Dear Criss,

Last Friday, Wine House hosted the Icon Dinner with Max Allen. According to all who attended, this was a magnificent dinner. The wines were fantastic, the food was perfect and Max was a triumph. We will definitely be doing a dinner similar to this in the New Year, so keep your eyes peeled. The next and final dinner for the year that we have booked is the Champagne & Sparkling Dinner on Friday the 28th November. Some fantastic Champagne and sparkling wines will be served at this dinner, so book in early to avoid missing out. This Saturday, we are holding the Plenty o' Pinot tasting and will have a look at some excellent Pinot from Australia and NZ, matched to some tasty nibbles. Gill's 3rd and final wine course for the year is quickly filling up and will commence on Wednesday 12th November. This will be a "mini course" that will run for 3 weeks only. Finally, Matt and Gill have selected the wines of the week and we have a touch of "bubbly" Wine House trivia for you all!

We hope you enjoy,

From the Team at Wine House

No grape variety is more vulnerable to the vagaries of soil and climate than Pinot Noir. Sometimes known as the "heartbreak grape", Pinot is a variety grown only by the adventurous and patient and, as Parker states, "When it's great, Pinot noir produces the most complex, hedonistic, and remarkably thrilling red wine in the world...". Come to this tasting and find out why for yourself....

Available on tasting will be:

As always, the tasting, and the learning, is free! Nibbles to cleanse your palates will be on hand! No need to book, just rock up on the day!
 

Please e-mail sales@winehouse.com.au or call the store on 03 9698 8000 for more information!!

Picturing a flute of bubbles immediately conjures up notions of decadence, celebration, happiness, joy and goodwill. If wine is something that is to be enjoyed, sparkling wine is something that can brighten the night (or day), spark flames, start conversations and ignite passion.

It also tastes pretty good too!

This year our Sparkling/Champagne dinner will be even more spectacular than last year's.

The bubbles to be showcased in this dinner will be:
- Chandon Tasmanian Cuvee 2005
- Chandon Vintage Brut 2005
- Pelorus Vintage 2004
- Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV
- Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage 2000
- Ruinart Rose NV
- Veuve Clicquot Demi-Sec NV

Food served throughout the evening will be degustation style, as this is the traditional champenois approach. The menu will be matched perfectly to the season as well as the champagnes and sparkling wine. A full menu will be announced closer to the date.

With the assurance of being a beautiful night, this will be our last dinner for the year, so get in quick.

Champagne & Sparkling Dinner 28/11/08 - $195 per head.

Please e-mail sales@winehouse.com.au or call the store on 03 9698 8000 to secure your seats!!

Torbreck "The Steading" Grenache Mataro Shiraz 2005, Barossa Valley, SA.

James Halliday 91 Points!

Wine Advocate 93 Points!

You can tell why this is one of Dave Powell's favourite wines in the Torbreck portfolio. This is one of the best representations of a top-end Chateauneuf du Pape that Australia produces. Source from some of the Barossa's oldest vines that were lucky enough to escape the 1980s vine pull scheme, this is an earthy blend of Grenache (60%), Shiraz (20%) & Mataro (20%). Beautiful notes of earth, spice, leather and dried herbs marry delicately with dark brooding fruits of black raspberry and blackcurrant. Powerful, complex, rich and addictive!

$39.56 in a dozen | $43.95 per bottle

Once again, the boys from Aus Dom Wines have created a monster - in the nicest sense of the word. The 2005 Solitary Block was sourced from Greenock sub region of Barossa, however this year they have released two Solitary Block Shirazes, one from Marananga and one from Kalimna. The Kalimna is a power house Shiraz - inky in the glass with a terrific concentration. The fruit in this wine is amazing showing complex aromas of blackberry and dark plums and it shows masses of earthy spice, white pepper and perfect, French oak. A savoury, unctuous Shiraz for the long haul, and one well worth the wait. 

$47.25 in a dozen | $52.50 per bottle

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008, Marlborough, NZ.
This is without a doubt one of the most iconic and famous NZ Sauvignon Blancs on the p***t. It is quintessentially Marlborough. The 2008 is incredibly aromatic, with gorgeous hints of passionfruit, gooseberry and a steely backbone that carries it beautifully to the back of the palate. It shows some great spicy notes with vegetative characters similar to that of capsicum, red capsicum to be precise. The acidity is as zingy as expected, with an impressive finish of fresh lime zest. As the weather is heating up, grab a few bottles of this cracker and have it with a Thai beef salad or some freshly steamed mussels!!
$35.06 in a dozen | $38.95 per bottle

Gill's 3 Picks!

Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc is starting to emerge as a clear rival to Cloudy Bay. Each vintage this winery goes from strength to strength and no wonder as the vines are some of the oldest in the Marlborough region. The 2008 has concentrated passion fruit aromas with a palate that is bursting with flavours of citrus and tropical fruit. Lively, racy acidity ensures this is no bland Sauvignon Blanc! Winestate describes the wine as: "Concentrated, mineral accents and fleshy sweet-and-sour nectarine notes carry through the lingering finish. Drink now!" 

$23.85 in a dozen | $26.50 per bottle

Wine Spectator 93 Points!

