Category: from the editor

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RSVP, Washing glasses, Saigon Van Grill Bar

Follow up on messages from last month

  1. I raised the issue of letting the committee know of your intentions when it came to tastings involving the preparation of food to enhance your tasting experience. Clearly, you will already have noticed that we are seeking your assistance with this again for the November tasting. Grateful if you can let Richard know if you will be attending.
  2. We have had a great reaction to our request for members to take home the glasses used at Club tastings for those attending who do not have their own. We have about 5 names already and would like to thank those that have offered. Would love to have more names however so please let us know if you can assist. We are arranging the purchase of a container which will fit about 16 glasses. This should make the task of carrying and cleaning very manageable.
  3. Negotiations with Saigon Van Grill Bar over some level of compensation concerning the July dinner seem to have stalled and we are not hopeful of getting a result for members. If this situation changes we will let you know but we are not holding our collective breaths.

For goodness sake, surely it can’t be November already.

Cheers
Robin Semmens
Editor

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Committee request, Yalumba tasting, Saigon Van Grill Bar

Committee request

A couple of messages for members:

  1. It would be a great help to meeting organisers if members responded when asked if they will be attending tastings. For events like the Maison Vauron tasting and the upcoming November meeting, where some catering is required, it is a great help for the organisers if they have a reasonably accurate idea of numbers attending. Your assistance in this regard would be appreciated.
  2. We would like to be able to create a roster around looking after the club’s glasses. We are working on reducing the number to a smaller tray than the current two but would like some offers of assistance from people who would be prepared to take the glasses home, clean them as required and bring them back to the next meeting. This would not be onerous if we had a number of members willing to help. Let us know if you can assist.

Yalumba tasting

In researching information for the Negociants/Yalumba tasting this month it is apparent that space in this newsletter does not allow for the inclusion of all the information we might like to pass on. Wayne has been “surfing” and found some interesting stuff on the Government of South Australia site. I include two links here which you might be interested in looking at. The first is about Yalumba Wines while the second is a Wine Quiz. Have a look.

Saigon Van Grill Bar

We have been talking to Saigon Van Grill Bar after many members were disappointed over the July dinner. They had offered a voucher, presumably for use at their establishment, but the committee thought that this might be difficult to use appropriately. We have been negotiating for something more feasible but are having little joy at present. We will keep you informed. In the meantime, some of our members will remember that the site now occupied by Saigon Van (201 Cuba Street) was occupied by Orsini’s, a top Wellington restaurant. We have uncovered some snippets of Orsini’s history which are included in “In the News”. Makes interesting reading.

Cheers
Robin Semmens
Editor

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RSVP, Local beer over NZ wine, Next trip

RSVP

We would be grateful if you could give Anne an indication as to whether or not you are likely to be attending the tasting. This will ensure that we can share out the very nice cheeses as evenly as possible. You wouldn’t want to miss out now, would you? Anne’s email address is ammegget@gmail.com.

Local beer over NZ wine

As I prepare this newsletter our President is also trying for some balmy weather, though in Bali rather than France. What he will not be doing though is matching the warmth with some good New Zealand wine. He reports that at a restaurant a bottle of Matua Sauvignon Blanc (generally available for about $13 a bottle on our supermarket shelves) was on offer for the NZ equivalent of $80.00 phew. He and Dinah have been reduced to drinking the local beer.

Next trip

We will be visiting the wines of France, Australia and Portugal over the latter part of the year. Much to be enjoyed.

Cheers
Robin Semmens
Editor

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Saigon Van, Seifried Zweigelt

Saigon Van

As you will note from the “looking back” item we have taken on board the complaint from a number of those attending the July dinner re the quantity of food provided. We will be taking this up with Saigon Van.

Seifried Zweigelt

You may remember tasting the Seifried Zweigelt at the Seifried tasting back in August 2017.

You may be interested that the wine has been mentioned by Jancis Robinson in an article about some of the different wines now being tried by New Zealand producers.

The accent on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir is well established but there is an increasing move towards different varietals and the article comments on a number of these. Anne Seifried was rapt to get a message from Jancis telling her how good their Zweigelt is.

Cheers
Robin Semmens
Editor

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OMG, Tastings, Turn out

OMG

OMG, are we halfway through 2018 already?

 

Tastings

What a great time we are having this year with a variety of European offerings, two great Hawkes bay producers and a possible iconic Barossa label closer to Christmas, just to name a few.

Turn out

A great turn out expected for Saigon Van, good orders from the Unison tasting and more fun ahead.

I am really looking forward to the second half of 2018

Cheers
Robin Semmens
Editor

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Robyn’s return, Payment advice, President’s Report & Financial Statement

Robyn’s return

It wasn’t overwarm in Sydney while we were there but I must say I don’t think I have been warm since our return. Never mind the tasting this month should go some way to warm the cockles of the heart. I have it on good authority that the AGM went well in my absence, and it is a pleasure to have Cecilia join in the ranks of our life members.

Payment advice

Please find attached a PaymentAdviceforJune2018 for this month’s meeting. The form provides an opportunity to pay your membership subscription, entry fee for the June tasting and the July Dinner. Please bring this with you next week (completed of course) or contact Wayne by email.

