions, and re-laid flat and re-ovened for 3 to 5 minutes more to move them from rare to pink. Vegetables were duck baked potatoes, cauliflower au gratin and asparagus spears. Sauce was a veal stock reduction with some lamb bones.

Wine tasting wines

• Lindemans St George Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
• Penfolds Bin 389 2004
• Lupe Cholet Beaune les Bressandes 2005
• Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello Montalcino (Sangiovese Grosso) 2006
• Guigal St Joseph Vignes de L’Hospice (Syrah) 2007
• Rosemount Mountain Blue Shiraz Cabernet 2006

Some tannin wines in the bunch but once the food was served and the eaten the tannins were less evident. The Brunello, St George and the Blue Mountain appeared to be the picks of day.

Coffee

Spencer in absentia (although he did dose the coffee) presented the first coffee from China that he has seen on the Australian market. Otherwise it is unexceptional, being light, bland and with no flavour notes of interest. The texture is light, there is little finish and very light acidity. It comes from the Yunan region and is the Catimor varietal of Arabica.

Cheese

James Healy provided us with one of the Society's favourite cheeses in La Couronne Fort Aged Comte from Will Studd. Matured in damp underground cellars at Fort Saint Antoine it is richly concentrated with a nutty caramel sweetness. The cheeses was served with raw unsalted nuts and cold nashi pears.

Universally the room thought the wines showed great quality and variety providing us a great tasting. To match that the food was superb.

Moral: Don't miss wine lunches. Sob!

24 October 2017 - CoTD Bill Alexiou-Hucker (HV Lunch)

Another big day for the Wine and Food Society of New South Wales with some 60 people packing the main dining room for Bill Alexiou-Hucker’s lunch featuring the HV gold medal winning wines from the 2017 vintage presented by Bruce Tyrrell. Bill was assisted by Peter “Canapé Master” Manners and Nick Reynolds.

Canapés. Determined to set a record for the number of canapés, today we had four. Going through the range of Greek dolmades, steak tartare, labne with a dukkha crumbs and taramasalata and baked chorizo on toast squares (to quote Bill “not even Google has a recipe for this one …world first ??”) we had a feast both in terms of quality and quantity. Bill gives the Greeks credit for all the world’s good food. Maybe he is right.

Aperitif wine. Appropriate for a Hunter Valley day we started off with the Tyrrells Vat 1 from 1999 and 2000 both under cork. I was expecting massive bottle variation but in the end, there were a couple of lesser bottles but most of them were drinking extraordinarily well. The 1999 was the more abundant in quantity and arguably the better of the two. Both excellent wines and a great way to start the Hunter Valley lunch.

Main course. Given the wines we were going to have today, young Hunter Semillon, Bill was asked to produce a meal that would not overpower the wines. Bill chose chicken and the cut was chicken Maryland. An excellent choice where flavour is concerned rather than the often bland chicken breasts that are easy to eat but often bereft of flavour. The chicken was cooked for about one hour in chicken stock before being removed and coated in a herb and chili fetta “armour” before cooking. The meat was wonderfully succulent and was served on a bed of Israeli couscous with Greek salad. A simple sounding dish but one requiring much work that hit the bull’s-eye with flavour without interfering with the wines.

The Wines - All 2017 vintage

• Hunters Dream Estate Semillon
• Tulloch Wines Hunter River White Semillon
• First Creek Wines Harvest Semillon
• Bimbadgen Signature Palmers Lane Semillon
• Audrey Wilkinson Semillon
• Silkman Wines Reserve Semillon
• Brokenwood Wines Tallawanta Vineyard Semillon
• Tyrrell’s Wines Vat 1 Semillon
• Tyrrell’s Wines Composite Stevens Shiraz (cask sample of Shiraz)
• Tyrrell’s Wines Composite Vat 9 (cask sample of Shiraz)

Bruce Tyrrell in his usual understated way talked us through the 10 wines that he had acquired for us no doubt by means fair and foul from both Tyrrells and his colleagues in the Valley. On this occasion, there were a couple of wineries that were not well known and there was quite a range of price tags. In the whites, at least from those I spoke to, the Silkman, Vat 1 and Bimbadgen and were high on the list. In general, the wines were drinking surprisingly well, and Bruce explained it was not a year of searing acidity but rather a year where there more concern about the pH levels.

