And a Wine Odyssey Christmas to you too!

As I am sure you can all guess, Christmas time is my favourite time of the year. Champagne corks pop like an African drumming group, people are feeling festive and giving, and the afternoon sun lends itself so kindly to a vino on a balcony with a friend.

Of course at this time of year we have our annual Wine Club Christmas party. Through the years our little club has grown to include many wonderful, passionate and wine enthusiastic women. With such a fabulous group in tow, there was no where else for us to head but Wine Odyssey at the Rocks.

Now, this is fabulous venue for anybody, wine lover or not. When we walked into the place which is easily located on the corner of Harrington and Argyle Streets in the rocks (diagonally opposite the Argyle Hotel), we were immediately amongst a party vibe of another groups Roman themed party. Needless to say, the fun began immediately!

Emma, Alex Mac & Stephanie

The Marketing and Events Manager, Remi Pinatel was a delight to deal with from the start. He escorted us wine club ladies up to a private function room where a table had been beautifully set, and by the windows tables lay prepared with dips and olives. It was from these tables that we were able to sip our champagne and gossip whilst overlooking the Christmas chaos on the streets of the rocks below. A most entertaining start to our evening.

Once the gaggle of geese had all arrived and were slightly champagned-up due to the speedy and efficient service, we headed to our table. Beautiful menus had been created to cater to the tastes of all ladies present and we had a choice of three entrees and three mains. Each dish had been carefully matched with a wine to bring out the flavours and we chose accordingly.

Remi was brilliant! First the wines came out and he spoke about each of the different styles and why they worked with the dishes we had ordered. Then before we became too engrossed in our wines, conversation and delicious meals, he made us play a mystery wine game. We each looked at the colour, smelled and tasted our wines. Then Remi asked us a series of questions and eliminated people along the way until we only had one winner.

It was a seriously fabulous evening spent learning, laughing and spreading Christmas cheer. We each paid $100 which we organised at the beginning of the night to avoid having to deal with the bill at the end. This included sparkling and nibbles on arrival, a substantial two course meal with matching wine, wine for our tasting game, a private room with two waiters and the personal service of the Marketing and Events Manager of this amazing wine venue. Now if that is not value I don't know what is.

This is not only a wine bar with fabulous food and brilliant wines, but it is a true experience where you can explore. Definitely on my must do Sydney wine list. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac

How to Host a Wine Dinner

There is nothing more fabulous than being invited to a wine dinner at a private residence, except when that wine dinner is hosted by rock star wine maker Lisa McGuigan at her black and white themed apartment. While Lisa is clearly my cousin, she is also most certainly a master at hosting an outstanding dinner party. The following blog is simply a recap of one of the best wine functions I have ever attended. The idea being, that if you understand how an amazing dinner party is held, you will be inspired to host your own. Just remember, the excellence comes with the detail!

At 6:00pm on Wednesday evening 20th November a well dressed crowd began appearing in the lobby of a newly renovated building overlooking Sydney's lush green Hyde Park. Once through the grand three metre front doors, guests were ushered in the lift and landed high into the city skyline. An open front door and a sweet border collie named Lois Lane welcomed guests into the ultra modern apartment overlooking the St Mary's Cathedral. 

Transforming overnight from grey thunderous skies, the skyline was clear as day. Guests marvelled at the beauty of our city whilst sipping 2002 vintage Pommery and listening to the enchanting strums from the Harpist at the centre of the balcony. From 6:00 - 7:00pm the champagne flowed, whilst smartly dressed and meticulously mannered waitstaff served lobster cocktails. 

At 7:00pm on the dot, Lisa rounded up her guests and asked them to take their seats at the table. Each seat had a beautifully written place card with the name of the guest on both sides so guests on either side of each other, and across the table could call each other by name. A menu was coiled and tied with Lisa's signature black leather which reminded you of her rock'n'roll style.

Everyone was seated in an orderly fashion along the long table for 24 and made small talk with their new neighbour. Those who had been involved in organising the event were spaced along the table amongst guests in order to keep the conversation flowing. Each dinner guest had three glasses of wine in front of them and a water glass to ensure a clean palate. The white wines were poured from left to right with the lightest on the left hand side and the heaviest on the right. With the amazing catering of Mason Rose we enjoyed thinly sliced turkey with a white sauce and pistachios and cranberries. The wines were from the new vintage of Lisa McGuigan's wines the first was the Wild Semillon, the second was the flagship Pinot Gris and the third a lightly oaked Chardonnay. Such a selection was an easy talking point amongst newly acquainted guests and worked perfectly with the light white meat dish.

