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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.
Reminder: At the August Monthly Meeting, for the first 10 minutes, we will hold an SGM to discuss and pass some small changes to the Club’s Constitution. Please ensure you are up to date with the contents of an earlier email sent on 21 July in relation to these changes.
Evening support
It was great to have everyone help with the tables and chairs at previous meetings and take the same down at the end. Also, take the 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 7:30 pm as we interrupt the cleaner(s) schedule; the cleaners are in the hall until 7:30 pm.
The Jura is a wine-growing region in Eastern France, bordering Switzerland. It sits just to the east of Burgundy but feels a world apart in many ways.
Burgundy is arguably the epicentre of the “fine wine” world (although Bordeaux may have something to say about this), with a long history of monastic and aristocratic estates, tiny plots of globally treasured terroir, and today, massively inflated prices.
The Jura is historically associated with its agricultural traditions of the collective production of Comte cheese, its obscure oxidised wines matured under a veil of yeast and left in barrels for literally years (much like a very cold climate dry sherry), and perhaps for its particular mountain-country style moonshine.
Or, just as likely, it was the admittedly very picturesque backcountry region you passed through on your way to skiing in the Alps. Until 20 years ago, it would be fair to say that most people in France, let alone the rest of the world, barely thought of this quiet, seemingly isolated region as much more than an oddity of the wine world.
But after a week spent tasting the region’s wines and visiting its winemakers, the transformation is startling. Both in terms of the wines being made here and, even more so, the wine world’s perception of the region.
I spent the first two days of my stay at Le Nez dans le Vert (the name translates literally as Nose in the Green, but is a play on Nose in the Glass, with a wink to organics), a wine fair featuring a line-up of many of the best organic wine producers of the region.
Since all of the stars of the region farm organically, that means, in practical terms, that is really a collection of simply the region’s best wines.
This is part of the region’s transformation and the attention it is now receiving. Small, determined, and very hands-on family-run estates committed to laborious viticulture, have shone a spotlight on the incredible potential of the region’s unique soils and its cold climate to produce astounding and nuanced wines.
NACHO DOMÃNGUEZ ARGENTA/UNSPLASH “After a week there, I’m convinced the wines of this region are among the best being made anywhere.”
While this is also true of changes in many grape-growing regions over the last couple of decades, the underlying factor in the Jura is they are exceptionally blessed in terms of “terroir”, and much of its potential is yet to be discovered.
When I first attended Le Nez dans le Vert around a decade ago, the wines were already great, but as a buyer, you always felt you could largely give or take what you wanted. This time, as I visited winemakers, I met buyers, journalists and wine fans from Munich, Amsterdam, Rome, London, New York, Tokyo and Seoul.
The global thirst for Jura wines is seemingly unquenchable. Somewhat victims of their own success, many of the winemakers at the tasting spent much of their time apologetically explaining why they couldn’t sell wine to new clients. Demand now greatly outruns supply.
I’m pretty sceptical about hype in the wine world; for whatever reason, it’s a business that seems to invite hyperbole, but after a week there, I’m convinced the wines of this region are among the best being made anywhere.
And there’s plenty to say they are going to get even better. I’ve met many exciting, driven young winemakers making their first wines for every “star” of the region whose wines and vineyards I was looking forward to visiting before I got here.
Some locals and others from all corners of the globe came to the region to work for and learn from the trailblazing generation before them, who are now putting down roots in the Juracian soil and pushing even further forward.
Much like its wines, the region is charged with energy and life today. As much as there are many reasons for optimism for the region’s future, especially if, like me, you find yourself seduced by its wines, there are twin menaces on the horizon.
The first is the effect of climate change. In one sense, the general warming of the planet is something that has driven interest in traditionally cooler regions like the mountainous Jura. But with it, global warming has also brought unpredictable and dramatic weather events. The 2021 vintage in Jura was hit with a double blow of heavy frosts in early spring, killing off much of the early season growth, and then weeks of rain throughout the summer, creating significant problems with mildew and odium.
