Bill Alexiou-Hucker was assisted on the day by Peter Manners who was a last minute ring-in. It’s good to see our younger members pitching in!

Canapés. Bill and his helpers served us three starters. Firstly a soup which had most of us wildly guessing and not correct in the main. It was a parsnip and apple soup topped with a crispy prosciutto. The crunchy topping set it off wonderfully. Then came medium rare lamb back strap served on crisp bread rounds topped with sesame seeds. They evaporated very quickly from plates. Finally a vegetable frittata, very tasty but a little soft to easily consume. Great starters.

Aperitif wine. Our winemaster served two whites, the Cherubino The Yard Chardonnay 2010 (Pemberton, WA) and Seppelts Jaluka Chardonnay 2013 (Henty, Victoria). Interesting comments with some divergence. The Yard was the lesser of the two with the Jaluka showing an elegant mid path between overly ripe and a more austere style.

Main course.  Bill served a luscious and glutinous beef rib which was described by many as outstanding. It was. The generously sized rib after some fours braising was served on mash which Bill described as having lashings of cream and butter. We loved it. The final component was cabbage prepared with cloves and yellow mustard seed. A great meal.

The wines.

• Gaia Agiorgitiko 2012 (Nemea, Greece) (cork, 13.5%)
• Domaine Gerovassiliou Rouge 2009 (Syrah and Merlot, Greece) (cork, 14%)
• Saltrams Mamre Brook Barossa Shiraz 2002 (cork, 15%)
• Alkoomi Jarrah Shiraz 1999 (Franklin, WA) (cork, 13.5%)

Paul strategically selected two Greek wines to begin. The Gaia is from the widely grown Agiorgitiko grape and was a real hit. It was a lighter style marked by elegance, length and some savoury characters. The Domaine Gerovassiliou an unusual blend of Syrah and Merlot was the lesser wine with age starting to show. Soft and approachable but in the shadow of the Gaia.

The Saltrams at 14 years old was a fading monster but still going strong. An older fashioned Australian Shiraz at its peak with masses of vanillin oak. Some would have preferred it a few years ago. The other cheese wine, the Alkoomi, had bottle variation and at 17 years of age had also stared to oxidise at least in some examples. Oh, and volatility. Not a success despite its premium pricing when bought in the early 2000s.

Cheese and coffee. James Healey served us a Spanish Manchego from Dehesa de Los Lianos.  This unpasteurised cow’s milk cheese comes with the distinctive “car tyre tread” skin. Well-aged with a rich, sweet and nutty flavour. Wonderful with leftover fino sherry.

Spencer Ferrier in absentia presented a Society favourite with Ethiopian Yirgacheffe beans. The dosing of our plungers is essential and Spencer was on handy early to get it right. Yirgacheffe is a washed bean and known for its floral notes in the aroma, sometimes with a hint of toasted coconut.

A very good lunch. Thanks Bill.