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.

8 November 2016

Roger Straiton was on the pans with assistance on canape assembly from Scott Witt and Kham Signavong. A very healthy 47 members and guests were present.

Canapés. Two canapés were served. Firstly, lightly pan cooked asparagus spears wrapped in prosciutto. A very popular snack at any time the prosciutto was of top quality. Then came “pinwheels” of puff pastry filled/wrapped with smoked ham, parmesan and mustard. Novel and very moreish.

Aperitif wine. The main wine was a Society favourite, Denmar Chardonnay 2010. Given the numbers, a range of single bottles were served and the mandatory Lustau sherry. If you are vigilant the single bottles, usually the last of older purchases, can be good fun.

Main course. Roger gave us a traditional veal scallopini served with mashed potatoes and peas a great accompanyment to just about anything even roast potatoes. The sauce was wonderfully rich. It included not only the usual stock and mushrooms but 500g of Roquefort and 3 bottles of masala. A real meal for the boys.

The wines.

• Chrismont La Zona Barbera 2010 (screwcap, 13%)
• Marina Coppi Castellania Barbera (Piedmont) (cork, 14.5%)
• Allegrini Valpolicella 2011 (cork, 13%)
• Marc Bredif Vouvray Brut N/V (cork, 12.5%)

We have previously enjoyed both the Barbera wines. The La Zona is at peak and soft. Some felt it was past its best. However, earthy aromas of meat and spice were still evident. The real McCoy from Piedmont was deeper in colour, richer with more complexity but still soft. A good educational coupling on Barbera.

One red (Veneto) and one sparkling (Loire) with the cheese. The matching was more than interesting. The red (Corvina and Rondinella) was the entry level and hence was lighter, soft but still elegent. The Vouvray had, as is common, very slight residual sugar. This did not detract from the cheese matching.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey provided Taleggio from Lombardy a cow’s milk cheese. Mild and creamy it was a first class fromage. It did decide to go for a “wander” (see photo above) given the high ambient temperature of the dining room.

Mr Coffee, Spencer, was up to his old tricks serving different blends using Illy and Lavazza. Whilst commercial blends they are Arabica and at the high end. Interesting contrast in style.

A well-attended lunch with good commentary excellent food and wine.

Wine tasting 25 October 2016

There was a decidedly cosmopolitan note to the tasting last Tuesday, with the Wine Master providing 2 whites from Oz and France and 4 reds from Italy, USA, Australia and France in a wholly masked lineup in which only the countries of origin were disclosed. Before that exercise, we were regaled with an eclectic array of aperitif wines including a 2013 Seppelts Jaluka chardonnay, a Warramate merlot rose, and a Tyrrells Stevens Semillon, as well as the omnipresent, and always welcome, Lustau sherry, this time the Oloroso. From the kitchen, chef of the day Bill Alexiou-Hucker, with a backing team of Peter Squires and Peter Manners, brought forth an assortment of canapes: a marvellous arancini rice ball made on 3 types of mushroom, some hand-made wheat tortillas containing a mild and slightly chili-boosted salmon ceviche, and refreshing cocktail sticks comprising fetta cheese, olive, mint and watermelon, a seemingly odd combination which actually worked very well together.

Then it was on to the tasting, with most identifying the whites as a SA riesling and a Vouvray chenin blanc from the Loire, but opinions divided on the grapes and ages of the reds. The unveiling, mercifully announced before comments were invited, was:

1995 Leonay Eden Valley Riesling, well-aged and with definite kerosene notes, but terrific fruit and length and a joy for lovers of the style;

1995 Bredif Vouvray, unexpectedly sweet although not identified as demi-sec, showing a pure honey nose and soft fruit characters, but no match for the food;

2011 Cos Classico from Sicily, a yummy food wine with good drying tannins and elegant fruit (a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes) and probably the best received as a food match;

2011 Zinfandel from Sonoma in California, deceptively soft (many thought it a merlot) and juicy, with good length but lacking individuality;

2002 St Hugo Coonawarra cabernet, a great example of an aged Coonawarra with rich perfumed nose and sweet but balanced fruit and tannins – for many, the best wine on the table;

2002 Ch Leoville Barton, a 2nd growth Bordeaux from St Julien which pleased some but disappointed many – form a lesser year with fruit dropping out, a bit flat and showing brett dirty characters.

All these helped to wash down a great meal from Bill & Co: medium octopus, braised on its own to extract the juices and soften it, then stewed in a sauce of tomato, white wine, garlic and chopped parsley until tender and soft, and served with simple thin-sliced boiled potatoes. A definite Mediterranean dish with plenty of real flavour and good with most, but not all, the wines.

Then the cheese, a real challenge for the salt-sensitive. It was a Pecorino Romano, a hard sheep’s milk cheese from around Rome, this one obviously quite young and crumbly, no doubt with some good lactic characters underneath but overwhelmed by the salt content. A plain green salad with a non-intrusive dressing accompanied it, along with the tasting wines.

Equanimity was restored with the coffee, a medium roast bean grown in Panama using the rare Ethiopian Gesha variety. It came to the table as soft but rich in the mouth with subtle citrus notes to keep it on the back palate. All hail to the absent Spencer Ferrier for sourcing it.

Luncheon 18 October 2016

It was a welcome return to the kitchen by Peter Manners, with an assortment of assistants: Neil Galbraith, Tony Scott and Bob Swinney. None of them notably Germanic, they nevertheless produced some authentically German-style food for Oktober (evidenced by the German flags on the tables). To start, two varieties of sausage, frankfurters with toothpicks and a fiery German mustard hit; and kranskywurst, a slightly larger sausage served in slices on rice crisps. The aperitif wines, due to a breakdown of the fridge, were a mix of reds, both local and foreign, of various styles and quality, most of which went well with the sausage

We then sat down to a cup of what was described as “Fischsuppe”; and it was as advertised, with chunks of fish, fresh and smoked, and mussels lurking under a creamy very tasty broth. The accompanying wines, served mainly to match the main course, were a 2009 Hahndorf Hill blaufrankisch from the Adelaide Hills and a 2011 Tiefenbrunner lagrein which despite its name came from the Tyrol district of northern Italy. Both unusual grapes, the blaufankisch, an Austrian variety, regarded as somewhere between a pinot noir and a cabernet franc, this one showing nice forward fruit with some fresh acid and tannins to support it, while the lagrein was a touch extracted and overripe. Both were better with the Kasseler Rippenspeer which followed, a classic German celebratory dish of baked smoked pork loin, served in thick and juicy steaks with an excellent sauerkraut made with caraway seeds and some apple to sweeten the vinegar pickle, baked sliced potato finished off with duck fat and some sliced, not too tart, beetroot. It was all very mittel European, with plenty of smoky pickled flavours and good presentation on the plate.

For the cheese, we crossed the Alps into Switzerland to enjoy a real Le Gruyere, made in large wheels with a pronounced rind indicating some age and a wonderfully dense sweet nutty paste. With it, a choice of colours in the shape of a 2009 Vasse Felix chardonnay from WA and a 2006 Macquariedale Thomas shiraz from the Hunter. Both very good wines, but the white, with good acid length and cashew nuts on the palate, was a better match with the cheese, although the red, made organically, showed quite rich sweet but soft fruit with Hunter drying tannins to balance which also did the cheese credit.

The lunch concluded with coffee made from Yurgachef beans from the home of coffee in Ethiopia, and a stimulating finish it was, with rich roasted bean character in the mouth followed by a clean citrusy finish.