40th – The Cellar Club

4 March, 202112 April, 2021

Cellar Club 40th year celebration Wine Trip

Cellar Club members celebrating the club's 40th-anniversary wine trip to Wairarapa Feb 2021 — Cellar Club members celebrating the club’s 40th-anniversary wine trip to Wairarapa Feb 2021

It was a brilliant day weather-wise, to travel via train, then bus to Martinborough. The three vineyards that were organised for us to visit, thanks to Gayl’s marvellous efforts, were Nga Waka, Tiwaiwaka and Grava/Alana.

We were divided into three groups, with each group assigned to two of the three vineyards to taste at – for ease of the smaller cellar tasting rooms, and the exuberance of the people attending.

Each of the vineyards was fully welcoming and at the Grava tasting room, if you asked, you could taste the Alana version of the wine being tasted, which was great if you were tasting with a partner.

Grava/Alana

At Grava/Alana where Lunar are the new owners, the vineyards brands are kept very separate. Grava has its vines on the Lake Ferry Road which has gravelly/alluvial soil and Alana’s wines are made from vineyards further in around Martinborough. The wines tasted were:

2018 Sauvignon Blanc – 12 months in oak/12 months in barrel fermented
2020 Alana Pinot Gris
2016 Riesling [also tasted the 2016 Alana Riesling]
2017 Alana Pinot Noir
2018 Pinot Noir
2017 Late Harvest – Sauvignon Blanc harvested mid-May

Nga Waka

At Nga Waka – where the new American owners are stuck in Nevada – the wines tasted were:

2020 Sauvignon Blanc – planted in 1988/89, the first wines made in 1993
2019 Chardonnay – fermented in oak barrels for 10 months
2019 Rose – from Pinot Noir grapes
2018 Pinot Noir

Tiwaiwaka

At Tiwaiwaka the tastings were conducted under the branches of a lovely oak tree. The wines tasted were:

2020 Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Blend – an excellent surprise to start with 2019 Semillon
2018 Rose
2020 Chardonnay
2018 Pinot Noir
2019 Cabbage Tree Pinot Noir – the second favoured tasting for group B
2019 Merlot

Orders were good for all vineyards and many have been delivered directly to members already, with the delivery of the smaller lots being arranged by Wayne and Murray in the coming days.

The bus driver, Craig, was brilliant and was always where he was needed.

Coney’s

Tim Coney welcoming members for a tasting & celebration lunch

Our tasting and lunch at Coney’s was entertaining, with one of the owners Tim Coney regaling us with his stories of the vineyard, his band and his love of opera (which is where the musical names for the wines come from), and life in general in the Wairarapa.

To accompany the wines each table as served with a small platter of food. The wines tasted during this session were:

2020 Rallentando Riesling
2018 Riesling
2020 Ragtime Riesling
Piccolo Pinot Gris
2019 Foxy Lady Syrah Rose’
2016 Reserve Pizzicato Noir – a gold medal winner made to go with food
2015 Que Sera Syrah
2020 Ramblin’ Rose Pinot Noir
2020 Sticky Fingers Riesling Dessert – double gold award-winning wine

The lunch was well-received when served. The train trip to the Wairarapa and back was an added highlight for everyone, with many having never travelled that line before.

Thanks to Gayl and Wayne for your efforts in making this event such a memorable occasion.

Finally, if you are interested in viewing the various photos taken on this wine trip, they are on the club’s gallery page.

4 February, 20215 March, 2021

Important things to know for our Wairarapa wine tastings

In the interests of everyone having a great time on this trip and no surprises on the day, the following is to help with your wine tasting and purchasing decisions, free of the hazy glow of alcohol!