Guests were asked before the first speech commenced to choose their main from a selection of three. One meat dish, one fish and one vegetarian. It is essential to request dietary requirements of guests before they arrive to avoid embarrassment. Again guests were provided with three Lisa McGuigan red wines, the first being the recently James Halliday four star awarded Pinot Noir, second, the Vanessa Vale Shiraz and finally the Platinum labelled Hunter Valley Shiraz.

Always the life of the party, Lisa spoke with her guests throughout the evening about the wines that they were drinking. Why they matched the carefully selected menu and how guests should taste wine to get the most out of it. By dessert time, guests were moving freely around the table and happily chatting as though they had known each other for years.

The key to any spectacular wine dinner is attention to detail. From the moment the guests arrive to the moment they depart you must be in control of the experience and have a plan for what happens next. This type of planning will ensure that the event goes off smoothly, and even if there is a drama you will be better equipped to deal with it. It also helps to have a talented wine maker, but if not just make sure you have heaps of personality and know how to bluff!

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac :)

Mornington Peninsula Adventure with Lisa Lye

This month has been super busy with work and my gorgeous friend Lisa and I decided that a mid month reprieve to the Mornington Peninsula was exactly what we needed. To give our little getaway the respect it deserved we took the Friday off and headed from the bustling streets of Melbourne's CBD straight down the M11 just after lunch on Friday and headed for the coast. After a short drive of just over an hour we arrived at the idyllic Red Hill in the Mornington Peninsula which is characterised by huge gum trees that line the streets. 

After exiting the highway, we drove for another five minutes into another world. Turning left off the bitumen we turned into Lindenderry Winery and immediately the stresses and noise of the city was washed away. Greeted by the friendly Damien at the front desk we were swiftly checked in, upgraded to a larger suite with a view of their beautiful gardens and promised that a bottle of chilled Moët and Chandon would be delivered to our room. Nice! All I could think was 'Well done Lisa'! The afternoon was spent drinking champagne and catching up whilst enjoying freshly made scones and jam. Quite clearly the perfect start to an Alex Mac adventure.

For dinner we moseyed on along to the locally acclaimed restaurant 10 Minutes By Tractor which was about 5 minutes down the road by taxi. While the restaurant was pleasant and the food quite delicious it all seemed rather fussy to me. Small portions of artistic style food is not really my thing, especially when it is accompanied by a snooty sommelier who tells you that he can see what type of patron you are by the price of the wine you order! That said, the wine was delicious and very reasonably priced. It is unfortunate that they do themselves the disservice by representing their brand with such employees.

Our second day was just as fabulous. Starting with a tasting at the cellar door of Lindenderry Winery we tasted all they had to offer including sparkling, Chardonnay and Pinot noir, with the 2010 Pinot being the pick of the bunch. After a reprieve at the Red Hill day spa, we continued on our journey with some new recommendations to Peringa Estate which was definitely a great find. The tasting costs you $4.00 and you get to taste close to 20 wines. For someone who is learning about wine this is the place to go as you can really taste the difference between different varieties and vintages. Definitely worth a visit.

Finally we stopped at the Main Ridge Dairy which was super cute. The dairy is set up so visitors can taste all the different types of goats cheese, whilst also having a beautifully designed farm which allows guests to look out onto the property and watch the kids (baby goats) as they play fight and try to knock each other off the obstacle in the paddock.

After our $10 tasting plate we packed ourselves up in the car and headed back to Melbourne refreshed and ready to tackle the coming week. Is it just me or does time go by faster as you get older?

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac :)

Cape Mentelle Wine Dinner at the Winery

Last night I went to an awesome wine dinner at the Winery Surry Hills which show cased a number of different wines from Cape Mentelle in the Margaret River. Cape Mentelle is the sister winery of the well known Cloudy Bay and produces wines that are traditionally made in the Bordeaux region of France. Their range of wines include a Semillon Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Merlot and Shiraz which we tasted at the dinner accompanied with some delicious food.

Morton Bay Bugs & Chardonnay

We started the evening with a glass of the Cape Mentelle Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2013 which the Chief Wine Maker Rob Mann described as fresh and lively. Generally I am not one for Sauvignon Blanc however the blend with Semillon seems to soften the taste and make it more palatable. Still not my first choice though.

Our first course was Roast Morton Bay Bugs served with a delicious dressing and a 2011 Chardonnay. The wine initially seemed heavy when I sipped it on its own, however when paired with the Morton Bay Bugs and creme fraiche sauce it was simply heavenly. The mixture of the creamy sauce with the medium bodied was just the perfect pair and definitely my pick of the night.

