Menu Dinner 862

 Thursday 19th June 2025 

Canapes . Braised lamb fritter, jus, mint oil . Mushroom arancini w truffle aioli . Seared scallop, lime creme fraiche, caviar 

1. Seppelts Show Sparkling 2008 

Entrée . Chicken Saltimbocca, potato gnocchi, pecorino 

2. Chablis Premier Cru Fourchaume 2023 

3. William Fevre Chablis 2014 

(PALETTE CLEANSER Lemon sorbet) 

Main . Sirloin Beef Strips, milanese risotto, vegetable ragu, parsnip 

4. Glaetzer Shiraz 1999 

5. Penfolds 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 

6. Mosswood Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 

Dessert . Honey chai panna cotta, lemon gel, chocolate honeycomb paint, pistachio biscotti 

7. Pizzini Brachetto 2022 

Food Master: Anthony Singleton 

Wine Master: Paul Martino 

Head Chef: Zach

Dinner 861

GRAINERY LANE

Thursday 15th May 2025

Canapes  Rockling Brandade Tartlet- Pickled Garden Fennel - Furikake . Tea smoked chicken - Nam Jim - Crisp Wanton - Green Mango  

NV Champagne Jacquart 

Entrée  Gin cured ocean trout - Pebre - Compressed Cucumber – Nori  

Heggies Estate Riesling 2018 . Seppelts Drumborg Vineyard Riesling 2016 

Main  Shiraz poached fillet of beef - Charred Onion Puree - Chicory - Whiskey Cream Jus – Gribiche  

Ashton Hills Pinot Noir 2010 . Giaconda Pinot Noir 2013  Tibooburra Solitude Pinot Noir 2008 

Dessert  Sable Breton - Vanilla Cream - White Peach & Cardamom Milk Ice Cream  

Chateau Guiraud Sauternes 2009 

Food Master: Anthony Singleton 

Wine Master: Paul Martino

Chef; Ben

Menu Dinner 860

Wine & Food Society of Ballarat Dinner 860 

Thursday 17th April 2025 

Canapes

 Spinach and Ricotta Baby Calzone 

Sticky Chicken Skewer “Alla Diavola” 

Saffron, Guanciale and Peas Croquette 

1. Pierre Peters Grand Cru Brut Reserve 

Entrée

 Baked Provolone Cheese with Black Truffle and Mushroom Duxelles and San Daniele Prosciutto served with Focaccia 

2. Sorrenberg Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2019 

3. Inama Soave 2021 

Main 

Crispy Pork Belly, Gratin of Potatoes, Braised Chickpeas with Cavolo Nero, Wine Jus

 4. Australia Felix Sagrantino 2013 

5. Lungarotti. Sagrantino Di Montefalco 2008 

6. Patrick Ducournau. Chapelle Lenclos Madiran. Tannat. 1998 

Dessert Delizia al Limone Lemon Gelato with Zesty Curd, Candied Lemon Rinds, Shortbread Crumb and Torched Meringue 

7. Royal Tokaji Gold Label 6 Puttonyos Aszú 2017 

Food Master: Anthony Singleton 

Wine Master: Paul Martino 

Head Chef: Chef Ben

Menu Dinner 859

Thursday 20th March 2025

Canapes 

Oyster, Seasoned Soy, Finger Lime

Pickled Mussels, Samphire, Dill, Sour Dough

Mushroon Skewers, Salsa Verde

2013 Heemskerk Coal River Valley Chardonnay Pinot Noir

Entrée 

Rock Flat Head, Smoked Tomato Water, Lemon Basil

2016 Tomboy Hill"The Tomboy" Chardonnay

2019 Clyde Park Block C Chardonnay

Main

Roasted Aged Duck Breast, Ruby Grapefruit, Witlof, Dauphinoise Potatoes

2008 Tibooburra Solitude Pinot Noir

2008 Maison de Grand Esprit Cote de Nuits-Villages

2016 Foradori Teroldego

Dessert

Pineapple Tart Tartin, Lime Ice Cream

2022 Saracco Moscato d’Asti

Food Master: Andrew Bradley

Wine Master: Paul Martino & Shaun English

Head Chef: Damien Jones

Treasurer’s Report

For the Year Ending 31 December 2024

For presentation at AGM 20 March 2024

It has been a pleasure to serve as Tresure of the club for the past year. 

Please find attached Financial Statements for the Year Ending 31 December 2024, comprising the Profit and Loss Statement & Balance Sheet for the Wine and Food Society. 