Tasting fees

At Grava/Alana, and at Tiwaiwaka, it’s $10 per tasting, which you’ll need to pay directly to the applicable winery. This charge is per glass so if two people share a tasting from the same glass it’ll only cost $10 total. While there is no charge to us for tasting at Nga Waka, there is a cost to the winery so please think seriously about supporting them by buying some wine. Some of the wineries are considering sending us an order form in advance so that all members have the opportunity of buying their wines and we’ll circulate those when received. The tasting at Coney’s is included in the cost of lunch.

Redeeming tasting fees on wine purchases

The tasting fee at Grava will be waived on bottle purchases on a per person basis, ie if two people buy one bottle of wine between them, they’ll also have to pay one $10 tasting fee.

Transporting your wine purchases The club will provide stickers so you can identify any wines you’ve bought. Tranzit policies mean that we can’t take any wine at all on the bus and any wine purchases will need to be stored in the separate luggage compartment. Please note that any wine stored in the luggage compartment will be at your own risk. Grava, Nga Waka and Coney (Tiwaiwaka TBC) will pack our wine purchases in boxes – smaller orders will be combined to fill up the boxes. If there’s a large enough number of orders, they’ll ship them to one address.

If we end up transporting any boxes back home, to make it easier at the Featherston or Wellington ends, we recommend writing the owners’ names on the boxes and combining your smaller orders with those of people you can easily distribute to. And no sneaking wine inside the bus! The club will be liable for the clean-up costs for any messes, which will be passed on if they relate to spilt wine. When we return to Featherston Station there’ll be time, if necessary, for everyone to reunite with/sort out their purchases in preparation for taking them onto the train. Bear in mind there’ll probably be limited storage space, especially for boxes, so you may prefer to bring your own wine carry bags for this part.

Keeping ourselves safe

It’ll be a long time between leaving home and having lunch so please think about bringing your own water and snacks (we’re allowed cold snacks on the train). While there’ll be lots of wine on offer during the day, we encourage everyone to drink responsibly and to feel free to skip a tasting as you see fit.

4 February, 202112 April, 2021

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Timetable

The Cellar Club
40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – TRIP TO MARTINBOROUGH
13 FEBRUARY 2021
Timetable

Meeting place – Wellington Railway station
9.45 am, Saturday, 13 February, Wellington Railway Station – meet the rest of the group on the departure platform (see the departures board at the station). The train departs Wellington Station at 9.55 am so please be on the platform by 9.45 am so that we can form into a group and hopefully commandeer our own carriage! Tickets (one way or return) can be purchased at the station ticket office or on the train. The cost is $30 same-day return or $15 one way. Tickets bought on the train require payment in cash only. Gold Cardholders can use those.
10.55 am, the train arrives at Featherston station where we meet the bus.
On arrival in Martinborough the bus will drop us off for wine tastings at Grava/Alana, Tiwaiwaka and Nga Waka wineries from 11.15 am. Grava/Alana will provide tastings of five wines and a sticky for $10, refundable with a purchase. Tiwaiwaka has a flat fee of $10 to taste seven wines. As Nga Waka has no on-licence, they are unable to charge for a tasting. The time available before going to Coney’s means each group will go to two wineries. Group A will go to Grava then Tiwaiwaka, Group B to Tiwaiwaka then Nga Waka, and Group C to Nga Waka then Grava.
12.50 pm – the bus will start pick-ups at Nga Waka, with Tiwaiwaka and Grava pick-ups shortly afterwards. Please be ready!
It’ll then take us to Coney’s for a leisurely lunch from 1.15 pm. We will start with a wine tasting (charge included with lunch cost) which will be accompanied by small taste plates. This will be followed by a lunch that includes two mains plus sides together with petit fours for dessert. A limited amount of wine will be provided with the meal. Please note that if you order any wine over and above that supplied, or tea or coffee this will be at your own expense.
The bus will leave Coneys in time to connect with the train at Featherston where it is due to depart at 5.25 pm.
6.25 pm – scheduled arrival time at Wellington Station.