The two reds were fascinating. Cask samples taken the day before and bottled for the luncheon, the old “Hunter River Burgundy” label quickly came to mind. Astoundingly easy to drink. No doubt once the ageing and bottling process is complete they will be very different, but it certainly provided much encouragement for the 2017 vintage.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided us with a farmhouse cheddar from Devon, England. A very traditional style cheddar it is matured for 18 months to get a full flavoured style without too much acid and was crumbly to the cut. Very enjoyable cheese. This was served with some pickled vegetables which provided an excellent foil to the richness of the cheese. Bill also served the obligatory ouzo infused Turkish delights and a Greek liqueur, Mavrakis Mastica.

Note: the following was provided by a Greek restaurateur (Dennis Xenos from Xenos in Crows Nest) who a few of our members know:

The most famous mastica comes from the island of Chios off the Turkish coast. Only the trees from that island are the most suitable to make the liqueur "Mastiha".To produce it they essentially stab the Mastic trees with a probe and allow the sap to drip and then they collect it and ferment it to produce the drink I believe. In ancient times the sap was allowed to harden and would be used as the original chewing gum that would claim to have healing properties. The Greek word for chewing gum is still 'Mastiha'.

Coffee by Spencer Ferrier, in absentia, was Kenya Karogoto AA one of Spencer’s go-to beans.

Another great lunch and Keith Steele closed the lunch thanking Paul Ferman for organising Bruce and thanking Bruce for his generous effort in sourcing the donated wines.

17 October 2107 - CoTD Steve Liebeskind

The Society’s 2017 Chef of the Year, Steve Liebeskind, was in the kitchen today assisted by a Graham Fear. Steve has set such high standards that there was much expected of him today.

Canapés. We had two canapés to start and there was a nice contrast between the two. The photographs above often give a better idea then the description but the first was a tuna and white bean paste on rounds of bread with a slice of olive on each. There was a touch of chili in the paste to liven it up. Next came some delightful crispy puff pastry shells spread with a goat’s cheese curd and half of a baked cherry tomato. The cherry tomatoes were wonderful as Steve applied some sumac during the roasting to provide a really tangy finish. Both starters were very good.

Aperitif wine. We began the wines today with our habitual Sherry and the Mount Horrocks Watervale Clair Riesling 2009. It was in wonderful condition and was highly regarded by members present in the little scrums around the room.

Main course. Serving rack of lamb for even a relatively small number can be difficult trying to get the just cooked tenderness and colour even across batches. Steve started off by brining the lamb to retain its weight and succulent character. Those familiar with brining know that it can take up quite a bit of space, let alone dealing with the bones in the racks.

Th result was truly wonderful. The lamb had also been smoked for about 10 to 15 minutes, which was enough to have the smoky flavour very evident. The sauce was honey, mustard seeds, white wine vinegar, marmalade, fresh mint all of which caramelised with macadamia nuts. The potato mash had a touch of the wasabi and there were pickled carrots, pan-fried cauliflower and asparagus to round out the plate. A sprig of rosemary topped off each meal.

High praise was received from those who spoke and it was another fine meal from Steve.

The Wines.

• Huntington Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (screwcap, 13.8%)
• Wynns Black Label 2001 (cork, 14%)
• Tamar Ridge Pinot (screwcap, 13%)
• McWilliams Barwang 842 Chardonnay 2007 (screwcap, 13%)

Paul served us two Australian Cabernets to begin. The Huntington came across as a soft sweeter Australian wine with no extraction or heat. It was enjoyable and in general the preferred of the two Cabernets. The Wynns should have offered so much more from a very good year. There was good structure and fine tannins but there was bottle variation and whilst none of the wines could be said to be truly corked there was evidence of all the wines being cork affected to some extent and just dull. A bit disappointing as many of us have enjoyed the 2001 in the past without these issues.

