This was Paul Irwin's first time in the kitchen, and the pity is that it wasn't sooner, with some great food to match a lineup of local and foreign pinots. We were kept in suspense by the wine master until the death knell, but the wines on display were finally unveiled as:

2010 Tapanappa from the Fleurieu Peninsula in SA

2010 Port Phillip from the Mornington Peninsula in Vic

2009 Craggy Range from Bannockburn in the North Island of NZ

2009 Remoissenet Gevrey-Chambertin Villages

2006 Holyman from the Tamar Valley in Tas

2005 Lupe-Cholet Beaune 1er cru Les Brassades

Not a bad wine among them (if you disregard the corked Lupe-Cholet on some tables). The preference was for the younger French, with the NZ and the 1er cru also popular, although the latter, even the good glasses, was starting to fade a little. The Mornington showed future promise, while the Tas had good fruit and the SA was a little forward and simple. But clear evidence that the New World is catching up to the Old with this contrary grape.

We started with a few aperitifs, chiefly the 2001 Richmond Grove Riesling with good developed toast characters but still fresh. Also a 2006 Gartelman Benjamin semillon from the Hunter, sweet and soft, and a few bottles of a Brut de Flandres sparkler, as well as the reliable Lustau amontillado.

The canapes produced by Paul's partner Rachel worked well, a minced salmon, mayo and dill paste on bread rounds and cute tasty little cakes of crab with chopped prawns and polenta deep fried. But these were just a foretaste of the terrific main, rare and tender rounds of mystery meat under a great jus with simple carrots and small corn ears, sliced vertically and crunchy, to accompany. It was, as one would expect with pinot, duck breast, but not as we know it. Skinned breasts were "glued" together with a protein coagulant then rolled into wrapped rounds before being cooked sous vide, sliced and served with a jus made from the rest of the bird, enlivened with pierces of crisp fried and salted skin from the breasts. The presentation on the plate was excellent, but the flavour was there as well, and as for the match with the wine..........

Cheese was a Fourme D'Ambert, a blue mould Cows' milk cheese from the Rhone Alpes Auvergne district of France. Lovely to look at, but this edition lacked the texture and blue mould richness usually evident in this cheese, whilst still being pleasant eating. A good green salad featuring baby spinach and rocket with a mild vinaigrette was a nicely tart accompaniment.

Coffee took us back to Ethiopia, with a Yurgachef medium roast bean which produced a strong, rich brew with evident citrus acidity giving it a lingering finish. Ideally drunk with a fine port, such as the Para and a Chambers 2003 vintage (depending on table) turned on by birthday boy Frank Liebeskind.