Some additional points to note:

To ensure we keep on schedule and as a courtesy to others please make sure you are ready for the bus on time. It does take a few minutes to get everyone on board and settled before it can move on.
Please also see the “Important things to know” sheet for further details.

4 February, 20214 March, 2021

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Saturday, 13 February

Less than a fortnight to go now and it was evident at the club barbecue that our members are really looking forward to this fun day out.

We ask all who are intending to come to double-check that your name is on the attached list. If you’re not intending to come, there’s no need to read any further.

There are three sections to this newsletter – please read all of them so that you’re up with the play.

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Timetable
Important things to know for our Wairarapa wine tastings
Wairarapa Wine Tasting Groups – For privacy, please see read your newsletter.

We’ve allocated the groups along the lines of the seating at our dinners. If you’d particularly like to be in another group, you’re welcome to arrange your own swap.

However, please ensure overall group numbers remain the same and let Wayne know about the change.

If anyone has any special dietary requirements for our meal at Coney’s, please email Wayne asap.

While we encourage you to only drink as much wine as you can comfortably handle, please be aware that Nga Waka, Tiwaiwaka and Grava have small cellar doors and our groups will fill their tasting rooms. If there are significant numbers of people who are skipping a tasting at any one time, we’d ask that you make way for any members of the public who want to have a tasting.

And please also give these wineries your support – particularly Nga Waka seeing it’s unable to charge for tastings. There’s been quite a lot of discussion in various media about the difficulties faced by wineries who don’t have an on-licence, which is a pre-requisite to charge for tastings. for background, see the Stuff.nz article Wineries unable to profit from tasting tourism call for law change.

We look forward to seeing you soon and wrapping up the club’s 40th birthday celebrations in style!

21 January, 202121 January, 2021

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Saturday, 13 February

44 people are booked to go to on this trip, which includes a tasting and then lunch at Coney Wines.

If you are one of that 44 and can no longer go, it is imperative that you text or ring Gayl on 021 040 6244 and let her know before this weekend as Coneys are seeking urgent confirmation of our numbers.

Once we do that, any subsequent cancellation is unlikely to result in a refund.
Sadly, Palliser Estate is no longer part of our itinerary as they want to focus on the operation of their new restaurant which adjoins their tasting area, much like what we will experience at Coney Wines.

Updated details including times and the replacement winery will be emailed to everyone early next month, if not beforehand.

alana wines

5 December, 20205 March, 2021

The Cellar Club 40th Anniversary special – Trip to Martinborough

This is the 2020 timetable and is indicative only. Some minor changes are expected for 2021

Timetable

45 am, Saturday, 21 March, Wellington Railway Station – meet the rest of the group on the platform that the train leaves from (see the departures board at the station). Train departs Wellington Station at 9.55 am so please be on the platform by 9.45 am so that we can form into a group and hopefully commandeer our own carriage! Tickets (one way or return) can be purchased at the station ticket office or on the train. The cost is $25 same-day return or $19 one way. Tickets bought on the train require payment in cash only. Gold Cardholders can use those.
Train arrives at Featherston at 10.55 am. This is where we meet the bus.
On arrival in Martinborough, there will be wine tastings at Palliser Estate and Grava/Alana winery from 11.15 am. Palliser Estate will provide a flight of five wines at a cost of $10, refundable with a purchase. Grava/Alana will provide five wines and a sticky also for $10, refundable with a purchase. Group A will go to Palliser first and Group B to Grava and we’ll swap over halfway through.
55 pm – the bus will commence pick-ups at Palliser with Alana/Grava pick-up shortly after that time. Please be ready!
It’ll then take us to Coneys for a leisurely lunch from 1.15 pm. We will start with a wine tasting (charge included with lunch cost) which will be accompanied by small taste plates. This will be followed by a lunch that includes two mains plus sides together with petit fours for dessert. A limited amount of wine will be provided with the meal. Please note that if you order any wine over and above that supplied, or tea or coffee this will be at your own expense.
The bus will leave Coneys in time to connect with the train at Featherston where it is due to depart at 5.25 pm.
25 pm– scheduled arrival time at Wellington Station.