BIG DODZY/UNSPLASH “After a week there, I’m convinced the wines of this region are among the best being made anywhere.” In New Zealand, we’re lucky to have a few key importers bringing in some of the best producers from the Jura.
Winemakers have recounted losses of production of up to 85%. The financial pressure that creates is very difficult to bear for a region based on small family-run farms. Similar climatic events have menaced several of the last decade’s harvests.
The cruel irony is that just as the hard-earned attention of the wine world has turned to Jura, the hard-working winemakers have nowhere near enough wine to satisfy that demand and finally see financial returns on years of commitment and investment.
Although it was alarming to see up close, I was aware of the problems with yield from conversations with friends and winemakers before my trip. What I hadn’t expected was the effect of the global wine market on the region, or more specifically, on the access of the region’s wines to wine lovers.
I encountered many stories of Jura wine bottles 10-15 years ago that was easily accessible to anyone but are now being traded on grey markets at prices in excess of 1000 euros a bottle. Speculation is a menace for genuinely interested consumers and winemakers who are still selling their wine for more or less the same low prices as they have for years in the hope their wines end up in the glasses of enthusiastic wine lovers.
As small artisan producers are struggling to keep going in the face of diminished yields, speculators are making fortunes and inflating the market beyond the reach of most. It seems anathema to the spirit of this wild, strange and beautiful region. And again, I’m reminded that Burgundy is so close by.
In New Zealand, we’re lucky to have a few key importers bringing in some of the best producers from the Jura. As befits this off-centre region, it’s tricky to recommend specific wines, as availability is complicated. Best try tracking these wines down either directly through their importers or at one of the following switched-on wine bars or restaurants.
In Auckland, try out Star Superette or their affiliated restaurant Bar Celeste, both on Karangahape Rd, or take a trip to Cave a Vin on the North Shore. In Wellington, the restaurant Highwater or wine bar Puffin are good ports of call if you want an introduction to Jura wine. Gatherings in Christchurch are a good starting point for those curious about Jura wines in the South Island.
Maison Vauron is the New Zealand importer of cult southern Jura winemaker J-F Ganevat and also of the trailblazing Domaine Tissot, who makes stellar oxidative wines. Domaine du Pelican is the Jura project of the esteemed Burgundy producer Guillaume d’Angerville, based on their purchase of the estate of the “Pope of the Jura” Jacques Puffeney. In New Zealand, their wines are imported by Peter Maude Fine Wines.
Domaine Bottes Rouges are one of the many new ambitious producers of the region. Their wines are imported to New Zealand by Wine Diamonds.
Contact any of the above to find out what Jura gems are available and where to find them.
It is indeed my privilege to present to club members the Cellar Club’s annual report for the year 2018 – 2019.
I want to stress that the club is first and foremost about you. It is you as active members who make the club as vibrant as it is. Maintaining membership at a sound level is the key. Thank you for your support for events and meetings during the year and attending tonight’s AGM. Our monthly meetings continue to be well attended, in fact the average number of members attending monthly meetings relative to the club’s subscription membership has perhaps never been better. Total numbers attending tastings again exceeded 300 during this last year (at 9 meetings) but we have noted that guest numbers were a little down and this may need to be addressed if we are looking to build on our membership.
In particular the numbers attending the two club dinners in July and December 2018 were also at a high (the 2 dinners were collectively over 90) and as these dinners are highlight events for members we will continue to prioritise efforts to choose the right venue, creating a chance for you to share good wines with your table and to enjoy some of the first class cuisine that Wellington restaurants do provide.
May I add that this report, rather than being printed, is posted for your interest on the club’s website.
Keeping the membership levels up and ensuring meetings are well attended is a prime objective to ensure the club remains viable and we can sustain the costs that running the club incurs. You will see from the financial report prepared for the AGM that the club’s finances are in very good shape thanks particularly to the diligence and astute budget management of our long serving treasurer.
