TThe cool and rainy weather didn't deter our members in attending lunch with Leigh Hall in the kitchen, Paul Ferman was on wines, Ross MacDonald on cheese and  Spencer Ferrier in charge of coffee.Canapes were toasted pesto, cashew and chevre  as well salmon,philly cheese with capers on an olive baguette. Accompanying them was the Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling 2001 drinking very well and fresh no bad bottles under stelvin . The Lustau sherry was also on offer this time a very dry example.

The main course was thickly sliced roast pork tenderloin stuffed with prunes,walnuts, onion, garlic and bacon which came to the table moist and tender under a very good veal stock . Also on the plate  green beans and a dried fruit side stuffing. The pork was served on a kumara potato mash with some caraway seed to further enhance the flavour.Great colour and robust flavours,COTY contender was the call from the appreciative audience. Served with it were a Lindemans Sparkling Shiraz 1999 the sparkling wine had a mixed reaction from members some suggesting it was not a good food match others saying a perfect match. It had a velvet spritz with mushroom palate. The second was a  Bress Shiraz from Heathcote Vic 2009  young with sweet fruit which will see improvement.

The cheese this week a  Bleu des Basques from Midi Pyreness a blue mould sheeps milk a good aged example nutty and salty.Simply served with dried figs, muscatels red raisons  and cashews. The accompanying wines a Macquariedale Reserve Shiraz 2006 Hunter Valley and 3 Drops Cabernets from Mt Barker 2005.The shiraz was solid, dark a little underdeveloped with a long end palate and the cabernet had a herbaceous nose, a good style of wine. The shiraz was the preferred wine match with the cheese.

The coffee was Monsooned Malabar from India the blend is heavy bodied pungent with a chocolatey aroma and not so acidic. The harvested and processed beans are exposed to the monsoon winds for a period of 3/4 months causing the beans to swell and lose the original acidity resulting in sweet and syrupy brew.