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An Evening with the Wizards of Oz...
As the pillars of our once-illustrious society come crashing down, I would like to draw your attention to a reassuring constant that has reminded Man of the things that matter for the past 8000 years: In Vino Veritas (although for the first 6000 years, I don't think it was in latin!). Let's face it, morality doesn't come naturally to us humans- the bankers, journalists, politicians and police have shown us as much, but what greater pleasure can there be than sitting down in good company with a decent glass of wine? Your head may not be totally clear in the morning, but at least your conscience will be. With this in mind I would like to invite you to spend what should be a memorable evening in the presence of not one, but two luminaries of the wine world. Oh, and I'll be there of course- does that make three?! Men who have dedicated their lives to the honest and noble pursuit of tending vines, to making wines that capture the unique qualities of their origins, to be shared and appreciated in far corners of the world. It is a great pleasure- no, it's a genuine thrill to present to you...
John Duval and Jeff Grosset
TUTORED TASTING & WINE DINNER
Cabbage Hall, Thursday 8th September
John Duval
John is one of the best known and most respected winemakers in the world. To John, a bung is something you stick in a barrel. As head winemaker at Penfolds for 16 years, he made some legendary vintages of their flagship 'Penfolds Grange', and was twice crowned Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge. On top of that, his 1990 Grange was selected as the wine of the year by Wine Spectator. John went solo in 2003, sourcing fruit from rare blocks of old vines in Barossa to make a range of wines that have already achieved iconic status. On top of that he's a great guy, down to earth and modest- you'll have no option but to like him and his wines. Visit John's website: www.johnduvalwines.com
Jeff Grossett
I first met Jeff on a trip down under a good 5 years back, with a few other merchants and sommeliers. He's married to the delightful Stephanie Toole who runs her own winery, Mount Horrocks. We had a wonderful dinner set in the winery, and were given the 'freedom of their cellar'- to open whatever we fancied. An act either of great generosity or gross stupidity- either way, I doubt he's done again since! A memorable evening with a charming couple. Jeff is about as intellectual as winemakers come and is widely recognized as one of the world's Kings of Riesling (there are about 6 Royal families). As well as Riesling, Jeff makes a cracking Chardonnay from Piccadilly, as well as the striking 'Gaia' Cabernet Sauvignon. All of his cuvees were rated higher than 95 in James Halliday's latest review. Wow wines. Jeff's website: www.grosset.com.au/
It seems a bit of a waste of this incredibly rich resource to just match their wines to a few dishes over dinner, so I thought we'd have a pre-match 'seminar' and give the guys a chance to talk us through their wines in a bit more detail. We'll start at 6pm, which will give John & Jeff 45 minutes each to share their wares. That should justify the 30 hour travel time. For those wishing to stay for dinner, at 7.30pm we'll retreat to the lounge for half an hour, indulge in a few canapes and a glass of something suitable whilst the restaurant team rearrange the tables. Chef Robert Kisby is looking forward to knocking up a 7-course taster menu of 'fusion' dishes for us to match with the wines.. As ever, it's heavily subsidised and is a genuine bargain:
| Tutored Tasting, Cabbage Hall 6pm-7.30pm |
£15 per head |
| Wine Dinner, Cabbage Hall 7.30pm reception, 8pm dinner |
£45 per head |
| Wine Dinner & Tutored Tasting |
£50 per head |
Apathy will not be tolerated- this is the wine equivalent of an evening with Russell Crowe and, and, er... struggling to think of another A-list Ozzie actor?Jim from Neighbours?
Hope you can make it.
Ticket Hotline: 01606 882101
Best
Jon
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