As winter closes in, the inventive Greg Sproule returned to the kitchen to give us boiled bunny- but not as you know it. But first, it was waste not...with the canapes, the kidneys from Greg's rabbits providing tasty snacks on sticks together with a good rich pate on croutons and pieces of fresh celery filled with a chevre broken down with cream. A 2006 Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling was still in fresh and zingy condition, whilst a Lustau amontillado sherry was available, smooth and nutty, for those who wanted something a bit warming.

Back to the bunnies. Large farmed rabbits were cut up and casseroled in a sauce of aromatic vegetables, which were served with it on a bed of potatoes Anna, accompanied by prunes and mushroom caps filled with a hit of bitter chocolate for extra flavour. Rabbit always tends to dryness, and Greg did a pretty good job of counteracting that and lifting the blandness of "underground chicken", although a bit of extra salt helped. Wine master Hilton Chapman went French with the wines, 2009 Coudulet de Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone, and Guigal Crozes-Hermitage from the same year. Both were typical of the Rhone, but the Cotes was the better of the two with good fruit and acid from mainly grenache grapes, the Guigal, predominantly shiraz, being slightly sour and under-ripe.

The cheese was also French, and a 1st look at a washed rind D'Affinois, usually known for its brie-style surface ripened cheeses. It came to the table a little cold but once it warmed up it showed as a wonderful washed rind, with a lovely amber-coloured rind and a paste of delicate nuttiness which had many thinking taleggio. An accompanying salad of green and red leaves was dressed with a good, if slightly tart, vinaigrette, and both were well covered by a brace of Aussie cabernets from 2002: the Huntington Estate Special Reserve from Mudgee, and the Orlando St Hugo from Coonawarra. Both had their features, but for most the rich ripe characters of the Mudgee wine, still well in balance, outclassed the softer, restrained character of the St Hugo, not up to its usual strength of fruit.

The coffee, arranged by Spencer Ferrier,was a medium roast bean from the Aceh region of NW Sumatra. It showed a good palate on the light side, with refreshing acidity on the finish.