president – The Cellar Club

7 June, 2022

AGM News, May 2022

26 people attended the AGM and enjoyed the supper and selection of the club’s wines that followed.

Matter arising from the meeting requiring action post the AGM were:

Annual Accounts and President’s Annual Report

If you couldn’t make the AGM, copies of both of these have been uploaded to the Club’s website for your perusal.

The Club’s Special Licence

There was some discussion at the AGM about the need for the Club to have a liquor licence and the associated high annual cost. Suggestions were made that approaches should be made to City Councillors and politicians, especially in light of the upcoming elections.

Richard Taylor, who has managed the licencing process for the Club for several years, has made the following comments in order to inform members of his experience of the current position with regard to the licence. He advised he has already spoken to Councillors who have advised that the District Licensing Committee, which is administered by WCC, is only applying current law, so there appears to be no opportunity for change at that level. Local MPs he has spoken to have said trying to make a change by way of a Member’s Bill is extremely unlikely to succeed.

That leaves, as the only avenue, submissions at the time of the next review of the Sale of Liquor Act. Richard said he continues to keep a watch on the situation so that any favourable shifts can be seized upon straight away

The Club’s Sound System

Thanks go to Jan Sammons for providing feedback to the committee post the AGM that reaffirmed that the use of the Community Centre sound system would mean over a 50% increase in the cost of us hiring the hall for each tasting. Rather than incur this cost, the committee has resolved to first try using a suitable lapel microphone and use that with the boom box/speaker at the back of the room. Also, they will ask the presenter to try and stay behind the table.

Ability to purchase wines if unable to attend a tasting

The committee was asked to consider ways that absent members might be able to order wines. Several logistical issues were identified and after discussing these, the committee resolved not to pursue this idea any further. Instead, the committee preferred an informal arrangement where an absent member could ask a friend attending or one of the committee before the tasting to order the wine for them.

11 May, 202211 May, 2022

The Cellar Club, President’s Report 2022

Wednesday 11 May 2022

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 you as 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 up well 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 the attendance 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 appreciation for 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.

Murray Jaspers | President, The Cellar Club Inc

2 June, 20212 June, 2021

AGM – May 2021

There was a good turnout for the Club’s AGM with 33 Club members attending.

Agenda items were quickly dealt with and once the AGM ended, members enjoyed wines from the club’s cellar. These were augmented by a donated 2019 Confidencial Rose from Victor Kattenbelt at Confidant Ltd and a vertical tasting of 3 Felton Road Rieslings donated by a club member. All 4 wines were very much enjoyed by everyone present.

A big thanks to all Committee members for the food supplied, as well as to the 2 donors of those wines.

There are AGM details on our website if anyone is interested in full details, including the President’s report and the full Financial Report to come.

12 May, 2021

President’s Report 2020 – 2021

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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

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.

2 September, 20205 December, 2020

Alan Evans presenting – Sept 2020

Without a doubt, this would be one of the most prestigious tastings in the 40 years of the club’s existence.

And who better to present these wines, than one of our life members, Alan Evans.

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

He is also a Past President of the Magnum Society that was a Wellington-based wine group founded in 1972 and currently is the Cellar Master of the Tinakori branch of the international Beefsteak and Burgundy Club.

The committee approached Alan to see if he would be prepared to present some of his premium cellared wines as one of our marquee events to celebrate our 40 years of tastings and he has not disappointed. The following list of wines is stunning.

2016 Ogier Cote du Rhone White [Introductory wine]
2016 Askerne Semillon
Loire Chenin Blanc
2011 Penfolds 389 [from our own cellar]
2001 Penfolds 389
1991 Coleraine
2017 Troplong Mondot [St Emilion Grand Cru]

The ’91 Coleraine was rated by a group of wine experts three years ago as the 5th best Coleraine ever made and is a personal favourite of John Buck, winemaker and Chairman of Te Mata Estate Winery. It was also rated by Geoff Kelly, alongside the 1987 Stonyridge Larose, as “one of the few great achievements in the first 26 years or so of cabernet and cabernet/merlot wine styles, in the modern phase of New Zealand viticulture”.

And if that isn’t enough to wet your taste buds, go and google our last wine.

As I said at the outset, this is a prestigious tasting of premium wines which I suspect, many of us have never tasted before. We are indeed lucky to have that opportunity this month.

30 April, 20193 July, 2020

Off cruising, Apologies, Preparing the AGM

Off cruising

Well, Robin and Pat are off on their cruise. I’m not sure their itinerary allows much chance to try local wines, but I’m sure that they will have fun working their way through the selection provided by their cruise liner.`

Apologies

I was sorry that I missed our last tasting, but as fortune would have it, I did get to taste some of the left-over wines at our committee meeting the following week and I particularly enjoyed the Montepulciano D’Abrusso, I have even made a mental note to call by Regional wines and grab a bottle or two.