Some additional points to note:

To ensure we keep on schedule and as a courtesy to others please make sure you are ready for the bus on time. It does take a few minutes to get everyone on board and settled before it can move on.
Please also see the “Important things to know” sheet for further details.

5 December, 20205 December, 2020

Wairarapa trip – Saturday, 13 February

Tim Coney of Coney Wines in Martinborough. Photo: Loren Dougan/Fairfax media.

As mentioned in September, the trip we had to postpone earlier this year is back on for Saturday, 13 February next year and it promises to be a great day.

To enable us to finalise the arrangements and ensure we have a big enough bus, we now need all members to read the following and then email Wayne to confirm your status for the new date.

The club is holding the payments of most of those members who’d committed to going this year (ie, those who didn’t request a refund) and of course, we welcome other members who are now in a position to join the trip.

So please email Wayne by Friday, 11 December, and advise him of one of the following options, along with all applicable names.

I/we booked and paid for the March trip and will also be coming in February 2021.
I/we booked and paid for the March trip but are unable to come in February 2021 so would ask you to arrange a refund.
I/we were not on the list for the March trip but would now like to be added.
I/we were not on the list for the March trip and will not be attending in February 2021.

Please note that if you are C, you will also need to deposit $75 into the club’s bank account 06 0541 0056031 00 before 24 December.

We plan to follow the same timetable as we’d planned for last March to save you searching your inboxes. This document is just to refresh your memory – we’ll update it closer to the date when the train times for that period are confirmed. It’s also likely that we’ll be visiting a different winery to Palliser, as they are now focusing on their new restaurant, rather than tastings. Details to follow.

alana wines

Come along for a fun day and help wrap up the club’s 40th birthday celebrations in style!

5 December, 20205 December, 2020

40th Anniversary dinner at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown

Turnout For the 40th Anniversary dinner at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown was excellent.

The one thing the Committee was unable to organise was the weather on the day. It was wet and windy which cast doubt on the suggested dress code of “summer wedding”, but by 6 pm the rain had substantially abated and by the time it arrived to go home, it was dry.

The venue proved to be a good choice. Negotiating the security on arrival proved not to be an issue and when guests got to the third floor of the Beehive, Bellamy’s reception and dining areas were spacious, allowing for good pre-dinner mixing over a complimentary glass of bubbles. The tables were well spaced and set very nicely.

The food was of a very high standard as would be expected from a restaurant in the Logan Brown stable. The restaurant staff was very efficient and attentive – it was nigh on impossible to fault the service. The manager, Jasper Povey, had been very accommodating in catering to the Club’s requirements and was also appreciative of what the Club was able to provide (such as the pre-ordering), which proved a winning combination.

Club President, Murray Jaspers, gave a brief address, looking over the Club’s development through the years. He noted how active it is, how its size has been maintained over an extended period and the high regard it enjoys with winemakers and suppliers. He noted too, the contribution of past presidents and committees. Anne Megget proposed a toast to absent friends – those members who are no longer with us and those who were unable to be present on the night.

Through diligent work by Robin Semmens, Gayle Gaukrodger, Anne Megget and Wayne Kennedy a memento gift bag containing a souvenir pen, some souvenir chocolate and a booklet updating the history of the Club was presented to every person present.

Feedback the Committee has received subsequently indicates the evening was much appreciated by all who were there. Good venue, good food, good wine and good company always combine to produce a winner!

Richard Taylor

15 November, 202015 November, 2020

40th Anniversary dinner update – Nov 2020

Our 40th Anniversary dinner at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown at the Beehive Wednesday 18th November, 6:30 to 6.45 pm arrival for a 7:30 pm seating.

The first Club meeting was held in the month of November 1980. To recognise that historic milestone, our celebratory dinner will be held at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown at their restaurant in the Beehive.

