Want to try something new, and not already a member? Come on your own, grab a friend, workmate or partner and join us for our next tasting. Take a look and see who's presenting.
Membership is at the top of mind for your committee. We want to encourage all members to seek out new members and to help you do this, we are currently preparing a small handout for you to use when explaining who we are and what we do. This will not only highlight what a great value proposition we are, it will also mention our range of activities and promote our closeness to both the Johnsonville train line and the bus station.
Please remember to promote that as a bonus for potential members, our meetings are held in close proximity to both the Johnsonville Train Line and the bus station.
The committee is formulating a short pamphlet for anyone who wants one to hand out to explain our Club a little bit.
Thanks again
Thanks again to everyone who helps with the tables and chairs at the start of our evenings and taking the same down after the meeting. Also taking the tables contents, spittoons/water & jugs/cracker plates, back to the kitchen.
“On reflection, I’m all about reflecting on the things people haven’t done before or say can’t be done.”
At the upcoming AGM in May, we are still looking for nominations to welcome someone to be the Secretary of the Committee. Please think on this. We are using templates for the Minutes now, and rosters are done at the beginning of the year only once, so the job is not arduous.
Hall setup
We also continue to be delighted and thankful of everyone’s help with set-up of the hall for our gatherings, and then the pack down at the end of the evening.
Your committee continues to review the way in which it operates, particularly in respect of trying to work out which tasks need to remain with the committee, and which can be delegated.
We need to ensure that we have a good match of skills to match with the roles being vacated and in relation to this your committee is looking for someone to take on the role of Secretary.
This role is not arduous but includes attending the monthly committee meetings and taking minutes. The process of minute-taking has largely been templated to lighten the load on the person in this role.
Hall setup
We also continue to be delighted and thankful of everyone’s help with set-up of the hall for our gatherings, and then the pack down at the end of the evening.
Please remember: We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30 pm as we may interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule, who have the hall until that time.
Upcoming events
April – Gold Medal Wines from the New Zealand International Wine Show, hosted by Michelle Fraser (Clearview Wines and Wine Judge). This tasting includes a number of trophy wines and so is a best of the best tasting, not to be missed.
www.pegasusbay.com Wednesday 13 March, 8 pm Door Price: Members $16 / Guests $20 PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR GLASSES
The Family, mmersed in the wine industry since the early 1970s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
The Donaldson family have been seriously involved in wine since the early 1970’s and were pioneers of local grape growing and wine making.
Associate Professor and Consultant Neurologist, Ivan Donaldson, first became interested in wine when his girlfriend at the time, Christine, gave him a book simply called ‘Wine’, penned by English industry legend, Hugh Johnson.
After travelling to explore the wine regions of Europe, Ivan return home to plant one of the first vineyards of modern times in Canterbury, and to marry Christine, who has been an integral part of the Pegasus Bay story.
The first vineyard was a hobby with Ivan making wine in the garage at home on the weekends. In-between seeing patients at his private practice in the evening and after his shifts at the public hospital. He also started writing a wine column in the local newspaper and was a judge in numerous wine shows around the globe.
By the mid-1980s Ivan and Chris had decided there was definitely a future for wine making in Canterbury. They went on to plant Pegasus Bay with the help of their four sons, who have all ended up working in key role within the business.
Ed will be presenting a selection of wines from their premium Pegasus Bay label as well as some from their Main Divide collection:
Main Divide Rosé 2023
Pegasus Bay 2021 Sauvignon Blanc
Pegasus Bay 2020 Chardonnay
Pegasus Bay 2023 Bel Canto ‘Dry Riesling’
Main Divide 2021 Te Hau Pinot Noir
Pegasus Bay 2020 Merlot Cabernet
Pegasus Bay 2021 Finale ‘Noble Semillon Sauvignon Blanc
Wednesday 14th February 8 pm start Door Price: Members $10 / Guests $14
We have lined up for your February Club Monthly meeting an evening with Kevin Courtney of Riverby Estate from Blenheim.