The Hillside Shiraz offers a great value wine fashioned in the same vein as the famous Kay Brother 'Block 6' Shiraz. It's just made from fruit from younger vines. But the quality shines through; the colour is darkest purple red, the aroma is a complex blend of ripe berry fruit, mocha coffee and vanilla and the palate is velvet soft with black forest gateaux, coffee, plumy fruit and a hint of cloves. "Bright red fruits, particularly fresh and vibrant on the bouquet, deeply fruited and long." Rating 94 - James Halliday Wine Companion 2009
$38.95 on SPECIAL | normally $44.95 per bottle

If you hadn't noticed there is a whole new wave of Aussie Chardonnay being quietly introduced onto the market by producers trying to get this grape variety back into favour. Helen's Hill from the Yarra Valley is a shining example of a more austere, lighter, fruitier chardonnay with a lovely silky mouth feel and restrained use of oak. The wine is seamless, subtle and delicate (when was the last time you used those adjectives to describe an Australian Chardonnay?) If the thought of spitting oak chips turns you off this variety you simply must try this. We think you'll be delighted.

$24.26 in a dozen | $26.95 per bottle

For more information on our wines, or if you have any wine matching questions, comments or suggestions, please e-mail sales@winehouse.com.au or call the store on 03 9698 8000.
 

Three week wine course .... just announced!
 

This three week course, a shortened 'mini' version of the original, offers the chance to improve your wine knowledge and palate in a relaxed, fun environment. Class sizes are kept small to allow for plenty of interaction. Classes run from 6:30pm - 8:30pm and our held in the wine House function suite.

Topics covered include:
- wine evaluation techniques and wine terminology
- Grape variety characteristics
- Wine and food matching
- Cellaring wine

To date, we have held two 5 week courses at Wine House, and they have been immensely popular with all who attended. This third course is a shortened version, and will begin on Wednesday the 12th November. Click the date for more details. The cost of the course is $132 which includes six wines per session / tuition and handouts. Complete this course and you'll never be confused by a wine menu again and you will walk into every bottle shop and cellar door with complete confidence!
 

Wine Appreciation 3 Week Course 12/11/08 - $132 per head.

Please e-mail gill@winehouse.com.au or call the store on 03 9698 8000 to express your interest!!
 

Last week's question was...

Following on from the Crittenden feature this week, what are the differences between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio?

Congratulations Rhys.
"Pinot Gris and Grigio are the same grape variety - "gris" meaning "grey" in french, "grigio" meaning "grey" in italian. a relative of Pinot Noir (noir meaning black) the skin of the grape has a pale grey colour which can result in very slight pale grey tints in wine produced.
Pinot Gris tend to be more open and flowery - riper fruit flavours more akin to Australian style rich, ripe whites, Pinot Grigio tend to be leaner in fruit flavours on offer- tighter, more refined perhaps and often better suited to food where the textural qualities can match beautifully with dishes including chicken ravioli with cream sauce."

This week's question is...

Name a famous Champagne house that has introduced a new champagne to its portfolio.

For your chance to win a $30 voucher at Wine House, email your answer, with TRIVIA as the subject line, to sales@winehouse.com.au.  Extra consideration is given to detailed answers where many correct replies are received in a short time period.

WINE HOUSE . OLD & RARE WINES . BRASSERIE

133 Queensbridge Street, Southbank, Victoria 3006 Australia
tel: 61 3 9698 8000 | fax: 61 3 9698 8099
sales@winehouse.com.au   www.winehouse.com.au

Excludes E&O. All prices quoted in Australian Dollars and subject to freight charges where applicable. This newsletter has been sent to kallyorama@gmail.com. To change your details, please click here. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please reply to this email with '***' in the subject line.

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FUNCTION SPACE

Listed on our Brasserie website are various menu and beverage combinations that cover a majority of function needs. However every event is different so talk to us about your specific needs. Our function space has full audio/visual equipment for your use if a presentation or guest speaker is part of your event.

Download our Functions Pack

OLD & RARE WINES HOURS
 

Monday

Closed

Tuesday-Friday
11:00am - 7:00pm
 

Saturday
11:00am - 5:00pm

CONTACT

03 9698 8001 or

KIOSK TRADING HOURS
Monday-Friday
7.30am - 3:00pm
 

CONTACT
03 9698 8006 or

WINE EVENT CALENDAR

Icon Wine Dinner, 24th October.

Plenty o' Pinot Tasting, 1st November - FREE!

Champagne & Sparkling Dinner, 28th November.

View Tasting Calendar

WINE YOU WANT!

If you have wine you need please let us know so we can try and find that old or rare wine for you.

RECYCLE PACKS

Wine House frequently sends in Styrofoam boxes which we obtain second hand to help reduce environmental impacts. If you have packs and would like help recycle please bring them into the store.

REVIEWS

Quoted reviews are taken from the following sources:

www.jeremyoliver.com

www.erobertparker.com

www.winecompanion.com.au

www.winefront.com.au

www.winespectator.com

Penfolds Rewards of Patience

WINE FRIDGES

Wine House is proud to sell and use Kitchener Wine Cabinets. For more in formation on these specialty wine fridges please call the store to receive a broacher or to obtain quotes on fridge sizes.