The Beehive, Parliament Buildings, Wellington

Please arrive early as everyone attending has to clear Parliamentary security.

Access is through the ground floor of the Beehive, the door being on the side near the steps to Parliament Buildings.
On arrival, you will need to go through a security check. You will have to go through a gate – the same as at an airport – so be prepared to empty your pockets into a tray (men) and place your handbag etc in a tray (ladies). Your BYO will need to go through the scanner too!
After passing through security proceed to the Reception desk which is on the right at about two o’clock as you come through the electronic gate. Here the receptionists will have been supplied with a list of those attending so will be able to mark you off (if that hasn’t already been done by the security guards at the gate). You will be provided with a lift key that will allow you access to Level 3.
On exiting the lift go straight ahead to the large reception area in the restaurant where there will be the customary glass of bubbles, supplied by the Club.
You will also find lists shows your seat number and at your table, there will be cards detailing your menu choices, should you need reminding.
The dress code is smart casual [think summer wedding]. For women, that’s classy casual and for men, jacket with tie optional.
Note, the previously advised seating maximum of eight diners per table has been relaxed for our dinner and we are now confident we can accommodate our more tradition groupings.

So, bring along a favourite bottle of wine and be prepared for a very special occasion.

13 November, 20202 May, 2024

40th Anniversary Dinner – Bellamys Wednesday 18th November

Sadly the delayed Wellington/Burger on a Plate has meant that the restaurant is unable to finalise our menu until after that event finishes. That means we won’t receive it until the first week of November. We have reluctantly accepted this, as it does ensure that we end up with a menu that should make the best of what is seasonally available.

But rather than leave everything to the last minute, we have decided to ask you to reply to this email by completing, as appropriate, the boxes below and at the same time crediting our bank account 06 0541 0056031 00 with $70 per person wishing to attend.

If your email software doesn’t allow you to input directly to these boxes when you go reply, we suggest you use your mouse to select the boxes and then copy and paste them into the reply section of your email.

If you don’t currently use internet banking, we can accept your cheque although this dinner is likely to be the last occasion that we can do this, as the ANZ is no longer accepting cheques for clearance after 1 June 2021

Important points

We will require the full name of each person attending [not just first and last names] as I believe this needs to be provided to Parliamentary security early in November we will provide the final menu and seek your menu choices. If the final menu is not to your liking, let us know and we will refund you immediately.

In addition to your meal choice, the table will also be served with a plate of each of the sides. These and corkage are all included in the dinner price.
Also included will be your customary glass of bubbles on arrival.
The dress code is smart casual [think summer wedding]. For women, that’s classy casual and for men, jacket with tie optional.
Table seating is either 6 or 8 places. Sorry, there can be no large groups.

Please reply before the end of October. Bellamys have limited seating and for this reason, we will be operating on a first-come basis and if the number is exceeded, we may need to add you to a waiting list. Whilst Bellamys’ limit does exceed the attendance levels of our past 10 dinners, we do think that the special nature of this dinner could prove to be a challenge so please reply as soon as possible.

We did contemplate limiting the dinner to just members but decided that this was unfair to those non-member partners who have been regular attendees at our past dinners. Nor has this ever been an approach that has been applied in the past.

A packed future for club events

Future event for the club in late 2020 and into 2021 is packed with a range of presenters and no less than three food and wine events .

November 18th – – Our 40th Anniversary dinner at Bellamy’s (run by Logan Brown) at the Beehive

The first Club meeting was held in the month of November. To recognise that historic milestone, a celebratory dinner has been arranged, to be held at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown at their restaurant in the Beehive. This is set down for Wednesday 18 November, so check your diaries for availability.

Details will be sent out shortly, asking for your registration and to make your selection from the accompanying menu. As for any such venue, there will be a limit on numbers which means you should register quickly to secure your place.

