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.
Detergent is the enemy of effervescence, so always rinse your sparkling glasses in warm water to remove any residue. Photo / Getty Images
From weekend brunches to housewarming parties to casual happy hours at home, popping a bottle of bubbles generally promises a good time. This tasting has been put together with assistance from our friends at Eurovintage and presents many affordable wines from around the world that may well surprise you with their wide range of styles and tastes.
And if you then go out and seek one or more of these wines after the tasting, we will be well pleased. Wines to be tasted will include:
De Bortolli Family Selection Sparkling Brut NV – Australia – Our welcome wine
Graham Norton Prosecco D.O.C – Italy
Perelada Brut Reserva Spanish Cava NV – Spain
Pongracz Sparkling Brut – South Africa
Hunter MiruMiru Marlborough Method Traditionalle Brut – New Zealand
Aimery Grande Cuvee 1531 Cremant De Limouix Rose NV – France
The Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz NV – Australia
Pegasus Bay Encore Noble Riesling – New Zealand
The club will supply you with a flute to taste the wines, but bring your flutes or tasting glasses if you prefer.
As there are eight wines for the evening, members are encouraged to have a good meal before attending the evening.
There will be extra small food supplied for some of the above wines to enhance the experience and make the evening extra special.
With most of the club familiar with Australian wines, but not necessarily Victoria wines, this was an interesting introduction for most of us.
Keith introduced firstly, Mount Langhi (Ghiran) is an extremely famous cool climate-based winery in the Grampian range of Northern Victoria, established 1969 by the Fratin Family.
Secondly, we were introduced to 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.
The styles included a Prosecco to start [yes it was sourced and made in Australia], as well as two each of Chardonnay, Pinot and Shiraz. That everyone present enjoyed Keith’s presentation and wines was reflected in the excellent orders received. Thanks again to Keith and EuroVintage for their continued support of our club.
UPDATE: We have just been advised that these are now in transit from the Auckland Warehouse, despite the logistical delays [weather issues etc.] and will be delivered to you, via Murray, either this weekend, or early next week.
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.
The Te Mata evening last month was a great success, with Keith Tibble and Brett Newell from EuroVintage filling in for Te Mata’s Reps. They were both informative and interesting about the vintages, the people who own and work the vineyards and the different classes of wine that Te Mata produces and sells. There was a good level of orders from members.
The vertical tasting of the two Cabernet Merlots was also interesting, as these helped educate us on the different processes that are used on the different classes of grapes the Winery handles. The taste of these two wines was an eye-opener.
NB: Don’t forget Brett Newell’s tip that you don’t decant older wines too early before you want to drink them, as their taste will not be the best by the time you drink them. ‘Old’ is anything older than ten years.
Update on Te Mata orders
The orders are in hand if a little delayed. Keith Tibble from EuroVintage has been ill and given the orders are compiled in Auckland and then shipped as a single order to Wellington, there has been a delay. The orders are due to Murray by the end of this week and as soon as received will be delivered to you or arrangements made. The charges at this point have not gone on to your credit cards. Apologies for the delay.
Established in 1896, Te Mata Estate remains family-owned, producing internationally recognised wines exclusively from its Hawkes Bay vineyards. The Chambers family, the original owners, sold the property in 1919.
TMV Te Mata Vineyards was established, and the property had two other owners until it was acquired by the Buck and Morris Families in 1974 – the two families behind the modern interpretation of this historic NZ estate.
Te Mata Estate is committed to improving its performance in terms of environmental, social and economic sustainability through the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) programme, established in 1995 as an industry-initiated programme directed by NZ Winegrowers. Te Mata Estate’s vineyards were amongst the first to be accredited in 1995, as was the winery in 2005.
This evening was going to be presented by Te Mata vineyard but is now being covered by Eurovintage with Keith Tibble and Brett Newell hosting the evening for us.
Indictive wines for the evening, still being worked on at the time this newsletter went out:
Starting with Estate Range Sauvignon Blanc
Premium Sauvignon Blanc
Two premium reds – Awatea and Bullnose ranges
Estate Range – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon
The above selection is indicative only as it will depend on the availability of stock at this time.
