Tasting Groups

Where to Start

Interested in wine and want to learn a bit more? Why not start a tasting group with a few friends. The idea is to try several wines of a similar theme to see their similarities and differences.

Tips

Always taste the wines blinded (covered) so that you are not influenced by the label. This forces you to think a bit more about the nose and palate.

Grape variety and region/style are two popular themes. This can be from a specific year (horizontal tasting) or from a range of years.

A single wine from several years (vertical tasting) provides an excellent way to see how different vintage conditions effect how a wine tastes, and also how a wine changes as it ages.

The Wine and Food Society of Western Australia

The Wine and Food Society of Western Australia has been running continuously since the early 1960's and has hosted in excess of 500 functions over the years. The society has a simple philosophy, to enjoy fine food and wine. Functions are a mix of formal/informal dinners and specific wine tastings. By some co-incidence, I am the past president of the society. For more details, please email the secretary.

Upcoming Events

 

The Wine and Food Society of Western Australia

50th Birthday Dinner

Petit Mort

15 November 2011

 

 

Recent Events

 

Lovedale and OP & OH

Reviewed: 10 October 2011

Hunter semillon is very Sydney. People (and wine critics/judges) in NSW love the stuff. Outside of the state though, the reception is a little mixed. I think the reason for this is the lack of exposure. With the plethora of white wines coming from regions like Margaret River, Adelaide Hills and Marlborough, Hunter semillon gets a little lost in the crowd.

 

Clarkes of North Beach

16 August 2011

Can you have too much of a good thing? Not usually, but when it came to the wines that Miles (our Cellar Master) selected for this month's tasting, even I was struggling to appreciate the last pair of reds (wines 12 and 13 for the night). The selection on offer was outstanding, but it was hard to finish on a pair of powerful cabernets after the dessert wines.

 

Great Mellie

19 July 2011

This was the first outing of our new committee, with Miles Beaman in charge of the wines. The outcome was spectacular! Miles pulled out all the stops to make sure that we had a memorable event. There were numerous highlights, but it was hard to go past the Grand Cru Burgundies.

 

2011 AGM: Lamont's Restaurant - Cottesloe

25 June 2011

The society hosted their 2011 AGM at Lamont's this year and we had a magical evening. As always, the food was excellent and the service attentive. Menu and Wines

 

Sauternes - 2007

And Friends

29 May 2011

I approached this tasting with great anticipation. 2007 is another great Sauternes vintage since 2000. When I found an excellent cross-section of wines in Dan Murphy, I thought this would make a great tasting for the Wine and Food Society of Western Australia.

My good friend John Jens points out that perspective is all important in life. To add perspective and make the tasting more interesting, I included a few cheaper wines and a bottle of Chateau d'Yquem. The results were surprising to say the least.

 

Mature Red Wine Bargains

The Wine and Food Society of Western Australia

19 April 2011

Fine Wine Club focuses on reviewing and recommending new release wines to our readers. Often these wines need a few years to show their best, so patience and storage space are both useful.

Recently we came across an outfit called Cellarit, which offers wines for sale and various storage services. Much like the auction houses, they have a wide selection of older vintage wines available for sale. The difference is that the wines are fixed price.

 

Chez Pierre

30 November 2010

AP Bourke – Wendouree 2008 Vintage

10 November 2010

Ian Baird Memorial Dinner and AGM

at

Bouchard

 

Royal India Restaurant

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 at 7pm

 

Cellar Master's Dinner

Gala Restaurant

Tuesday, 2 March 2010 at 7pm

 

Champagne

Grand Masque v Family Producers

7 February 2010