These club’s finances and fixed costs are manageable but do require active attention. Venue hire, licenses for the club website and the council’s liquor requirements, presenter gifts and the costs of the wines are the key points of focus. With healthy finances we are able to subsidise the annual BBQ and dinners, sustain a club cellar and provide those cellared wines at dinners and the AGM tonight. We are fortunate that occasionally the wine presenters either heavily discount the wine or are prepared to donate their wines. This can be unpredictable but where it eventuates we are grateful and it allows the benefits to flow back to members.
This is often a function of the size scale of the wineries or their subsequent response to your level of orders. It is worth noting that the presenters cover their own travel, visiting and accommodation costs and for some this is substantial. In those terms I want to thank members most sincerely for their preparedness to order on the night and many of the presenters particularly comment on both their orders and naturally express a willingness to return to the club. I know that is not always true of some other wine clubs where they have different arrangements and expectations. Our club’s operating model is not unique, but where other styles of club operations put some pressure on presenters and wineries, our model ensures good relations are maintained with wineries, our financial viability is ensured and door charges and subscriptions remain affordable.
Therefore, the level of support from members suggests the formula may be right but I want to stress that meeting your interests is paramount. We would want to hear both suggestions for meetings and ideas and options for events that are planned. Each member of the committee is only too willing to talk with you to seek and explore ideas to ensure the club remains in good heart and is delivering what members want in terms of wine education, quality wine experiences and a good social atmosphere at meetings and amongst members.
As members you have excelled with the help you provide with meeting logistics. Looking after the glassware, setting the venue hall up and helping stack tables and chairs away, assisting with pouring when requested, being inclusive at tables and helping with distribution of wine orders does ease the pressures involved in meetings and covering the necessary tasks and it is appreciated.
It is pleasing to reflect that the club continues to thrive as Wellington’s pre-eminent wine society established and operating since 1980 expanding from a local suburban focus to a membership residing from across the city, the Hutt Valley to the Kapiti Coast. Your continuing involvement has ensured this longevity into our 40th year.
The programme over the last year was varied and well received. We visited Hawkes Bay [Unison Vineyard, Clearview Estate and Askerne Wines], tasted internationally from France [Maison Vauron with cheeses], Portugal [Confidant Wines] and Australia [Yalumba with Negociants], tasted Marlborough [with Villa Maria], looked at quality wines under $25 with Joelle Thomson and dined at Saigon Van, at Juniper and the traditional January BBQ (courtesy of life member Derek Thompson).
My thanks go also to an outstandingly willing committee. This is a group that is dedicated, reliable and affable. The portfolios are well shared and the committee’s focus is sustained membership, managing costs, providing publicity and information, and promoting wine education. It is pleasing for me to note that the current committee members have all expressed a willingness to continue in their involvement.
This is a group notable for their collective efforts and backing each other up. The committee deals with a plethora of issues, with finances and organising the annual tasting programme being a focus. There certainly is an extensive timely email flow amongst the committee and we always have a quorum at monthly committee meetings. Planning and being flexible are the keys, although occasionally there is pressure on the scheduled monthly programme. Invariably we manage to come through and frequently achieve stellar presentations. Our secretarial support, the newsletter and our website as our “shop windows”, licensing and venue realities, catering and balancing our books all require dedication and effort. For this collective endeavour I am grateful to committee members.
The club is about sociability,extending wine experiences and broadening horizons. We are always looking for the means to increase our membership. It is always a pleasure when you bring along guests to meetings and functions as prospective members and we are happy to make incentives for you to do so. With guest numbers a little down of late there is a real interest to encourage your friends and acquaintances who may wish experience a tasting evening and perhaps to join the club. Specifically, how we can increase younger membership is one of the challenges going forward.
Thank you for your support and active involvement and hence I raise a glass to you one and all and trust we will continue to do so for the year ahead and to mark the club’s 40th 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.
Another great meeting. This meeting of French wines with some cheese matches recorded the second highest attendance with 42 members and 2 guests attending. The meeting was characterised by both great wines with great cheese.