Riverby are a boutique, family owned and run wine producer in Marlborough’s Jackson Road heartland. All grapes are grown on the estate vineyard by descendants of the Matthews family, who have been farming the property for over 100 years. The Matthews farm was called Riverby and the original homestead, depicted on the Sauvignon Blanc back label, is still in use.
On their approximately 70ha vineyard they have three different soil types that allow the family to grow a variety of grapes, and their range of award-winning wines come from individual parcels on that single vineyard. Although not all their wines are made every year, as this depends on the quality of grapes for vintage.
The Riverby name originated from the Opawa River and its tributaries, which meandered through the property. This river was diverted in the 1930s to stop Blenheim from flooding, creating what was eventually to become ideal grape growing land. The rainbow trout on the Riverby label is symbolic of the fish that used to swim where grapes are now grown.
Old Vines Reserve Chardonnay 2020 – Silver Medal NZIWS 2022
They are proud to practice sustainable grape-growing techniques throughout the whole grape-growing and winemaking cycle and are also pleased to be eligible to be members of Appellation Wine Marlborough (AWM) because of their vineyard practices and restricted yields.
In a throw-back to past glories, sheep are used extensively throughout the vineyard to control weeds and grasses.
Wines for the evening:
Riverby Rose’ 2023 – Welcome wine – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Cicada Gewurztraminer 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Reserve Chardonnay 2022
Riverby Sauvignon Blanc 2023 – gold medal winner at NZ International Wine Show
Riverby Gruner Veltliner 2022
Riverby OVB 2021
Riverby Reserve Pinot Noir 2020
Riverby Noble Riesling 2019 – multiple award winner
Christmas Dinner is being held in the Terrace Room, The Wellington Club, 5th Floor, 88 The Terrace, Wellington, Wednesday 13th December
Please arrive at 6.30 pm for seating at 7.00 pm
The Wellington Club, 88 The Terrace, Wellington
For those unfamiliar with the establishment, the Wellington Club is similar to Bellamys, and members are asked to adopt a dress code that befits such a prestigious venue.
Getting there
And to repeat Wayne’s original instructions on getting there: If using public transport, get off the bus at the old Kirkcaldies/David Jones building and walk up Woodward Street.
Go through the tunnel under the Terrace and immediately on your right, you will find steps which will take you to the entrance of 88 The Terrace.
The lifts will be unlocked from 6.15 pm to allow you access to the Level 5 Terrace Room where our dinner will take place.
First time for some
Given that some members may attend the dinner for the first time, it is perhaps an opportune time to mention how our dinners operate.
You are asked to arrive as close to 6.30 pm as practical
When you arrive, you will be greeted with a complementary glass of bubbles
The meal is BYO wine, and your prepaid cost includes corkage. During the evening, it is customary to share the bottle of wine you have brought with your neighbours
We are expecting to finish sometime between 9.00pm and 9.30pm, but this is a guideline only, in case you are arranging transport home. Please try and stay as flexible as possible
Please contact Wayne if you wish to attend this event and have not already contacted him. Cost is $80 per person and must be paid on or before the 1st December, which is the close-off date for this event.
French Wine Merchants, Established 1999 Dedicated to bringing the best of French wine and food to New Zealand
Presented by Scott Hurrell, Wednesday 11th October, 8 pm Start
Door Price: Members $18 / Guests $22
For our newer members, Maison Vauron is a French Wine Merchant company set up in Auckland in 1999 to bring the best of French wine and food to New Zealand. They have presented their wines to our club several times previously and we are very lucky to have them do so again.
Pierre Vauron’s original business card in 1918. ‘A la grappe dorée’ (‘The golden bunch’) was the name of the business then, established and based in the town of St Etienne (South West of Lyon) since 1879. The card mentions that Pierre was specialising in white wine from all regions and red wines from the Beaujolais.
The company resulted from a visit to NZ in 1991 by Jean-Christophe Poizat who wanted to learn more about NZ wines. Jean-Christophe is the great-great-grandson of Antoine Vauron who in 1879 set up a wine merchant business in Saint Etienne, 50kms southwest of Lyon, the city scheduled to host the All Blacks last 2 pool games in the 2023 RWC.