The food promises to be of very high quality. So, book your place and go dig around in your wine stocks to find the special bottle (or two) that you think will go best with your selection to bring with you.

Your Committee is excited about this event and is sure you will be too.

December 9th –A Fun evening with CoLab, Simon Bell
January: BBQ at Derek’s
February: Coney’s for the 13th February 2021 – our postponed 40thanniversary outing to the Wairarapa [to include visits to Palliser and
Grave/Alana]
March: Hawkesridge Winery (Hawkes Bay)
April: Del Mundo – Seaview – TBC
May: AGM
June: Mahi Wines (Marlborough) – tbc
July: Mid-year dinner
August: Aussie evening – TBC
September: Gordon Russell of Esk Valley
October: Sherwood from Waipara – TBC.

28 September, 20205 December, 2020

Cellar club celebration

Gerald Rillstone, Independent Hearld | Thursday, September 17, 2020

Lover of wine Alan Evans with one of his favourites a bottle of 1997 Chateau Troplong Mondot.

What better way to celebrate four decades of tasting great wine than to have Wellingtons best-known champion of the grape present a special selection from his own cellar.

And that’s what they did to celebrate the 40th birthday of the Cellar Club in Johnsonville with Alan Evans presenting a range of wines from his own collection.

It was, some say, one of the most prestigious tastings in the 40 years of the club’s existence.

Alan joined the club in 1987 and has held the roles of Editor 10 years and President 8 years and was made a life member in 2010 and still attends the dinners and the occasional tasting.

2017 Troplong Mondot St Emilion Grand Cru

He is also a Past President of the Magnum Society that was a Wellington-based wine group founded in 1972. “We buy wines that we will be drinking in about ten years time or whatever the drinking window is he says which is a lot of fun and a bit of a gamble too,” Alan says.

“We have tastings going up to around 2034.”

He is also the cellar master for the Tinakori branch of the International Beef Steak and Burgundy Club.

Alan’s love of wine was a natural progression, he says, from an interest in ciders in the 1960s to the wines of Henderson in the mid-1970s. He has an extensive temperature-controlled cellar and over the years has developed a love of European wines which he augments with premium NZ and Australian varietals.

He says these days he has the luxury of having access to a plethora of online reviews so he has a fair idea of what a wine is going to be like before he tastes it.

“I do a lot of reading about what’s new and what to expect from the wine and I am not as surprised as I used to be but there are still surprises,” he says.

Alan says the Troplong Mondot they were tasting for the celebration, according to reviews, is best consumed around 2020 to 2022 and he has tried it and it is perfect.

Tag: 40th

Cellar Club 40th year celebration Wine Trip

Grava/Alana

Nga Waka

Tiwaiwaka

Coney’s

Important things to know for our Wairarapa wine tastings

Tasting fees

Redeeming tasting fees on wine purchases

Keeping ourselves safe

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Timetable

The Cellar Club
40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – TRIP TO MARTINBOROUGH
13 FEBRUARY 2021
Timetable

Some additional points to note:

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Saturday, 13 February

Wairarapa Wine Trip – Saturday, 13 February

The Cellar Club 40th Anniversary special – Trip to Martinborough

Wairarapa trip – Saturday, 13 February

40th Anniversary dinner at Bellamy’s by Logan Brown

40th Anniversary dinner update – Nov 2020

40th Anniversary Dinner – Bellamys Wednesday 18th November

Important points

Menu

A packed future for club events

Cellar club celebration

Grava/Alana

Nga Waka

Tiwaiwaka

Coney’s

Tasting fees

Redeeming tasting fees on wine purchases

Keeping ourselves safe

Related posts

Related posts

The Cellar Club 40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – TRIP TO MARTINBOROUGH 13 FEBRUARY 2021 Timetable

Some additional points to note:

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Important points

Menu

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The Cellar Club
40TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL – TRIP TO MARTINBOROUGH
13 FEBRUARY 2021
Timetable