Alex’s presentation style suited the meeting format. During the pouring of the wines, Alex chatted to various tables in turn, allowing time to taste and chat about the wines. 62 bottles were ordered from Maison Vauron with mostly 2 or 3 bottle orders. Great feedback was received from club members.
The committee thanked Anne for organising this meeting and preparing the cheeses for the meeting.
PS You may be able to purchase some of the cheeses offered at this tasting (amongst many other exotic things) from Ontrays, 38 Fitzherbert Street, Petone.
It would be a great help to meeting organisers if members responded when asked if they will be attending tastings. For events like the Maison Vauron tasting and the upcoming November meeting, where some catering is required, it is a great help for the organisers if they have a reasonably accurate idea of numbers attending. Your assistance in this regard would be appreciated.
We would like to be able to create a roster around looking after the club’s glasses. We are working on reducing the number to a smaller tray than the current two but would like some offers of assistance from people who would be prepared to take the glasses home, clean them as required and bring them back to the next meeting. This would not be onerous if we had a number of members willing to help. Let us know if you can assist.
Yalumba tasting
In researching information for the Negociants/Yalumba tasting this month it is apparent that space in this newsletter does not allow for the inclusion of all the information we might like to pass on. Wayne has been “surfing” and found some interesting stuff on the Government of South Australia site. I include two links here which you might be interested in looking at. The first is about Yalumba Wines while the second is a Wine Quiz. Have a look.
Saigon Van Grill Bar
We have been talking to Saigon Van Grill Bar after many members were disappointed over the July dinner. They had offered a voucher, presumably for use at their establishment, but the committee thought that this might be difficult to use appropriately. We have been negotiating for something more feasible but are having little joy at present. We will keep you informed. In the meantime, some of our members will remember that the site now occupied by Saigon Van (201 Cuba Street) was occupied by Orsini’s, a top Wellington restaurant. We have uncovered some snippets of Orsini’s history which are included in “In the News”. Makes interesting reading.
Maison Vauron is a family story born 19,000km from Auckland, in the charming city of Saint Etienne, 50 km southwest of Lyon, in the Northern Rhone. Everything started in 1879 when Antoine Vauron began his business as a wine merchant. As Obélix, the famous French cartoon character, his great-grandson Jean-Christophe Poizat, fell into it when he was young and perpetuated the family tradition.
In 1991, Jean-Christophe took the opportunity to travel to New-Zealand to learn more about NZ wines. Six months after arriving he would meet his future wife and some years later, his business partners, Peter & Scott. The influence of family has always been strong, with siblings of both JC and Peter involved in various parts of the operation and are still involved today, likewise the partners of both JC and Scott work in the business.
Mention of JC may stir up religious thoughts in some. The theme this time though is fine wine and cheeses, so heavenly still comes to mind. A tasting not to be missed, more in the next newsletter.
Maison Vauron owners, Scott Gray & Jean-Christophe Poizat
The committee felt that the tasting went well and it was a lovely, pleasant evening. A record number for a February tasting attended. Will Brunel-Morvan, Maison Vauron, was an entertaining presenter. He enjoyed the evening and is keen to present again with a more substantive range of French wines including cheese matches. The committee will look at this option for a future meeting.
As an aside, on arrival to prepare for the meeting it was found that the Community Centre had changed the locks to the hall without advising us. This led to some confusion but was sorted out quickly enough not to have impacted on the evening. The Centre have apologised for the oversight.
The tasting included an Introductory Quaffer: Fazi Corsica rosé 2015, followed by an Embruns Sable de Camargue rosé 2015; Miradou Cotes de Provence rosé 2015; Château de Fesles Anjou rosé 2015 and Prieuré de Montezargues Tavel 2015.
We compared these French Rosés with a couple of New Zealand offerings. The Hunters (pinot based) and Hawkes Bay Estate (merlot). Great variety in colour and style.
N.B. Anne reported that there were 2 wine glasses left behind which she now has. Can members please check that they have all their glasses.
