Tastings
Venue
Johnsonville Community Centre Hall, 30 Moorefield Rd, Johnsonville, Wellington 6037 – Directions.
Timing
Meetings start at 8.00 pm, and we encourage members to turn up by 7.45 pm to allow time to get organised. Be sure to check the start time for the event online or in your newsletter.
Check-in
On arrival, members are asked to check-in at the door. Here you can pick-up your membership name label, find your membership stone and place into a container provided, getting you into the membership draw to win a bottle of wine. Say hello to the club’s President Murray, or the membership co-ordinator Anne.
Cost
After checking-in, there will be a table to your right with the club’s Treasurer Wayne. Wayne will take your payment, and encourage you to buy raffle tickets for a bottle of wine at the end of the night. Also pick-up your tasting sheet for making notes and a glass table organiser.
Some members like to sit with people they already know while others want to meet new and exciting personalities within the club. Feel free to encourage others over to your table. Your table will have a plate of cracker biscuits, a jug of water and a spittoon. Often presenters will provide an order form, tasting notes or advertising. Feel free to take these with you at the end of the night.
Quaffer wine
Before the meeting commences, a quaffing wine is available. Help yourself if no one is pouring this. Use this time to catch up with members and meet committee members.
Tasting start
At 8 pm a formal introduction of the presenter is given by the club President. The President may also say a few words about other events or notices to the club.
The presenter then talks for about 90 minutes on the theme for the evening (vineyard, different vintages, a particular aspect of their winemaking, history of the winery).
Wine pourers
The first wine is poured. The club provides at least 2 or 3 wine pourers (depending upon the numbers present) and wines may be presented separately or in pairs for comparative tasting.
Wine pourers use small measure cups to ensure members get the same amount, and there is enough wine for the tasting. You may be asked to help pour wines on the night, which is a great way to meet members. The committee would appreciate all the help we get on the night.
Light supper
At an appropriate time during the evening, we will stop for a light supper. This usually consists of fresh bread, pâté and hummus. Supper lasts for 15-20 minutes.
Thank you
After the tasting, the tasting organiser for the night or a committee member will say a few words and thank the presenter as well as encourage members to purchase wines on the order form. Prices on the order forms are often heavily discounted for that night only. So don’t miss out. You’ll kick yourself if you do.
Membership draw and raffle
The last activity for the night is for the presenter to draw the winner of the membership draw and raffle.
Once this has finished, everyone is free to join in and help to pack-up and clean the hall.
AGM
The club’s annual AGM is in May each year. The AGM is advertised well in advance online, in the monthly newsletter and by email.
The meeting starts at 8 pm. The meeting lasts between 30-40 minutes and is followed by a slightly more extensive supper and a tasting from the club’s cellar. Most wines you may have been aged. Check the event guide on the website or in the newsletter for the next tasting.
Dinners
Each year we hold mid-year and Christmas dinners at restaurants in the Wellington region. These are 
BYO wine events. Sharing is encouraged and is a great way to meet members and taste a variety of wines.
Dinner starts from 7.00 pm and usually ends by 11 pm. The organiser will work with the venue to keep costs to a reasonable level. Check the event guide on the website or in the newsletter to see where the dinner for details.
BBQ
Each year the club holds a BBQ. There is no cost to you, and this is a BYO event. Again sharing is encouraged. The BBQ starts at 4 pm, usually finishing at about 9 pm.
Your committee arranges the meat and salmon, and we ask members to contribute by providing a salad or dessert, sufficient for about eight people.