President’s Report & Financial Statement

I would like to remind members that if you are interested in looking at the President’s Report or Financial Statement from the AGM, they can be found on the club website.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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AGM, Quote, Tastings

AGM

Attached to this Newsletter you will find the minutes from the 2017 AGM. The President and Treasurer will present their reports on the night and details will subsequently be made available on the Club’s website for those who might be interested. This is your club and the AGM does offer an opportunity to have your say and/or raise matters of interest. If you have ideas or thoughts to offer please don’t be shy to raise them.

Quote

While travelling in Hawkes Bay and visiting wineries (purely for research purposes you understand) Anne and Jenny came across the following quote. “anything is possible with a little lipstick and a great glass of wine.” Personally I will skip the lipstick and cut straight to the chase

Tastings

They also came across a couple of Hawkes Bay producers keen to present to the Club and as a consequence we have Unison for June and Clearwater for August. This will give members an opportunity to compare wines from a producer from the Gimblett Gravels area and one of the equally excellent producers from the more coastal Te Awanga area. Much to look forward to over the next few months.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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Montana using Australian wines, Watering vines

Montana using Australian wines

You may recall that in the last issue I raised the matter of Montana using Australian wines in some of their cheaper varietals. Those of you who watch TV1’s Seven Sharp programme will have noted that this matter was canvassed last week. Once again elements of the mainstream media are lagging behind your newsletter in bringing these matters to your attention. I can only repeat, read the label fully. The origin of the wine will be mentioned.

Watering vines

Lansdowne 100-year-old pinot noir

And if it is not enough that we were ahead with the Montana story, no sooner do we give Lansdowne some coverage in our Summer Romance tasting than the DomPost is in on the act.

Those of you who get the weekend paper may have noted John Saker’s article in the “Your Weekend” magazine. John talks about the fact that not watering vines actually produces better wines. He highlights two wines, one being the Lansdowne Pinot Gris that we tasted in February.

To quote; “Since planting a vineyard with his son near Masterton more than a decade ago, Derek Hagar has never irrigated. This Pinot Gris is special, with fascinating Chablis-like characters, pear and minerally finish. It’s dry with a gently viscous mouthfeel. Excellent value too.”

You can still get it through me at under $20 a bottle if you hurry.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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Late cancellations, Summer romance tasting, Wine of Australia

Late cancellations

We were finding that working too far ahead occasionally left us in trouble with late cancellations so your committee decided to arrange tastings a little closer to the time. This does not seem to be working out so well and we are in repair mode over the April tasting. Rest assured though that something will be arranged that will meet the usual high standard of our events.

Summer romance tasting

At the February summer romance tasting, I mentioned that the Lansdowne wines could be purchased. The offer was not taken up at the time but is still on the table. Lansdowne produces three wines and they are of a very high quality. There was some really good feedback on the Pinot Gris on the night. The wines have been bottle aged but will all cellar well. The Pinot Gris is $19.55 while their Pinot Noir and Syrah are more expensive at $38.25. These prices include a 15% but are only available through me. Let me know if you are interested.

Wine of Australia

Shows the value of reading the label fully. The Montana Wines mentioned will say “Wine of Australia” on the back. Clearly to be avoided if you want to be sure you are drinking NZ wines.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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Cool our reds, Programme taking shape, BBQ leftovers

Cool our reds

Those of you who know me will know that my preference clearly lies with red wines, however, even I have to admit that the weather has been rather too hot for the heavier reds. It has been suggested that we should cool our reds a little and not refrigerate the living daylight out of our whites. I’m straight into experimentation with the concept.

See the right temperature to serve every type of wine

Programme taking shape

The programme for the year is now taking shape with some good tastings in prospect. We will keep you updated as we go and we hope we can have a year of exceptional tastings.

BBQ leftovers

Invariably someone leaves something at Derek’s place after the January BBQ. This time he has found a squarish white plastic bowl that does not belong to him. Let us know if this is your bowl and we will work out a way to return it.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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Grandchildren, California fires

Grandchildren are a blessing

Robin, Pat and grandkids.

Hi to all. Having grandchildren in Sydney is a blessing, but it can be frustrating when I have to miss yet another great night with the Cellar Club. Sorry that I cannot join you for what is going to be a very enjoyable festive tasting. I am looking forward to hearing how it all goes.

 

 

California fires

Paradise Ridge Winery sits destroyed in the foothills above Santa Rosa, California, in the wake of the Tubbs Fire, Monday evening, Oct. 9, 2017. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)

Note the report in “In the News” about the recent fires in California, provided by Evelyn Dawson who was in the region earlier in the year. It would seem that the area will take some time to recover from the effects of these devastating fires. We wish them luck and success in the recovery process.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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Upcoming events, Bottle a day

Upcoming events

Good grief, where is the year going? Much to look forward to however with Stonecroft next week and the November Festive tasting which will have Spanish wines as a theme. The December dinner venue is sorted and we will be going to the Cashmere Lounge in Khandallah. It is only yards away from the Khandallah train station if anyone is travelling from town.

Bottle a day

Now much has been written and said about the benefits, or lack thereof, in a regular glass of wine. While waiting for Winston to make up his mind you might need two a night. At long last however Wayne has found an oracle who deserves some attention. He reckons that a bottle a day does you no harm and indeed is probably good for you. Unsurprisingly not all the experts agree.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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