The 2009 Pinot from Tasmania was a good average Pinot and enjoyable drinking with the cheese. It lost out to the Barwang Chardonnay which was a better match but which some thought was a bit heavy on the oak.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey presented the cheese selected by the then acting Cheesemaster, Gary Linnane. This was Guilloteau Buche d’Affinois and came in blocks as opposed to the rounds we have had previously. A silky and creamy cheese but some thought it lacked a little flavour although it had a wonderful texture. Steve provided a very interesting and flavoursome salad the content of which still needs to be clarified.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia provided Indian peaberry style coffee in a light to medium roast presentation. Peaberry beans are smaller, denser and relatively rare. Very enjoyable.

The excellent lunches just keep rolling along and today was no exception.

10 October 2017 - CoTD Mark Bradford

Our mixed lunch today was bought to us by Chef of the Day Prof Mark Bradford with assistance from Gary Patterson. Numbers for the lunch were excellent with over 45 and there was absolutely no disappointment.

Canapés. Between Gary and Mark, we managed to get through three starters. First up was crostini with mascarpone, dill, smoked ocean trout and lemon zest. Mark made this a little in advance and a fresher/firmer base would have enhanced the experience although the flavour was excellent. Next up were the very popular Calabrese bites starring Calabrese salami, basil leaf, bocconcini ball and both cherry and sun-dried tomatoes. These were threaded through a toothpick and warmed and flew off the plates. We then sat down for a chilled summer cream of fennel soup with Parmesan and cream. Very tasty and there were differing opinions as to whether it should have been served slightly warm. Great starters.

Aperitif wine. We had a range of aperitif wines to begin, but the main deal was Aubert Rose NV Champagne. Whilst the Champagne was doing a stunning disappearing feat, we also enjoyed some sherry, Framingham Riesling and Belgravia Merlot. A truly agnostic bunch.

Main course. Mark chose to serve us veal masala. Serving for over 45 people without overcooking the very thin veal may have been a worry for Mark but he did it with aplomb, providing us a crisp exterior with a pink centre. This was served with the usual cream, mushroom and garlic, but on Israeli couscous cooked in beef stock. The green was broccolini sautéed in garlic. Accolades were given and deserved.

The Wines.

• Cos Cerasuolo (Sicily) 2011
• Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2009
• Tyrrells Rufus Stone (Heathcote) 2004 and 2002
• Tatachilla Partners Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz 2001

The two reds with the main course were excellent for very different reasons. The Sicilian wine, the very elegant, light and long finishing blend of 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato, saw no wood and was new to many. Sicily is a high performing wine producer and many of these wines are matured in concrete seeing no oak at all. The Rhône wine being mainly Grenache was bright and flavoursome and Guigal is always great value and many in the room drink this wine. Good combination.

The two vintages of the Heathcote wine spread around the room were old-style Australian Shiraz but with enough age to soften them somewhat. Heathcote have lifted their game since the early 2000’s. The McLaren Vale Cabernet Shiraz at 16 years of age was certainly showing it. Passed its peak it was very soft but lacked intensity and was just a little tired.

Cheese and coffee. Gary Linnane treated the room this week with some French Beaufort cheese, one of the more expensive cheeses we enjoy. It is an alpine cheese from the Savoie region of the French Alps and it is a firm, raw cow’s milk cheese associated with the Gruyère family. A treat.

Gary Linnane was generous in supplying a few bottles of the DB Show Reserve Liquer Muscat NV. Very aged, lost in his cellar, this old De Bortoli was a real treat.

Spencer Ferrier provided both coffee and tea. The coffee was a Brazil Cerrado from Santa Lucia and it was a fine coffee, very flavoursome and a medium finish. The tea was Golden Yunnan a relatively high end black Chinese tea from the Yunnan province in China. Spencer had ground the tea leaves (who knew we could even do that!) prior to adding water and the many people who had tea much enjoyed the option.

Mark gave a thorough breakdown of the meal and his efforts were rewarded with acclaim.

