We gathered not so much for the wine tasting but to celebrate our "canape"master Peter Manners' birthday. His word of the day "nonagenarian"! In the kitchen COTD was John Rourke assisted by Paul Dressler Canapes were supplied by David Alison and Nick Reynolds The canapes were superb! Firstly smoked chicken salad on a pepper and blue cheese biscuit and a spicy mango salsa followed by smoked salmon creme cheese glace fruit and nut on a crispy potato rosti topped with salmon roe and fennel. A perfect match the canapes was the 98 Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon still with acid showing and drinking well on the day there was some Rothbury Black label 2002 Semillon a different style and good. If you got to the wine table you may tried some Lustau Dry amontillado sherry. Hilton Chapman presented wine selected by our cellar master who extended his apologies being unable to attend lunch. All shiraz. Murdoch 2004 Barossa Valley SA Schild Estate 2004 Barossa Valley SA Yarra Yerring Underhill 2004 Yarra Valley Vic Orlando Lawson 1998 Padthaway SA Rosemount Balmoral 1998 Maclaren Vale SA Everyone remarked on the similarity of style of the first two Barossa wines with Schild being a preference. The Yarra Yerring elicited the most debate among members it was either the favoured wine or the least favoured! Hilton has introduced this wine as a different style to all others and it showed.It had vegetal character with sweet fruit. Of the 98s the Lawsons had eucalyptus bouquet with intense palate, the Seppelt St Peters had length and intensity with palate depth..it was the most preferred wine of the bracket. John Rourke presented a fillet of beef cooked sous vide accompanied by Duxelles and Pommes daphinoise. The beef was luscious cooked medium rare with a side dish of John's secret recipe mustard provided.He has promised the recipe!! The cheese James Healey selected for the tasting was a Pyengana Clothbound Cheddar from Tasmania a cow milk cheese and is handmade farmhouse.It was grassy and herbaceous. To go with he cheese we had an apple salad with a an attractive slightly acid dressing. We continued our world tour of coffee this time from Guatamala. Light bodied slightly sour overtone with a sweetness finishing with good overall taste. Peter Manners provided a Campbell's Rutherglen Muscat NV for each table a fitting end to a fine day.