Committee Musings – Mar 2023

Background

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.

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Club BBQ at Derek’s – Jan ’23

Looking Back – Club BBQ at Derek’s

The BBQ at Derek’s was the usual success with the weather playing its part.

Thanks to everyone who brought a salad or a dessert, but special thanks to:

  • Anne for her painting and sprucing up of the area
  • Derek for letting us use his home and welcoming us all once again.
  • Check out the pics.

 

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Cellar Club BBQ at Derek’s Place

To get the scoop on the best way to bring your barbecue fare to life with wine.
Get the scoop on the best way to bring your barbecue fare to life with wine.

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:

  1. Please arrive no earlier than 3:45 pm
  2. 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?
  3. 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.
  4. This is a No Charge event.
  5. 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.
  6. 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!

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January BBQ at Derek’s

The January BBQ at Derek’s was the start of our calendar year and was a lovely afternoon in the sun for the approximately 40 club members who came.

Thanks to Derek for letting us use his house for this event, Anne for her organising skills, Richard and Wayne for their culinary skills and to all those who supported the event, and their wine and food contributions.

In a change to previous years, the committee decided to eliminate the salmon and do a major upgrade in quality for the burgers and bangers. Wayne successfully approached the Cameron Harrison butchery shop on 4 Crofton Road, Ngaio and arranged for them to supply 48 x 100gm Venison patties and 60 Pork, Apple and Sage gourmet sausages at a very competitive price. Whilst still not cheap, it was evident from the feedback at the BBQ that this change was meet with wide appreciation, as their quality was excellent and the Cranberry sauce on the patties a wonderful accompaniment.

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Club BBQ at Derek’s 4pm Sunday 30th January – wet or fine

Firstly, Happy New Year to you all.

To get the scoop on the best way to bring your barbecue fare to life with wine
To get the scoop on the best way to bring your barbecue fare to life with wine.

Our January Cellar Club BBQ is going ahead on the last Sunday of this month and as previous, it will be a No Charge event requiring you to contribute a bottle of wine [ie its BYO] and food.

All wine is pooled so it can be enjoyed by others who appreciate the variety. We would ask people not to take wine away to individual tables, as this limits access to wines that people might want to try. Remember though that the Club provides no wine for this event, so ensure that you bring enough if you think the summer heat will make you thirsty.

For new and prospective club members, this is a great afternoon/evening to get to know the other Club members and join in to start off 2022 in a wonderful setting.

Also, if members have friends as prospective members, then this is an ideal time to see the club in action.

This year your committee is trying something different with the format of the BBQ and club members are asked to bring whatever they would like to nibble on for their appetiser. The idea is to share what you bring at whatever table you are seated at, and we will also provide popcorn [thanks Anne]. There will be no cheese or bread as that tends to be an issue on hot days.

We are also going to try venison patties with a cranberry sauce and gourmet sausages as the meat dishes this year, instead of using salmon and precooked sausages.

As in previous years, you are asked to please bring a salad if you are an even numbered house, or a dessert if you are an odd numbered house. This should be sufficient for about 8 people.

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 year. Thanks.

We hope to see you all at Derek’s.

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Cellar Club BBQ – 26 January 2020

As ever we start our year with the BBQ at the usual place on 26 January.

We’ll send more information to members in mid-January. As always we give special thanks to Derek Thompson for making his excellent facilities available.

Quote – My first outdoor cooking memories are full of erratic British summers, Dad swearing at a barbecue that he couldn’t put together, and eventually eating charred sausages, feeling brilliant.  – Jamie Oliver

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Year in review

Well, December already team. It has been a strange year with a few downs to go along with the ups for some of us on a personal level.

       

That is not to say that it has been a bad year for our Cellar Club, quite the contrary in fact. Let’s review our year. By a long-established tradition, we began with our summer BBQ at the end of January. The usual excellent occasion and we continue to appreciate that Derek makes his premises available. February saw us heading to Askerne Estate in Hawkes Bay. The Hawkes Bay wineries never let you down. March was with the very well established Villa Maria presenting. While the winery originated in Auckland, the company has expanded over the years and produces wines from most of the major regions in New Zealand.

April saw something of a coup for the club with Joelle Thomson presenting. Joelle is a well-recognised personality in the New Zealand wine world as an author, wine writer and tutor. Another great tasting. May is the inevitable AGM then in June Simon Bell from Colab Wine Merchants took us on a tour of Europe. Simon brought along some large wine glasses and some time was spent on discussing the virtues and differences that wine glasses can make to your wine experience. On to July for the mid-year dinner at the Trade Kitchen.