A great day for food, good company and buzz.

3 October 2017 CoTD Jason Hannah - William Blue Dining

Our executive chef of the day, President Keith Steele, organised his mate Jason Hannah from William Blue Dining to prepare us lunch. Jason is the Executive Chef and Head Teacher of the William Blue Dining training facility for apprentice chefs. Assisting Keith was John R Edwards and Jason bought two of his young apprenticeships along to assist him and for the experience in another restaurant.

Canapés. Both canapés originated from Keith Steele, the first being a pork terrine on bread sourced from Victoire topped with pickles and seeded mustard. This was followed by top notch anchovies also on bread.

Aperitif wine. Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling 2008 started us on our journey today with a pretty standard 11% alcohol. One of the many fine facets of Riesling is its relatively low alcohol. The Riesling was showing a little development in its colour and was as expected and excellent example of what the Eden Valley does so well with the grape. The match of acid and fruit saw us drinking this wine at its best.

Main course. Jason had chosen for us today deboned spatchcock roulade with a truffled mince/bread stuffing. The drumettes were not excluded and were deep fried with the skin folded back. This was served with Paris mash, pumpkin purée, pickled golf ball carrots and sugar snaps. The jus was made from the stock of the chicken bones with a touch of vinegar. The presentation, as can be seen above, was excellent and the touch of pickled golf ball carrots was much commented on. The spatchcock meat was succulent and the stuffing matched perfectly.

The Wines.

• Metrat “Cote Rotie” Chiroubles Beaujolais 2012 (cork, 12.5%)
• Anne Gros & Jean-Paul Tollot La Ciaude Minervois (Languedoc-Roussillon) 2012 (cork, 14%)
• Bowen Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 (cork, 14.5%)
• Devil’s Lair Cabernet Merlot 2007 (screwcap, 13.5%)

The Chiroubles to start with (which has the confusing handle Cote Rotie) was in excellent condition and was a classic Beaujolais albeit one of higher quality with classic Gamay characteristics. The pairing wine was the Minervois of the same vintage. Languedoc is an often-overlooked area although it is a prodigious producer of wine. With a blend of. Carignan, Syrah and Grenache it relates very well to Australian palates although having drier tannins. The wine was soft and balanced and a good match for the Beaujolais. In fact, they were both well matched to the poultry.

Both the cheese wines were screaming Cabernet and they were both substantial. The Bowen came from the great 2006 year but some saw a little greenness in it, a not uncommon characteristic of Coonawarra. The Margaret River wine had more elegance, but some felt there was a little overuse of oak for the fruit level. Both classic Australian Cabernets.

Cheese and coffee. Our acting Cheesemaster Gary Linnane provided us with Maffra cloth aged cheese with 18 months on the clock. This Gippsland based producer makes a range of cow’s milk cheese with the cloth aged version having a bit more bite and crumbly texture than it stablemates. A wonderful cheddar. Cheese was served with dried apricots and bowls of mixed dried fruit. A good match.

Coffee was by Spencer Ferrier and presented to us by Hilton Chapman. The coffee was Ethiopian and some described as having a buttery character.

Keith invited Jason Hannah to introduce his two young apprenticeships and talk to the food produced for us today. Jason described in detail the food and opinioned that he preferred the Beaujolais with the spatchcock.

Lunch reminded a number of those present that it was time to visit William Blue Dining once again.

26 September 2017 - CoTD James Hill

Our tireless Chef of the Day repeater, James Hill, was back in the kitchen again this week for the September wine lunch. Assisting him was one of our newest members Matthew Holmes.

Canapés. We were treated to three starters today. First off, a prawn bisque made from the stock of the prawns also eaten on the day with a splash of brandy. It had a beautiful intense prawn flavour. This was then followed by anchovy paste and olive oil on Iggy’s bread with baked grape tomatoes. Finally, prawns and celeriac remoulade served on a Asian type spoons. All three different in flavour and also in texture.

Aperitif wine. Paul Ferman started us off today with St Huberts Chardonnay 2013. The wine was in excellent condition with moderate use of wood, good acid, resulting in a wine that was not Chablis like but in the line of an excellent Australian impersonation.