Pork Belly & 2011 Cab Merlot

The second course was slow cooked pork belly with artichoke, eggplant and prunes paired with a 2011 Cabernet Merlot. The food was absolutely delicious but the wine was just too young and tannic for me. What I mean by that is that there was a presence of the flavour like when you bite into a grape and accidentally chew the seed. Over time tannins in big reds soften and create delicious drinking wines that become smooth and fill the entire palate.

The third course was a small portion of seared venison with pancetta, beets and truffle served with a big 2011 Shiraz. Again, the food was delicious but the wine seemed too young to be serving. I am no expert but it seemed to be made of all the stuff of a good wine, just too young.

Rob Mann Senior Wine Maker at Cape Mentelle

I asked the wine maker whether he thought that the reds could benefit from some time in the bottle and he surprised me by saying that they were perfect to drink now. He also said that they had moved entirely to screw cap and that wines don't age as much under screw cap. This seems to be a great shame as they were delicious wines but simply had not had the time to evolve to their potential and seemingly never will.

All in all though we had a fabulous time and had the opportunity to meet some great people. I would definitely recommend checking out some of the wine events at the Winery in Surry Hills.

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac x

Divine Intervention

Last night was one of those nights, a simple Monday evening that would begin like all others but yet end as a defining moment. You know the type that I am taking about, those moments that are so coincidental that they couldn't possible be an accident. A moment of pure fate sent from above! Maybe I am exaggerating here a little, but hear me out. You may or may have not noticed that I have taken a little sabbatical from my blog. No excuses necessary, however after my mother passed away last year I lost my mojo and stepped off the wine scene for a while.

In April a friend told me about a new website called Airbnb and suggested that since I travel so often that I could rent my apartment. I started renting it on occasion and in June was contacted by a French lady by the name of Aline Baly. She requested to stay longer than I usually accept and we began corresponding more so than usual to organise. Aline mentioned that she would be hosting some wine master classes on a marketing trip for her family wine company. To thank me for my hospitality she invited me to the Chateau Coutet Master Class presented by Five Ways Cellars owners Ian and Prue Cook at their magnificent family home in Annandale.

I met Aline at my apartment and she looked quintessentially French.  Wearing ballet flats, a pashmina flung loosely across the shoulder and a Longchamp bag she looked effortlessly chic.

A quick cab ride away and we arrived at the Cook residence. Greeted by our friendly hosts with oysters and champagne we mingled among the other guests as everyone arrived. One gentleman asked me what I thought of Sauternes and whether I drink it often? Luckily we were called to the table before I had to give an answer. Phew, that was close!

Aline took control of the formalities like a star and had her audience captivated with her knowledge. Accompanied by home made Parmesan biscuits, chicken liver pâté, onion tart and cheese soufflé we tasted some of the most interesting and delicious wines I have ever come into contact with. The wines of Sauternes are sweet wines produced when the botrytis fungas attacks the grapes. We were encouraged to drink the wines with savoury food which was a first. To my delight the pairings were delicious.

Aline Baly & Ian Cook

My expertise in the specifics of the region still have a long way to go. However I can say that the experience of being invited into someone's home, to drink truly spectacular wine with delicious food is simply heaven. An experience that could only be topped by the host being one of Bordeaux's finest!

The crazy thing in all of this is that I had almost lost the drive behind my love of wine when my mother passed away. The coincidence to be sent Aline as a random guest in my apartment is just too great. It is clearly nothing less than divine intervention.

Until next time. Have a glass for me. Alex Mac

7 of the worlds most extreme wine cellars

I just received a link to the latest Concrete Playground newsletter which highlights 7 of the world's most extreme wine cellars. They are pretty AMAZING!!! Check it out

Here is a sneak preview.

Multi-million dollar estate, Tennessee

Modern Pacific Heights, San Francisco

Summer time wine - Rose

Last weekend was the first AlexMacWine Club of 2013 and we were all thinking pink! Rose is one of those wines that just beacons a summer day filled with sand between your toes and the smell of sizzling sausages wafting through the air. To pay homage to the summer time satisfier, this month's wine club was held poolside in Mona Vale.

Our host Laura, explained to her fellow wine clubbers that anything that starts with the letter P generally goes with Rose including prawns, pate, and pork. It is a wine that is generally made to drink now and should be served chilled, sometimes even with ice as is often done in the south of France.

We started the session off with a delicious glass of Rose Chandon. Interestingly sparkling rose is often made by mixing the juice of red and white wines. It is generally sweeter than its white counterparts and is a lovely point of difference to bring to a party. 

Each member brought a rose and we tried the Robert Stein 2012 Rose from Mudgee made with Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, the 2011 Arrogant Frog Rose made with Syrah, the 2012 A.Retief rose from the Canberra district made from Cabernet Sauvignon, and the original and still one of the best a cuvee Mateus from Portugal.