Of note from the financials:

Dinner Fees for the year were $34,409 (up from $30,930 LY)

Cellar Fees were $13,200 (up from $13,650 LY)

Dinner expenses were $29,435 (up from $27,235 LY)

Wine Purchases Were $14,316 for the year (up from ($8,465 LY)

Moving forward it is becoming increasingly difficult to cover the dinner expenses with $150 per head. It is recommended to increase dinner fees to $160. 

Wine prices have also continued to increase

Cellar fees for the year resulted in a deficit. The cellar has some gaps in it and the Wine master has requested more funds to replenish and restock the cellar. As such I recommend cellar fees be increase by the modest amount of $100 to $700 to allow for some restocking of wines. 

I look forward to the coming year and continuing to experience the incredible food and wine we have had the privilege of consuming over the past year. 

Yours Sincerely

Glenn Sharp

Treasurer

https://www.mediafire.com/file/hd32u231gfgii0b/WFS_Profit_and_Loss_2024.pdf/file

Wine master's Report

Ballarat Wine & Food Society Wine Master's Report 2024-2025.

Having now completed one full year in the Wine Master role, feel like I am getting to know our cellar and perhaps your tastes?

One aim I have for my time is to try and be a bit proactive in selecting some wines that are already at their peak and will only decline from here. To some extent those wines are at the pinot end of the wine spectrum!

We just enjoyed our second year of the local’s dinner, where this year we featured both Best Wines and Eastern Peake Winery. Special thanks to Hamish (Bests) and Norman (Eastern Peake) for making the time to share both their wines and their respective wineries history while we were treated to magnificent food by Laim Downes at Black Cat Truffles.

One trend I am noticing as a consumer of wine myself is the demand for grape varieties that sit outside those we typically grew up with. That combined with a desire to enjoy some of those grape varieties at a younger age, sometimes presents a challenge as a Wine Master selecting wines for your dinner when we have many aging wines that need to be drunk now. That said, as winter approaches, I will turn my attention to the older wines and try and select the best of the best for your drinking pleasure!

Special thanks to all those who have filled in for me when work commitments take me away on the third Thursday of the month. Thank you Glenn Sharp! Thanks to our President, Andrew Rowan and all on the committee for their work in putting our monthly dinner on. 

Special thanks to Bob House. Bob has mentioned before about a more “interactive blog”. I would love to see each of us sharing via Bob comments on a bottle the opened or a new winery, restaurant they ate and drank at. Let’s get behind this idea.

Thanks for your patience as I try and take the trainer wheels off in 2025!

President's report

President's Report 2024/25

2024 was another great year for the Society, with strong attendances at most dinners, averaging close to 20 attendees.

I would like to thank our food master, Andrew Bradley who introduced some new venues to our membership over the year. Highlights for me last year was the combined dinner with Beefsteak and Burgundy, the dinner we attended at the Underbar, as well as our most recent outing at Blackcat Truffles. The last 2 venues underscoring our wonderful culinary scene, in what many would say was a difficult year for the sector.

Thanks as well to our Wine Master Paul, who managed to serve up some wonderful wines, with out having to resort to ChatGPT (or so I’m told).  Having recently stepped out of that role, I can confirm that—even with our excellent cellar—the position comes with its own pressures. Each month, you must satisfy a discerning panel of dinner guests, and one wrong pour could see you (metaphorically) burned at the stake.

Equal thanks also goes to our Cellar Master Shaun, who is continuing to add great wines to the cellar, and in particular his focus on adding wines the we would “not normally drink at home”. It is note worthy to mention the Italian varietals he has added to the cellar for us to enjoy over the next few years.

Shaun has a well-developed contact list and a keen eye for a bargain, that enables him to source great wines at reasonable prices.

Thanks also to Glenn Sharp for keeping the accounts in good order and to Dean Stevens, who yet again fulfills the role of secretary for the Society, yes unglamourous as they may be (the role not the person) these jobs are an essential part of any organisation.

Finally, thank you all for your wonderful fellowship, good cheer and humor, and importantly your collective expertise when it comes to all things Wine and Food. I’m sure that I speak for not only the new comers to the scene, but also the longer term members, that each dinner we can go away a little more knowledgeable for the night.  For me the dinners are something that I very much look forward to each month.

“Wine is wonderful stuff. But so many people are put off by the snobbery of it.”

John Cleese

Andrew Rowan

17 March 2025