As the warm spring air breathes life back into our grapevines, we have decided it would be a perfect time to launch our new look Cork Club Newsletter! The newsletter has been aptly designed by the talented team at Mangold Sengers who, incidently, design / manage our website and are long time members of our Cork Club. Thank you guys!

I have returned to work after a stint as Associate Judge at the Hunter Valley wine show. This was my second year at the show, and I must say it would have to be one of the more enjoyable shows on the circuit for a young winemaker to become involved in. For a start there is the amazing experience gained from tasting 200 or so wines a day for three days; sure you walk away with black teeth and your tongue hanging out your mouth, but the exposure to such a diversity of wine styles and quality is uncomparable. In addition to the tasting, there is also a comprehensive schedule of social commitments that run over the show period.

Undoubtably, the highlight for me was the Chairman’s Dinner, held at The Rock Restaurant at Poole’s Rock; which incidently recieved 2 Chef’s Hats last week. The tradition of the Chairman’s Dinner was started by none other than the legendary Len Evans. The theme of the evening is great wine, and a chance for the Senior Judges to torment the Associates! I was instructed by the current Wine Show Chairman Iain Riggs to talk about a bracket of two outstanding Grand Cru red Burgundies; no easy task! Put two average wines in front of me and I could compare and contrast for hours, but present me with two, almost flawless examples, of a variety widely recognised as the Holy Grail of wine, in a room full of senior industry winemakers, writers, and sommeliers, and the task takes on new levels of difficulty! But in the true spirit of Evans, the evening was full of laughter, and everyone had a great time. Incidently, I brought along a Magnum of 1996 M.Chapoutier Ermitage “Le Meal” which drank beautifully; I think the Ultimo Wine Centre may have one left!

In other news, after enjoying a brief tenure as Cellar Door Manager, John Robertson has moved on to pursue a career in Human Resource Management. In his place, I am very pleased to welcome Michelle Ashpole into the position. Michelle comes with a wealth of experience gained from stints at Wyndham and De Bortoli wines, and will certainly be an asset to the team.

Matt Burton