Our winsome Wine Master did it again, with a lineup of 6 mystery reds, 2 each from France, Italy and Australia and presented in ascending order of age: but that was all. A look at the wines showed there was no uniformity of grape , and indeed, with one honourable exception, straight varietals were out, and the emphasis was on savouriness and style rather than fruit. When revealed, the wines were: 2012 Gros Tollot La Ciaude, a syrah/carignan/grenache blend from the Minervois region of France; 2011 Uccelliera Rapace, a Tuscan blending merlot and cabernet with the traditional sangiovese; 2009 Charles Melton Nine Popes, a GSM blend from the Barossa; 2007 Perrin Chateauneuf du Pape, with a cocktail of grapes featuring Grenache, shiraz, cinsault and mourvedre; 2007 Agrinello, another Tuscan blend of sangiovese with other grapes; and 2007 Lindemans St George cabernet sauvignon from Coonawarra. With such a disparate mix of regions and grapes, it was no wonder opinions varied, but the older wines won out for most, the Chateauneuf and the St George proving the most popular, although many remarked on the uniform quality and style of the assembly.

For food, we went east in Europe to Greece, whence Chef James Hill, assisted by James Healey and Gary Linnane, provided some lovely slow-cooked lamb with herbs. But first, canapes of taramasalata on cucumber rounds, and a spicy spreadable salami on Iggy sourdough rounds under cumber, yoghurt and a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds were light and tasty accompaniments to an aperitif 2001 Tyrrells Vat1, bottled under cork and showing it, with some bottles fresh and fruity with a dash of spritz, whilst others were flat and oxidised. The alternative Lustau manzanilla sherry was reliably good.

James' lamb legs had been cut up and slow cooked in paper parcels with herbs, garlic, tomatoes, red onion and fetta cheese to produce a traditional lamb kleftiko. The parcels opened fragrant and moist on the plate, along with a luscious dish of slow-cooked courgettes, or zucchini, sliced thin and enriched with butter and olive oil, with fresh tarragon adding an offsetting aniseed note.

For the cheese, we returned to Italy, an unusual semi-hard cows' milk cheese called Millefoglie al Marzemino fron Treviso, an aged quite biting taste softened by the infusion of a local sweet red to provide a touch of raisin on the palate. Some seeded and chopped dates were a simple but effective match, along with the tasting wines.

The coffee was another blend by Spencer Ferrier, this time 50% Indian Devon Estate and 50% Colombian, yielding a mild taste with some residual citrus length on the finish. It was, to be honest, overshadowed by the highlight of the lunch, a toast in the inevitable, and highly appreciated, Inner Circle OP (76%) rum to celebrate the portentous 99th birthday of the perennial Wal Edwards. Thank you for sharing both with us, Wal.