Main course. James had chosen an oven cooked confit of lamb served with roasted garlic, Paris mash and tarragon jus. The recipe involved marinating the lamb for 24 hours prior to oven cooking and as indicated from the photograph above the “doneness” was perfect throughout the cut. It was accompanied by asparagus with a striking look of the green top with the shaved white stem. Excellent presentation and taste

The Wines.

• Domaine St Damien Gigondas 2012 (Southern Rhone)
• Aldo Conterno Langhe Rosso (Piedmont)
• Torres Salmos Priorat (Spain)
• Tyrrells Vat 9 Shiraz 2007
• Seppelts St Peters Shiraz 2006
• Torbreck The Struie 2006

A good selection of wines ranging from elegant to large. The Gigondas was more elegant than expected and possibly not as intense. Gigondas is typically nearly 100% Grenache but this was on the lighter side. The Piedmont a wine was intriguing in that you would expect a large amount of Nebbiolo or Barbera in the mix but there was neither. The predominant grape at 80% was Freisa with some Cabernet and Merlot. Freisa is an indigenous grape and with its plump and round character could be mistaken for Barbara.

The Priorat from Spain was fairly typical of the style, plum, cherry and black fruit. Mainly Grenache. Next up was the Tyrrells Vat 9 2007. This will be a good wine. However, at 10 years of age it is a bit young and has a touch of volatility and needs a couple of years to settle down. It could be great. The St Peters from the Grampians was decent but as 2006 was a good year for this well-known wine label it was a little disappointing. Possibly a little dumb due to a stage in development. We normally have expectations of better wines from this label. Torbreck have a reputation for big wines with dark fruit, plum, blackberry et cetera. This did not disappoint. It was a sweeter style. Some found it a little overripe but there is no rush to consume this wine

Cheese and coffee. Our acting Cheesemaster Gary Linnane served a Perenzin Formajo Ciock al Vino Rosso from Veneto. This cow’s milk cheese is immersed in red grape must for about 10 days. When removed some of the grape skins are retained on the rind creating a striking look. It was served with Corella pears.

Coffee and tea were provided by Spencer Ferrier. The former was a favourite of ours, Yirgacheffe, whilst the tea was purchased in Paris and the details will be updated at a later time. The tea was stunning in its mild but fruity flavour.

A much-enjoyed lunch.

19 September 2016 CoTD Joey Ingram of The Royal Exchange Of Sydney

The kitchen at the Royal exchange of Sydney is headed up by Joey Ingram who cooked for us today. Joey has an impressive background in the restaurant industry and agreed to cook for us today after having a couple of weeks to observe and assist the member CoTDs with their meal.

Canapés. Joey offered us two canapés. The pork and fennel sausage rolls looked and tasted fantastic. These were made in the kitchen with slow cooked pork shoulder and the shiny glazed pastry topped them off.  The next was rillettes of smoke our ocean trout on a water cracker with dill and cornichons.

Aperitif wine. The starter wine of the day was one well-known to members, the Denmar Estate Hunter Valley Chardonnay 2010. The wine was now where it needs to be drunk but was still interesting and as somebody described it, “good average” Chardonnay.

Main course. Joey prepared for members today a meal that some described as a ‘safe meal’ but prepared in style. Whole chickens have been brined was salt and sugar and then cut up into pieces and roasted. The brining lead to the flesh being moist and succulent and there was a range of white meat and darker meat on the bone on every plate. Of course, the dark meat won. The protein was served on Paris mash with asparagus and a chicken broth sauce with Madeira jus deglaze. Beautifully presented with well-defined tastes and textures.

The Wines.