Six months after arriving JC [as he is often called] would meet his future wife and then some years later, his business partners, Peter & Scott. The importance of family is central to Maison Vauron’s operation, with siblings of JC and Peter involved in the business, as are the partners of JC and Scott. Every year Maison Vauron likes to return to France to taste the wines and try the cheeses, meet their producers and most importantly, make new discoveries. This year, wine mentors, Jean-Christophe and Will are also attending the Rugby World Cup, hosted by France.
As a result of their absence, Scott [responsible for trade sales] has agreed to step up to the batting plate and will lead us through a tour of French vineyards that will reflect various grapes and wine styles.
Scott is well qualified to present these wines, as he previously trained for 11 years as a winemaker in the Bordeaux area of France.
The SGM Resolutions were tabled at the committee meeting and will now be included in an updated rules document forwarded to the Incorporated Societies for registration.
Thanks to Richard for his expert knowledge to facilitate these much-needed changes to the Club’s Constitution.
Supporting the committee
It was great to have everyone help with the tables and chairs at previous meetings and take them down at the end. Also, take the spittoons/water jugs/cracker plates back to the kitchen. Could we please continue this new routine?
Note: We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30 pm as we interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule, the cleaners are in the hall until 7:30 pm.
If you drilled down from New Zealand through the earth’s centre, where would you come out, Iberia? If it were not in Spain, it would level with the wine heart of Portugal.
Therefore, there must be something special that links the viticulture and the wines of our two countries.
Victor from Confidant Wines will present a mix of special boutique wines from New Zealand, some wonderful new wines from Portugal, and several repeated favourites.
This is your chance to try some new varieties and vineyards and support one Hawkes Bay vineyard (with a great sparkling Rosé) that was impacted after the devastation of Cyclone Gabrielle. The evening will take a small journey from Hawkes Bay to Nelson to Waipara in North Canterbury; and then to Portugal with an array of blended wines and, to finish, a Tawny Port. Be prepared to be impressed.
We will see the influence of terroir in Waipara wines, the influence of climate on Nelson wine, what makes Hawkes Bay special, and some delicious red styles from award-winning Casa Santos Lima vineyard in Portugal. The Portuguese selection will focus on new vintages and some previous wines that were very popular and still available. Do you remember Waipara Pinot Blanc? Something new, something known, gold medals, new vintages, comparisons and varieties to experience. This array of wines has been specially selected we believe to suit the members’ preferences for this tasting.
In summary, we will kick off with a Linden (NZ) Sparkling Rosé, followed by a Portuguese Rosé and two classic NZ white wines, Riesling and a Viognier or Chardonnay. We will then compare the new award winning Portuguese Confident red and a blended Mosaico red with a NZ Pinot Noir. We will conclude with a delicious Tawny Port from the home of all great ports.
We look forward to enjoying these wines with you. Please remember your tasting glasses.
For a number of years, the Club has benefited from a stable committee which has been a blessing as we have had to meet a number of challenges, especially how to cope with Covid.
However, two of the committee have signalled that they would like to step down from their roles which raises the exciting prospect that the AGM will provide a new infusion of blood to continue the successful operation of our club.
Non-Committee Roles
There are a number of tasks that the committee carry out that strictly have nothing to do with the decision-making of the committee, so would not involve someone having to attend monthly meetings, but everything to do with how the Club conducts its successful tasting evenings.
Your committee is considering if some of these tasks could be delegated to the general membership, and we may seek volunteers to fulfil these roles at our monthly tastings.
Watch this space for more information.
The Club Cellar
Most members know that Derek Thompson is our Cellar Master, and this vital and important non-committee role means that Derek looks after the 80 to 90 bottles of wine that we carry forward for future use at tastings etc.
Derek is currently looking to downsize and the Club is now faced with the real likelihood that we will need to rehouse our cellar sometime later this year. We believe that our wines can adequately be stored in a recycled lockable metal cabinet that has a footprint of 1050mm x 470mm and a height of 1770mm, which the Club would supply, if required.