Each wine demonstrated different characteristics. The Mateus was deep in colour, slightly sweet with a fizz on the tongue. The bottle was also an interesting and telling shape which made the blind tasting difficult not to cheat. 

The arrogant frog was everything but. A delicious and friendly wine that sells for a steal $10 per bottle. This wine was definitely stiff competition for other pricier counterparts.

The Robert Stein and A.Retief were the most similar in style. They had lighter shades of pink, which I am coming to learn means a drier style of rose, stronger berry aromas on the nose and much greater length, meaning the flavour stays in your mouth for a long time after.

As you can see, we had a fabulous time and there was very little left! But that always seems to be the case with wine club... go figure!?

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac

Dickens Cider

I know that this is a wine blog however being a consumer and an enthusiast of a variety of different alcohols I think that it is necessary to mention the notable 'Dickens Cider House' in Launceston. 

Having been so lucky to taste some of the delicious wines from the south of Tasmania we continued our journey north and finally after hours of driving we reached our destination of Launceston. As you would know, driving is thirsty work and whilst on route we dreamed of taking that first sip of perfectly brewed apple cider that would quench a thirst of kings. 

I make the assumption (rightly or wrongly) that the readership of this blog is mostly women so I will take the liberty of labouring the name of 'Dick-ens Ci-der' which provided many giggles amongst the group before it even occurred to me that there would be something mildly amusing about the name.

Needless to say, the amusement caused meant that a trip to the Tasmanian cider producers local haunt was a necessity. And what a pleasant surprise! One of the great joys of travelling in my opinion is that you can simply be passing through a place that is a normal functional city but without significant importance to your travels, when all of a sudden you find a gem of a place that leaves an impression and makes it to the permanent memory bank of your stories. 'Dickens Cider House' in the little city of Launceston, Tasmania is one of those little gems and if you ever happen to pass through, you must stop for a cider with the locals.

It is a cosy little place with friendly staff who know all about the Dickens story and are more than willing to chat to anyone who sits up at the bar for a bevie. Up the back are more comfy seats and if you are feeling peckish you can get the bar staff to order you a pizza from across the road. Definitely worth a look in.

You can find it at  63a Brisbane St, Launceston or check out their wares at their website. http://www.dickenscider.com.au/

That's all for now. Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac xxx

Beautiful Tasmania

Well hello there! I have just returned from an amazing food and wine extravaganza in Tasmania. It was my first time there and I couldn't believe how absolutely beautiful it was. The little island below the Victorian mainland definitely bats above its weight and is worth a visit from any mainlander who is yet to venture across the Tasman and especially anyone who has travelled the minimum 8 hour flight to get down under.

As we were travelling in a group with cars and motorbikes we met in Melbourne and caught the Spirit of Tasmania to Devonport. This was a long day but well worth the effort to have all out gear with us. We only stayed one night in Devonport before heading to Marion Bay for the Falls Festival over New Year, however there are plenty of wineries in the area to check out if you make it to Devonport. 

Sparkling in a our festival glasses

The festival was rustic and fun. We enjoyed the simple things in life like beautiful countryside, sleeping in a tent on a grass paddock with 16,000 other festival goers and drinking wine out of a bag that one of our crew ingeniously smuggled into the concert in the panel of the car door of his ute. 

Whilst very entertaining it wasn't until we hit the Taste Festival in Hobart that we really begun to see the culinary and viticultural skills of Tasmania shine. Similar to any other food and wine festival, local producers join together for 7 days along the Harbour of Salamanca and show off their wares. The best thing about this festival in particular is that it is free! All you have to do to try each and every wine is buy a $7 plastic glass which you use to get a sample of the different wines.

The festival deal at Clover Hill 

The restaurants around the Salamanca area also bat above their weight. It is hard to believe that Hobart only has a population of around 200,000 people. Along the foreshore there are a number of excellent restaurants with fresh produce and great wine lists. The one thing you might notice however is that when there are a few more people than expected the unsuspecting waitstaff tend to get a little hot under the collar and you might end up waiting some time for service or be denied a table at all even though there are some free. 

That said we only got turned away once and we found a perfectly acceptable substitute right next door at 'The Quarry'. The other little treat we found was the wine bar 'The Grape' from the photo below you can probably tell what an amazing selection of wine they had from Tasmania, Australia and around the world. Definitely worth a look in. 

It is a really cosy little wine bar and bottle shop where you can sample many different wines. They also have delicious platters with flavours to make the wines pop.

The Grape Wine Bar Salamanca

Blimy, already a full post and we have only made it to Hobart. Keep checking in and I will share the rest of my Tasmanian wine adventures. 

Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac xxx