• Framingham Select Riesling 2016 (Marlborough) (screwcap, 8.5%)
• Tiefenbrunner Lagrein 2011 Alto Adige, (Trentino-Alto-Adige, Italy) (cork, 14%)
• Wynns White Label Shiraz 2009 (screwcap full, 14.4%)
• Pirathon Barossa Shiraz 2009 (screwcap, 14.5%)

The first of the two wines with the main course caused some discussion. Whilst Framingham is a first-class producer of Riesling (and this one only 8.5%) most felt it was not a good match for the chicken with a rather rich jus. The Langrein grape unknown to many people was a better match. The wine comes from northern Italy near the border and hence the Germanic sounding name. This grape producers a deep red wine with cherry characteristics and medium tannin. It was the preferred match.

Paul selected two Australian 2009 Shiraz wines for the rich cheese. We all know the Wynns White Label Shiraz (usually available on discount at well under $15) and this is compared to a more expensive Barossa-based wine. The Wynns wine was thought to present excellent value for money and for some was probably the wine of the day. The Pirathon was not a typical big Barossa Shiraz but was rather elegant and provided an excellent pairing.

Cheese and coffee. Our acting Cheesemaster Gary Linnane served a Roquefort from the selection of Will Studd. There was some discussion about whether this was Gorgonzola 0r Roquefort as they both have rich textures and a salty sweet finish. This was excellent.

Coffee today was provided by the Royal Exchange from their espresso machine. Quite a task, serving 40 coffees whilst dealing with their regular customers. Well done.

President, Keith Steele, invited Joey to have a bit of a chat about the meal and about his cooking style and background.

A very enjoyable lunch.

12 September 2017 CoTD Nick Reynolds

Today on the pans was our Foodmaster, Nick Reynolds. Nick had gone for a Sicilian meal in Australian style, as you will see below.

Canapés. Canapés of which there were two started with Arancini risotto balls, followed by polenta deep-fried with truffled pecorino and aioli. Both were appealingly presented and just as pleasant to consume.

Aperitif wine. Pikes Riesling 2010 was the starter for this lunch. This wine under screwcap was in excellent condition with stunning fruit and well-matched acid. The crisp finish was well matched with the canapés.

Main course. The main course was Spada (Swordfish) Sicilian style with agrodolce caponata (in essence sweet and sour ratatouille) underneath and cherry tomatoes, olives stuffed with capers in vinegar, sliced almonds and some micro-herb (preferably oregano) garnish on top. The caponata had eggplant deep-fried in olive oil, celery, onion, garlic and chili. The sweet-and-sour taste came from vinegar, capers and pine nuts. The swordfish had been sous vide and then quickly warmed to prevent the flesh becoming too firm. Comments around the swordfish were mixed with acknowledgement that swordfish is a particularly difficult fish to prepare. However, the pieces that were left over were snapped up immediately after lunch by some appreciative members.

Comment was made about the butter served with the lunch which had been handmade by Nick in the salted manner.

The Wines.

• Domaine de la Pepiere Muscadet (cork, 12%)
• Pala Cannonau (Grenache from Sardinia) (glass cap, 14%)
• Chateau Musar Jeune (Cinsault from Lebanon) (cork, 14%)
• Salomon Syrah (Fluereiu) 2012 (screwcap, 14.5%)

Nick had requested wines with noticeable acid to accompany the main course, particularly in relation to the caponata. The Muscadet from the Loire Valley had sufficient acid and a beautiful crisp fruit, finishing long. It had some development at the expense of some freshness, but the development added another dimension to a very enjoyable wine. The Sardinian Grenache was soft, flavoursome with some interesting tannins. Of those who spoke most preferred the red in balance with the acid in the food.

The two cheese wines were enjoyed. The Lebanese wine was the second label of the famous Château Musar winery, which is intended to be consumed in its youth to enjoy the floral drinking now elegance. The Salomon (family of the ancient Austrian wine makers) had only 4% Viognier but the floral presence on the nose and palate was very evident. It was also of larger body. An interesting comparison.

