1 August being the Swiss National Day it was appropriate to have our own Swiss member, Josef Condrau, in the kitchen being assisted by Ian Masters and Nick Reynolds. I had expected Joseph to bring along the Swiss flag (he has one) but we were spared that little bit of nationalism. This is the second time in a month that we have had national day lunches with the recent Independence Day lunch.

In opening the lunch, the President took the opportunity to crunch some numbers with some of our long-standing members who were present. He said that between Wal Edwards, Michael Cassimaty, Terry Stapleton, and Brian Sproule there were some 210 years of joint membership. A fitting reflection of the history and dedication from this group of long-term members.

Canapés. Ian Masters worked diligently on the canapés with little or no assistance. The first was pork terrine with loganberry sauce on thinly sliced bread. The origin of the terrine was not declared but it was of very high quality. Secondly, we had air by air dried beef with gherkin on pumpernickel. Apparently, this is a very Swiss dish and is served at many functions. Again, the air-dried beef was of high quality.

Aperitif wine. The aperitif wine of Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling 2008, was a very good fit with both of the canapés. The wine was in excellent condition under screwcap and had beautiful depth and length that we have long admired about Rieslings from Watervale.

Main course. Whilst the numbers were a little lean at lunch today those there were looking forward to the venison that Josef had promised us. We were not disappointed. Venison can be tricky to cook because of its low-fat content, but Josef’s effort resulted in a beautifully rare meat with consistent texture and colour. The venison was sourced from Orange. The traditional accompaniments to the venison were spaetzli, red cabbage, chestnuts and a beautifully poached pear filled with red currant jelly. The sauce contained orange, lemon and port. The red cabbage was made with red wine, caraway and mustard seeds and some cinnamon sticks. An excellent main.

The Wines.

• Coldstream Hills Pinot Noir 2010 (screwcap, 13.5%)
• Port Philip Estate Pinot Noir 2010 ((screwcap, 13.5%)
• Salomon Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 (Fleurieu Peninsula) (cork, 14.5%)
• Penfolds Bin 128 2002 (cork, 14.5%)

Two Pinots, both from 2010, both from Victoria and both at 13.5% alcohol. Immediately the Port Phillip wine appeared to be superior as it had more body, more structure and a little more tannin. However, after tasting each a couple of times you can see why some preferred the Coldstream Hills as it was of a sweeter style. At twice the money for the Port Phillip Pinot you would expect it to be superior and most found it that way.

The next two reds under cork were an interesting comparison. The Salomon was quite a solid wine with strong blackcurrant overtones and evident tannins but for all of that it was relatively elegant. Some called in to question the relatively elevated level of acids. The Penfolds 2002 (a very good vintage) was in excellent condition with no noticeable bottle variation. The wine was at its peak with beautiful smooth tannins and a long finish. For many it was the wine of the day.

Cheese and coffee. It was no surprise to anyone that James Healey selected a Swiss cheese given the theme of the lunch. He served us a Kase Swiss Blumenkase, an unpasteurised (raw) cow’s milk cheese. It was firm in nature and was not unlike Gruyere which many picked.

Spencer had a little surprise for us today with a decaffeinated coffee made using a process called ‘Swiss Water’ which is apparently a proprietary name. Water is used with activated charcoal to remove the caffeine but it leaves the other flavours and chemicals behind. It was surprisingly strong and it was unlikely that anyone would have picked the lack of caffeine and certainly none admitted to it.

All in all, an excellent lunch although a little disappointing that more members and guests did not get to enjoy it.