Food and Wine
Revived club’s tour de force
Words: Dr Doug Lording – President, Old Scotch Wine and Food Club
Forty-one lucky people attended an informative review and tasting of Pinot Noir style wines during an Old Scotch Wine and Food Club event in the Cardinal Pavilion on 13 February.
The Wine and Food Club now has 59 members, and this memorable tasting night, during which no fewer than 17 Pinots were available for tasting, was an ideal first event for the revived club.
Phillip Jones ('63) of Bass Phillip Wines is highly regarded for his natural approach to growing Pinot at his winery in Leongatha. His emphasis is on small vines, dense plantings, low cropping and minimal intervention (including using irrigation only if the plants are dying). This approach has enabled him to consistently produce some of Australia's most highly regarded Pinots.
In a tour de force, Phillip took us systematically through Pinots from Victoria, New Zealand, Burgundy (three Premier Cru wines were tasted), and his own home-grown gems, finishing with a double magnum of his 1997 Premium Pinot. Which was the best? Who knows? Everyone had a different opinion.
It may never be possible to have such a comprehensive review as this again, but we will try. The club held a general meeting on 21 March and is setting up an exciting programme for the rest of the year. A Cabernet tasting is planned for 9 May, and a dinner, matching wine with Asian food, will be held on 18 June.
If you'd like to join the Old Scotch Wine and Food Club, or to come to these functions as a guest, please contact me: bigdoug@bigpond.net.au