Cellar Master's Report 2017

Wine & Food Society of BALLARAT

Cellar-Master’s Report  for 2017.

Thank you once more for allowing me to have the honour and privilege of being custodian to our (I’m sure) very enviable Wine Cellar!

As Cellar-Master it is always a challenge trying to determine the drinking preferences of the majority of the members, which older style wines are still being enjoyed and which newer styles are gaining favour as our palates change. And then trying to wade through and decide from a deluge of old and newer styles of wine being released!

In 2017 we consumed 238 bottles of wine as compared with 250 bottles the previous year, most of these came from our cellar with the remainder being generously donated by some of our members.

Throughout the year we purchased 255 bottles of wines at a cost of $13,414 (av. cost of $52.60 per bottle), whereas the previous year we purchased 269 bottles of wine at a cost of $14,188 (av. cost of $52.74 per bottle)

I have tried to maintain some of the more traditional wines but have needed to introduce some newer classics, where prices have become a bit prohibitive.

In the cellar we have 1462 bottles of wine with an approximate value of $117,864.

Taking into consideration our smaller sized cellar, maintaining approximately 1500 bottles of wine should suit our present needs, allowing some to mature as required and others to be enjoyed a little earlier.

Last but not least I wish to thank the President Mal Anderson, the Wine and Food Masters, Andrew and Andrew as well as the remaining committee members, for their support throughout the year, and also, the feedback from members, both good and bad was noted.

“To Wine! Those plump grapes’ Immortal Juice that does this happiness produce.”

John Coco

6th May 2018