Scotch College

Christmas dinner in winter

Wine and Food Society - a cold wet windy winter day proved ideal for the Society's Christmas Dinner on July 25 at one of Melbourne's top restaurants, the Florentino, where the new owners, the Grossi family provided a 'traditional Italian Christmas feast.'

The Grossi family are about to join the Scotch family when Carlo Grossi dons a Scotch tie in 2001 in Year 7.

Some sixty-five members of the Society took over The Grill for the night and were welcomed with a popular Zardetto aperitif (clean dry sparkling Italian white vat fermented from Proseco grapes) which set the scene for a grand feast. Small open pastry cups (antipastini) of chopped caponata (egg plant, onion ragout); spectacular slices of smoked salmon draped over carta di musica (crisp thin wafer bread shells); chicken liver pate crostini and succulent 'oyster shots' (single oysters served in small clear glasses of spiced tomato juice with capers) proved a perfect start.

President Mary Gyles offered a warm welcome as we sampled the entrée Tortellini Anitra, hand made with duck and mushroom, and pan tossed in a light duck jus with caramelized pear. The main wines for the night were from the Trentino region made by Lagaria and showed clearly how the Italian wine industry is able to make reasonably priced, good quality dry and flavoursome wines ready for early drinking. Both white and red wines were from the 1998 vintage, the white a Pino Grigio and the red a Merlot. The rich nature of the food was complemented by the restrained but fruit-driven flavours of the wines.

Italian Australians have gone to special efforts to establish the availability of suckling pig in Australia and it is well worthwhile. Porcellino al forno (suckling pig oven roasted with olive oil, white wine, rosemary and garlic) was served with roasting juices and luscious braised cabbage and baked potatoes.

The dessert, Zuccotto of chocolate and candied ricotta cream surrounded with sponge soaked in liqueur and served with vanilla anglaise and slices of poached quince was an excellent choice, avoiding the excesses of sweetness and richness.

Small glasses of intensely flavoured Illy coffee were accompanied by pastries and an array of individually packed chocolates.

Newcomers are welcome and should phone Rob Sinclair (9572 5193) or Mary Gyles (9509 5929).

Rob Sinclair

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Winter Reds with Wine & Food Society

The Wine and Food Society asked Chris Pfeiffer to present a range of red wines of the Rutherglen district at its meeting on 24th August.

Chris bought his property at Rutherglen in 1984, overseeing the Pfeiffer and Carlyle labels.

Recognizing that Rutherglen's reputation is based on its production of fortified wines, Chris set out to ensure that his audience went home with a clear understanding that the red wines of the district are full of flavour and of very high quality. The wines were accompanied by Italian, French and Australian cheeses and breads from Philippa's in Armadale.

On arrival, guests were offered a 1997 Cofield sparkling shiraz which was, perhaps, a little too warm to judge it properly.

A bracket of three shiraz wines was then presented. A 1998 Carlyle really impressed with its pepper and spice flavours. It was followed by a 1998 Campbell's Bobbie Burns shiraz and a 1996 Buller's Calliope, both being wines of high quality.

Next came three offerings of cabernet sauvignon, beginning with Chris's own 1998 Pfeiffer with a minty, berry character but not as robust as the two which followed. The 1996 Chambers was strong on acid and had strong blackberry character but little of the mid-palate characteristic common to cabernet wines. The 1998 All Saints exhibited most oak character with a charry effect derived from the firing of the new oak.

The presentation concluded with two wines from grapes once special to Rutherglen but now planted widely in other regions. Durif is high in tannin and has a sharp nose; it is used in making port. Both the 1997 Morris and 1998 Stanton & Killeen were big wines but the Morris was particularly robust with alcohol and strong tannin on the finish. The Stanton & Killeen had less tannin and was a splendid wine of some real complexity.

David Thomson