If you have a space in your garage, or rumpus room, that could house this cabinet and its contents, then can you please let Wayne know [0274523802 or email] and he will contact you to discuss this role in more detail. Thanks
AGM
And whilst on the subject of the AGM, if there is a matter you would like to raise, we would appreciate a heads-up before the AGM so it can be investigated and a considered response offered at the meeting, thanks.
Thank you
It was great to have everyone help with the tables and chairs at the start of last months’ meeting and taking the same down after the meeting. Also taking the tables contents: spittoons/water jugs/cracker plates back to the kitchen.
Could we please continue this new routine.
PLEASE NOTE: We can’t arrive to do the setting up activities any earlier than 7:30pm as we interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule, the cleaners are in the hall until 7:30pm.
Wednesday 8th February, 7.45 pm Door Price: Members $14 / Guests $18
Victoria’s wine regions. labelwines.com
There is much to admire and emulate in the wines of Australia. For many members such wines may well be amongst your favourites. Perhaps such wines are from South Australia, perhaps Western Australia, but for this tasting to kick the year off for the club we are highlighting Victoria.
For many wine enthusiasts the wines of this state fly under the radar. If so, you are missing a treat. On a much smaller scale than the neighbouring South Australian state, the wines of Victoria have their own charm, distinctiveness and award-winning status. And some plantings are indeed old vines.
As with NZ there are a number of different vineyard regions within the Victorian state and some well-known vineyards which we will explore under the guidance of Keith Tibble from EuroVintage, who is very well acquainted with these wines.
Across the state from the south (Mornington) to the central near Melbourne (Yarra Valley) to the interior (Grampians , Murray River) there is a diversity and quality that elicits awards and a dedicated following
Mount Langhi (Ghiran)
…is a highly famous cool climate-based winery in the Grampian range of Northern Victoria. Established in 1969 by the Fratin Family, the site had been planted (like Hawkes Bay’s Te Mata ) back in the late 1890s; after one poor and challenging year in 1980, the Fratins decided they needed a consultant and hired the noted winemaker Trevor Mast. Six years later, Trevor his wife and partner Ian Menzies purchased the varied blocks. They started to develop the concept of Cool Climate (Victorian) Shiraz, a personal vision of Trevor that has led Mount Langhi to be regarded as one of Australia’s greatest shiraz producers. We will taste two shiraz wines, the superb but great value Billi Billi and the superb ‘Mast’ awarded 96/100 in Decanter.
Yering Station
…is an acclaimed producer almost as famous for its cellar door and restaurant as their amazing Yarra Valley Wines. Originally the first grapes were planted in 1838 by the Ryrie brothers; this was Victoria’s first winery and was the largest Victorian vineyard right up to the 1980s. Purchased by the Rathbone Family in 1996, Yering Station is sister to Yarrabank, a sparkling producer jointly owned by a champagne House Devaux. However, Yering is famous for its Burgundy style wines – Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and we will taste the legendary reserve chardonnay along with two superb Pinots, the superb Yering station 2021 and the unique value Village 2021.
Sunday, 29th January 2023, from 4 pm. Check your inbox for address details.
Looking forward to seeing as many of you as are available by starting 2023 as usual with our Club’s January BBQ at Derek’s place on Sunday, 29th January 2023.
Reminding you:
Please arrive no earlier than 3:45 pm
That even house numbers bring a Dessert and uneven house numbers bring a Salad. If you are bringing a dessert, because of a limited fridge capacity, could we please have some without cream or the need for ice cream?
This is a B.Y.O event for members to share and sample wines – there is a communal space for these. We would ask people not to take the wine away to individual tables, as this limits access to wines that people might want to try.
This is a No Charge event.
Your Club is providing popcorn for the tables for nibbles, but please feel free to coordinate and bring extra nibbles for your table if you would like to.
The meats this year – trialled so successfully last year – will be venison patties with a cranberry sauce and gourmet sausages.
This will be a great afternoon/evening where members get to know other Club members and share food and wine. We hope to see you all at Derek’s and start off 2023 with cheer!