Preparing the AGM

Your committee has been busy preparing for the AGM and finalising our calendar for the rest of the year. Have a look later in this newsletter to see the exciting events that are now all in flight.

Attached to this Newsletter you will find the minutes from the 2018 AGM. The President and Treasurer will present their reports on the night and details will subsequently be made available on
the Club’s website for those who might be interested.

This is your club and the AGM does offer an opportunity to have your say and/or raise matters of interest. If you have ideas or thoughts to offer please don’t be shy to raise them.

See you there,

Cheers
Wayne Kennedy
Acting Editor

9 June, 20185 December, 2020

Robyn’s return, Payment advice, President’s Report & Financial Statement

Robyn’s return

It wasn’t overwarm in Sydney while we were there but I must say I don’t think I have been warm since our return. Never mind the tasting this month should go some way to warm the cockles of the heart. I have it on good authority that the AGM went well in my absence, and it is a pleasure to have Cecilia join in the ranks of our life members.

Payment advice

Please find attached a PaymentAdviceforJune2018 for this month’s meeting. The form provides an opportunity to pay your membership subscription, entry fee for the June tasting and the July Dinner. Please bring this with you next week (completed of course) or contact Wayne by email.

President’s Report & Financial Statement

I would like to remind members that if you are interested in looking at the President’s Report or Financial Statement from the AGM, they can be found on the club website.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

1 May, 20185 December, 2020

AGM, Quote, Tastings

AGM

Attached to this Newsletter you will find the minutes from the 2017 AGM. The President and Treasurer will present their reports on the night and details will subsequently be made available on the Club’s website for those who might be interested. This is your club and the AGM does offer an opportunity to have your say and/or raise matters of interest. If you have ideas or thoughts to offer please don’t be shy to raise them.

Quote

While travelling in Hawkes Bay and visiting wineries (purely for research purposes you understand) Anne and Jenny came across the following quote. “anything is possible with a little lipstick and a great glass of wine.” Personally I will skip the lipstick and cut straight to the chase

Tastings

They also came across a couple of Hawkes Bay producers keen to present to the Club and as a consequence we have Unison for June and Clearwater for August. This will give members an opportunity to compare wines from a producer from the Gimblett Gravels area and one of the equally excellent producers from the more coastal Te Awanga area. Much to look forward to over the next few months.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

4 August, 20163 July, 2020

Wine lovers invited to join Johnsonville’s cellar club

Independent Herald, 3 August 2016

Johnsonville’s Cellar Club is looking to extend its membership to those who are interested in wine. Club President Murray Jaspers said the Club, which was established in 1980, was not designed for “wine snobs”. Its objective is to allow members to learn about wines and wineries from people who work with and breathe wine – the winery owners, the winemakers or other winery representatives.

The club already has about 60 members but is looking to increase that number and invited locals to join one of the Club’s monthly meetings to find out what it was all about. At the monthly meeting in October the presenter will be Jane Hunter of Hunter Wines in Marlborough. Jane has a big international reputation so her presentation will, no doubt, be of immense interest, Cellar Club committee member Richard Taylor said.

“The monthly meetings are relaxed and friendly with plenty of opportunity to mix and mingle with other members.” The gatherings are held on the second Wednesday of each month in the Johnsonville Community Centre with a 7.45pm start time. “There are also other social events staged during the year such as dinners, a barbeque and some tastings from the Club’s cellar,” Richard said. He said those who were interested should head along to the next meeting on August 10.

The annual membership cost is $25 per year with a door charge of between $12 and $16 to cover the cost of the wines that are on taste that night, room hire and supper. Offsetting this, Richard said, there are sometimes opportunities to purchase the presenters’ wines at discounted prices.

More information can be gathered from the Club’s website or by phoning Murray Jaspers on 479 3191 or Anne Meggat (Vice President and Membership) 478 8573.

4 June, 20155 December, 2020

From the Editor – June 2015

Tasting programme

Things are now starting to settle and it looks like the rest of the year’s programme might actually proceed without the hitches that have upset the programme for the first half of the year. Having said that, and as my old Gran was fond of saying “it’s an ill wind that turns none to good”, the resulting changes have been very successful as is evidenced by this month’s tasting.

Vines of Nelson

Of course, some members may not fully understand the drive that leads your committee in the quest for new and interesting tastings. Below is a picture of your President and Secretary undertaking the arduous task of investigating the effects of terroir and climate on the vines of Nelson. Such deep and meaningful research is not foreign to us.

Cheers
Robin Semmens, Editor

Annual Accounts and President’s Annual Report

The Club’s Special Licence

The Club’s Sound System

Ability to purchase wines if unable to attend a tasting

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Off cruising

Apologies

Preparing the AGM

Robyn’s return

Payment advice

President’s Report & Financial Statement

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AGM

Quote

Tastings

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Tasting programme

Vines of Nelson

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