Off to Nelson for the August tasting with Waimea Estate. Over the years Waimea has gathered 150+ Gold Medals and 26 Trophies across nine different wine styles. Nelson producers are right up there as a wine region. Cenna Lloyd for Negociants presented in September. She presented wines from two wineries, Misha’s Vineyard and Two Paddocks, both from Central Otago. Much enjoyed by those who attended and really great orders from a smaller group attending.

In October we celebrated the Rugby World Cup with a selection of wines from countries competing in the Cup. Keith Tibble was the presenter. November saw the very early return of Cenna Lloyd for the South American wine and food match evening outlined below. Cenna had been to South American after presenting in September and was keen to share her experience.

It only remains to anticipate yet another December Dinner. We have been to Cashmere Lounge before and we are sure you will not be disappointed.

Best wishes for the festive season.

Cheers
Robin Semmens
Editor

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Congratulations Derek, 80

Every once in a while the Club creates its own news, or at least things happen to members that are newsworthy. This month  I have opted against searching out a New Zealand wine story in favour of a little celebration of our own.  Back in May Derek Thompson (a foundation Member of our club) turned 80.  He had a small celebration to mark the occasion at which the birthday cake pictured below was a feature.   There are three things worthy of mention about the cake.  Obviously the first is Derek’s achievement at reaching 80, the second is that the prints on the cake represent his dedicated companion, Hershey the cat, and thirdly, but by no means lastly, the cake was provided by Adeline Porter, a fellow member.  I knew there was a good reason why Derek surrounds himself with women at the top table.

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Dinner at Juniper & Jan BBQ

Dinner at Juniper

Having the December Dinner on a Saturday night worked well. The food was great and was well received. The committee has received good feedback from people who attended. $65.00 seems to an acceptable price point for dinner pricing. We could go back in the future or try a similar venue, and let us not reject the idea of Saturday dinners if there are future opportunities.

January 2019 – Club BBQ

Not much to be said except to say it was another fine day and everyone seemed to enjoy the occasion.   Not sure if the attendance was 42 or 44.  Depends on who counted and at what time during proceedings.

This continues to be a great venue for a gathering of this nature, the food was excellent, the wine very nice and the company superb.  As always we give special thanks to Derek Thompson for making his excellent facilities available.

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Cellar Club BBQ 2019

As ever we start our year with the BBQ at Derek’s Place on 27 January.

We’ll send more information to members in mid-January. As always we give special thanks to Derek Thompson for making his excellent facilities available.

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Another great year

As I sit to prepare this newsletter Celine Dion is singing “Another year has gone by” in the background. Surely not, I say, but it is so. Where has it gone?
We can start by reviewing our year. We began with our summer BBQ at the end of January. The usual excellent occasion and thanks to Derek for continuing to make his premises available. February saw us heading on a “Summer Romance – a love affair with Wine” where some of your committee members presented their favourite summer wines. In March Mark and Susan Haythornthwaite presented some of their “Haythornthwaite” wines and told us of the success they have had adding platters to the tasting experience at their premises.

Unison Wines

In April Simon Bell from MacVine took us on a tour of Europe embracing France, Italy and Germany. May was the usual AGM then in June Unison Vineyards from the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay presented some lovely wines. July was something of a disappointment when we went to Saigon Van Grill Bar. The meal was lacking, particularly in quantity, and subsequent efforts to redress the problem have been futile. Never mind, we were back on track in August with a great tasting from Clearview.

September saw a continuation with European wines when Maison Vauron gave us a taste of French wine with some cheese matches. Then who could forget Negociants presentation from that iconic Barossa winery, Yalumba.

The tastings for the year finished with a return to Europe, this time Portugal with Confidant Wines, and some great wine with food matches. All this travel and we haven’t had to leave home.

As I finish this Celine has moved on to “Holy Night” and is singing about a night divine. I can’t quite work out if she means Christmas Eve or the December Dinner at Juniper. You be the judge.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

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Cellar Club BBQ – 28 January 2018

As ever we start our year with the BBQ, Johnsonville, on 28 January.
I will send more information to members in mid-January. As always we give special thanks to Derek Thompson for making his excellent facilities available.

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