Wine Master Paul Ferman continues his crusade to wean members away from competitive identification of wines towards an evaluation of their style, structure and match with food. To this end, he presented a lineup of 6 masked wines at the monthly tasting: 2 whites (1 French, 1 local), 2 reds of the same grape (1 foreign, 1 local) and another 2 reds of the same grape, again 1 foreign, 1 local. Most had little difficulty with the whites, identified as a 2008 Montmain Chablis and a 2007 Tyrrells Vat 47, both identifiably chardonnay, but the French softer and a bit subdued, whilst the Vat 47 was forward on the nose and palate with lots of fruit and perhaps a bit heavy on the wood. Likewise, the 1st bracket of reds spoke pinot to most and indeed they were: an excellent 2011 Roche de Bellene Volnay showing good fruit in elegant balance with savoury tannins and acid; and a 2011 Freycinet pinot from Tasmania, with a slightly stronger fruit line but made in the cooler climate mould and a pretty smart wine. The 2nd bracket of reds was more enigmatic, but the mention of Italian gave it away: they were a 2008 Nebbiolo d'Alba from Piedmont and a 2007 SC Pannell nebbiolo from the Adelaide Hills: both light in colour and style but with strong tannins indicating a long life and both crying out for food. In fact, all of the wines were at the lighter more savoury end of the style spectrum and supported the accompanying food well

Speaking of which, Denis Redfern in the kitchen, assisted by son Christopher, came up with a deceptively simple chicken fricassee from a recipe by Jacques Pepin, thigh fillets cooked in an aromatic vegetable stock which was thickened to a veloute sauce and served with a piece of homemade short crust pastry (replacing the pie of the original) and beans. Warm and satisfying, it matched the wines to a tee.

Before the main event, Dennis Cooper sent out some welcome canapes: a salt cod mousse in pastry cases topped with salmon roe, and a particularly spicy chorizo chunk on a toothpick with cornichon. The main aperitif was the 1999 Henschke Julius Riesling, bottled under cork and showing it, with a few bottles brown and oxidised, and the best drinking well, but past their peak. There was also a Cape Mentelle sem/sav blend to provide a bit of tang, and the Lustau amontillado sherry (especially good with the heat of the chorizo).

Ross MacDonald produced the reliably well- tended cheese, this time a d'Affinois Campagnier from France, with a deep amber washed rind and the popular buttery and slightly nutty paste. With it were a mix of red and green table grapes, and a bonus bottle of red which differed from table to table.

Spencer Ferrier spoke to the coffee, a commercial Lavazza blend, pointing out the pioneering work of Lavazza in espresso coffee, and the heavier, full flavoured blends favoured in Europe, at the cost of the fresh acid notes often found in single origin beans.