Cheese and coffee. The cheese selected by James Healey this week was from Piedmont and was a cow’s milk Fontina. Fontina is one of Italy’s most well-known cheeses and is imported here by a small number of producers. It is a semi hard, cooked curd cheese with a beige interior. Very earthy herbaceous and lightly perfumed. With the cheese, Nick provided some salted nuts to match the style of the cheese

Spencer Ferrier in absentia today took us to an espresso roast with notes indicating that espresso first arose in 1907 in Milan and it literally meant ‘is expressly made for you’. As expected, there was a stronger extraction from the beans and is more unusual to have this served by way of a plunger. There was a touch of bitterness as would be expected. There was no milk offered for those who preferred a cappuccino or flat white style. To me it was a perfect end to the meal. 

5 September 2017 CoTD Paul Ferman

The Chef of the Day for the first spring lunch was our Winemaster. Paul Ferman. His assistant, meant to be Josef Condrau, was struck down by the flu and Paul soldiered on with the very capable assistance of the REX kitchen crew.

Canapés. Paul had prepared two starters for us today. Up first was a pâté served on Iggy’s bread with a fruit topping made of a variety of fruit chutneys al la Col Sanders. The pâté was made from pork, chicken, bacon and chicken liver. Very tasty. Next came a spring vegetable soup again made up of a variety of vegetables and it was very refreshing.

Aperitif wine. The aperitif wine was the Framingham Dry Riesling 2006 from Marlborough. It was a somewhat controversial wine with some of us referring to it as stunning and others not so much. Framingham is known as a high-quality producer of Riesling and this Dry Riesling is release with some age. This wine at 11 years of age had almost searing acid and was just off-dry with residual sugar around 12 to 15 g/L. It was tight, structured and long. This wine will last.

Main course. The lunch notice said beef bourguignon and whether this was a misunderstanding or more likely a deliberate ploy is open to debate. The result was both successful and surprising. You will see from the photographs above that the main course was certainly red meat but had been slow cooked and shredded in the way of pulled pork. However, it was kangaroo rump, slow cooked and it was delicious. The vegetables accompanying the protein were many and varied and was served in individual bowls on each table. Once again, we had duck fat potatoes (spoiled for two weeks in a row) with carrots, brussels sprouts, French shallots and even deep-fried chestnuts. Most of the vegetables were slow cooked in chicken stock and wine. An excellent course.

The Wines.

• Tyrrells Stevens Shiraz 2011 (screwcap, 13%)
• Anguollong Fossil Hill Sangiovese 2009 (Orange) (screwcap, 14.5%)
• Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 (screwcap, 14%)
• Fraser Gallop Cabernet Sauvignon (Margaret River) 2012 (screwcap, 14%)

The Hunter Shiraz and the Orange Sangiovese the were worlds apart. The youthful Tyrrells Shiraz had an extraordinarily spicy characteristic with typical Hunter medium bodied fruit. A well like style with no interfering oak due to the use of large oak maturation. A bit young but a nice future. The Sangiovese at 8 years of age was getting past its best although it still had some sour cherry characteristics. The Orange wine was a favourite at some tables.

The comparison of two Australian Cabernets were selected by the Winemaster for a reason. Both 2012 the Mildara was minty and pleasant but was simple and short. The Margaret River wine which also had about 10% of Petite Verdot and Malbec was in the true Margaret River style, dusty, blackcurrant overtones and a touch of tobacco. This is a solid wine with fine and long tannins and whilst somewhat more expensive than the Mildara it showed true quality.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey served a favourite of many members with Swiss Gruyere. Most picked cow’s milk (or said they did) and it had a wonderful complexity, nutty and sweet and an aroma makes it impossible to ignore. A wonderful cheese that many would be happy to have every week.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia today provided an Indian peaberry coffee. A peaberry, as he has explained before, is a natural mutation of the coffee bean inside its cherry. The coffee bean grows two to a fruit rather than one much like a peanut. It had excellent body and a pleasant dark chocolate finish.

Paul Ferman donated two bottles of McWilliams Vintage Port 1966 which were poured around the tables. Unlike many vintage ports from that era, his was not a tawny port but was a true vintage port and in excellent drinking condition after heavy filtering.

Paul Ferman when speaking to the food made very encouraging comments about the support and the innovation of ideas from the kitchen crew assisting on the day.

Our VP, Peter Kelso, closed the lunch to a room full of very satisfied members.