This will be both a surprising and informative evening with great wines to taste across Te Mata’s different wine ranges and looks to be an experience that you wouldn’t normally get anywhere else.
It is usual for a President’s Report to be EITHER comprehensive and an ordeal OR for it to be cryptically short and to the point. So it seems in this most unusual of years that short is best. As such this should allow the AGM to proceed swiftly so as to enjoy the wines from the club cellar and the supper on offer tonight.
It has been my absolute privilege to have been the club’s President this year. I want to begin by thanking most sincerely all of youas valued club members for your support in a trying year. For your subscriptions, of course, but particularly for your support at the scheduled tastings and sundry other monthly events such as the dinners and annual club BBQ. Our membership has held upwell again this year. This despite all the pressures our communities and families have endured. Last year I reflected at some length in my report on the impact for the club of the pandemic so I will quickly move on from that. Again this has been a challenging year for all of us but through the club activities we have generated good company and a focus for interest in a time of lockdowns. Most particularly theattendance numbers at tastings and dinners have been regularly and phenomenally good which signals there must be something right about the way tastings are delivered, enjoying the company of friend and the functioning of the club. So, to all of you my thanks.
May I briefly review the tastings and activities [11] that we have been able to achieve for these past 12 challenging months. Tastings included Mahi Wines (Marlborough), Western Australia by Keith Tibble (Eurovintage agency), Butterworth (Gladstone Wairarapa), Crater Rim (Waipara), Portugal (Confidant agency), the Gold Medal wines from the NZ International Wine Show (2021), a celebration of Pinot (club members) as well as dinners at La Marche Frances and Juniper as well at the club’s January BBQ
I wish to extend the club’s thanks to the wineries, presenters and agencies that have supported the club during a year that has been challenging for their businesses, where labour restrictions, lockdowns, cancellations and social distancing have impacted us all. At least three wineries were unable to present in 2021 but have indicated they are keen to return for 2022/2023 and we are organising with them
As well as thanks to the meeting presenters and the tasting organisers, it is the committee that also deserves our appreciationfor their work for the club. As a group they have met regularly and communicated frequently with each other in most constructive manner. This has been the prime reason for tastings continuing to happen when withdrawals have occurred or organisation of meetings has hit road blocks or come up against Covid limitations. Without naming committee members, because you know all of those involved – our secretarial servicing, our financial management, our newsletter communications with members, the meeting venue organisation efforts and suppers, cellar management, the facilitation of the tasting programme and deliveries have all kept pace and been successfully undertaken without there seeming to have been any hitches at all – even though there have been a few, and one cancellation. It has been a demanding time organisationally but the efforts of the 8 person committee have shone through and for that I wish to sincerely thank them one and all for their efforts on behalf of the club membership.
I am thrilled to report that the committee collectively has indicated a willingness to continue to serve the club for a further year and I am indeed grateful for that. The committee’s co-operation, sharing of the load and their special skills and interests continue to be the cornerstone of how we have managed to keep this great little club moving forward, fulfilling its wine appreciation objectives whilst providing a source of company, regular meetings and the occasional glasses of vino. Being Wellington’s premier and enduring wine society for over forty years is no mean feat. It is you as members, and the committee’s efforts, that have ensured that this continues to be the Cellar Club reality. We will move next to the election of the club’s officers. My best wishes to all club members as you navigate the societal challenges we are all facing.
An update for members who ordered wine from our August tasting – yes it does seem a while ago now – these are in hand. The Level 4 lockdown in Auckland has meant they could not be dispatched to us, but now Auckland is in level 3 we are working with Keith to organise distribution from the warehouse, and we hope deliveries will be next week.
Our Aussie evening with Keith Tibble (and his Manager Nick), from EuroVintage, was information filled and a great voyage of discovery of the three Western Australian vineyards – Sandalford, Xanadu and Moss Wood.
Our intrigue was sated, and the tasting was a really good experience of the different vineyards and the different categories of wines on offer.
As a reminder the vineyards we were introduced to were:
Sandalford
Xanadu
Moss Wood
Wines presented include:
2018 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Semillon
2019 Xanadu Exmoor Chardonnay
2018 Xanadu Reserve Chardonnay
2018 Sandalford Margaret River Shiraz
2018 Xanadu DJL Shiraz
2017 Sandalford Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
2017 Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Cabernet Sauvignon
We had good numbers attend, 44 in total and orders were excellent.
Western Australian Wines – Sandalford, Xanadu and Moss Wood Vineyards
Keith will let us know that Western Australian wine is more than just the Margaret River wine we are aware of. He is featuring three vineyards in the wider area on the night.
Sandalford – establishing estate at Caversham, Swan Valley had its genesis in 1840 and coincided with both European settlement in the burgeoning colony of Perth and the birth of Western Australia’s world-famous wine industry. In one of Australia’s most sustainable wineries at Caversham, Swan Valley, Sandalford creates today’s collection of Prendiville, Estate Reserve, Margaret River Range and Element award-winning wines from its two fertile vineyards.
Xanadu – Just 4km from Margaret River’s town centre and an equal distance from the magnificent coastline, Xanadu is one of the first vineyards to have been established in the region with a long history of crafting outstanding wines that embody all the region has to offer. Established by Dr John Lagan, an Irishman who arrived in Margaret River in 1968 with his wife Eithne and was inspired by the pioneering spirit of the region.
Moss Wood – situated in Wilyabrup in the Margaret River wine region, has the highest concentration of premium wine producers in the region. Planted in 1969 Moss Wood is an important, founding estate of the Margaret River wine region. Clare & Keith Mugford winemakers, viticulturalists and proprietors have been making wine and tending the vineyard since 1984 and 1979, respectively.
This will be an evening to taste Australian wines from entry-level through to upmarket expressions, so come along and taste the variations for yourself!
The Rugby World Cup might not have panned out as we would have hoped but this did not include our October tasting.
It was great to have Keith Tibble presenting again. Keith has been a valuable contact for our club and has been responsible for a number of great tastings over the years.
I don’t have a list of the wines that were tasted but my information is that as usual Keith was easy to deal with and came up with a format for the evening that worked well. A Gin and Tonic was the quaffer to represent Ireland and England. Feedback received from one member indicated that it was the best tasting in years. It was lots of fun as attendees turned up in their rugby gear. Having a similar theme tasting for the Olympics in 2020 could be a great idea for the committee to consider.
It is usual at this time to review our year. As ever we began with our summer BBQ at the end of January. The usual excellent occasion and thanks to Derek for making his premises available. It is an excellent facility. Our first tasting was the Rosė tasting presented by Will Brunel-Morven from Maison Vauron. Rosės are becoming increasingly popular, particularly as a summer wine.March was the time for Ata Rangi and was followed in April by our Quiz Night. An enjoyable and fun occasion. As usual, May was AGM time, June highlighted Giesen’s Wines and July was dinner at Bistro 52. August had us enjoying Seifried’s offerings and then in September the interesting and unique Aged Wines tasting. October was Stonecroft and last month was the festive tasting of Spanish wines. A great programme which will be nicely rounded off by our December Dinner.
Spanish tasting
It is interesting to note that EuroVintage had great orders from the Spanish tasting, and were blown away by the response. Well done everyone.
Apologies to those of you who ordered wines after the Eurovintage Barossa evening. Unfortunately, there has been a glitch in the wines reaching me. Keith is doing his best to get the balance of wines to me, but he is the only Eurovintage representative in this part of the country and is covering business across the lower North Island. I am expecting to be able to complete deliveries this coming weekend.
The next two months showcases two wineries that have been trailblazers in their way. Gavin Yortt has been producing wines in the Gimblett Gravels since the early 1980s while Jane Hunter has likewise been in the industry for a similar period and is the icon of Marlborough wineries. With such well-established presenters, the meetings are full of promise.
