Dear Criss,

After almost recovering from a week of racing fever, this week has flown by. Gill's 3 week wine course started yesterday, and the wines on tasting were enjoyed by all! We still have tickets available to our final dinner of the year, our Champagne & Sparkling Dinner on Friday the 28th November. To start a new tasting tradition, we have booked in our first Friday Night Tasting for TOMORROW (Friday 14th) night. We will be showcasing some fantastic European wines from 4.30 to 6.30 in the store. Check the calendar for info! Matt and Gill have selected some old, new and just plain fantastic wines of the week and we have a touch of cryptic Wine House trivia for you all!

We hope you enjoy,

From the Team at Wine House

This Friday, the 14th November, sees the launch of our long awaited "Friday Night Tastings" and will run in the store from 4:30pm - 6:30pm. Over the last few months, Gill and I have been on the hunt for some tasty European bottles. We thought, what better way to showcase them, than at our very first Friday evening tasting! Similar to our Saturday tastings in format, we have selected three whites and three reds for the evening. We think this line up represents great value for money, yet at the same time offering a true representation of the style and region that the wines come from. They are also very drinkable! Come and match them with some cheese and olives.

Available on tasting will be:

- Les Hauts Clochers Chardonnay 2005

As always, the tasting, and the learning, is free! There is no need to book, just rock up on the evening and enjoy!!
 

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!!

Cloudy Bay Pelorus 2004, Hawkes Bay, NZ.

There are a few standouts in the "not-quite-Champagne" category, and Cloudy Bay's Pelorus is major contender. The 2004 vintage is bursting with biscuity, bready, yeasty notes - they say reminiscent of a baker's oven. Interestingly, (possibly from the 60% Pinot Noir), there is a beautiful aroma of strawberries, red apples and roses that flows creamily onto the palate. Nougat with very faint hints of lemon also seduce you. This is gorgeous and would happily be drunk now, but could easily spend a few years developing complexity.

$39.56 in a dozen | $43.95 per bottle

James Halliday 92 Points!
Jeremy Oliver 93 Points!

Yum, yum and more yum! If you like Shiraz luscious, rich and smooth, then this Reserve is for you. From the acclaimed 2002 vintage (a stunning year for almost all of South Australia), this is approaching a really beautiful drinking window now. Backed up with lots of spice and chocolate, the main attractions of this wine are beautiful blackberry, cassis and ripe blackcurrant. This is an awesome wine, and although it will live on for another 5-10 years (at least), if you like Shiraz with concentration and elegance dancing a tight tango with each other, this is it!  

$56.70 in a dozen | $63 per bottle

Grosset "Springvale" Riesling 2008 , Marlborough, NZ.
James Halliday 96 Points!
Jeffrey Grosset has been making this particular Riesling for 28 years, and his dedication to the variety is mesmerising in this bottle. Known previously as the "Watervale" Riesling, in 2007, the name "Springvale" was added to the label, to emphasise the fact that this is now sourced exclusively from a single vineyard (much like its bigger sibling, Polish Hill). Declaring this as the greatest vintage since the 2002 'wonder year', Jeff is overwhelmed with this wine. It shows an abundance of fresh lime juice on the nose and has a purity and line that other producers envy. Drink it now, but it would go happily next to some Polish Hill in the cellar for 10 years to come!
$35.95 on SPECIAL | $42 RRP

Gill's 3 Picks!

James Halliday's Top 100 Wines 2008!

Included in Halliday's recently published top 100. Halliday says: Nine gold medals stretching from 2002 to 2007 demonstrate that this wine has been outstanding through its life so far. We say: Hunter valley Semillon doesn't get any better than this. This wine is starting to show fabulous honeyed lemon curd character but still has clean acidity which makes it a great accompaniment to pan fried fish today or alternatively it can be cellared for another six years at least.

$47.66 in a dozen | $52.95 per bottle

Nick Stock 94 Points!
Poor Clonakilla! In 2007, this producer had almost his entire crop destroyed by frost. As a result he was only able to make a tiny amount of the famed Shiraz Viognier from his own vineyard (which is almost certainly the best example of this blend in Australia). However he was able to source grapes from around the Canberra district that went into making this Shiraz, which also has 2% Viognier added. At half the price of his Shiraz Viognier, the O'Riada is remarkably close in style. Decant this wine and you will have a lifted, aromatic, smooth wine with fine powdery tannins. Cellaring will most definitely be rewarded.
$35.06 in a dozen | $38.95 per bottle

London International Wine Challenge White Winemaker of the Year 2008!

This premium Marlborough producer has a lot to boast about. Winemaker Matt Thompson won White Winemaker of the year at the London International Wine Challenge in September 2008. His Pinot Gris is drinking beautifully right now with aromas of pear, supported by underlying bread crust and marzipan with delicate floral notes. Palate: A medium-bodied wine with a refreshing and full palate showing ripe pear and apricot along with a touch of spice. An excellent balance with a long, lingering finish.

$17.96 in a dozen | $19.95 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.
 

Last week's question was...

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

Congratulations David. A very comprehensive response:
-Pol Roger with 'Pure' their first zero-dosage
-Bollinger with their 'Multi' Vintage Rose
-Krug....'Clos du Ambonnay' 100% Blanc de Noirs partner to Clos de Mesnil
-Piper-Heidsieck 'Rare'- with the release of 4 vintages 1999,1998,1988,1979 More a relaunch of an earlier existing product
-Mumm- the relaunch of the Rene Lalou prestige cuvee
-Nicolas Feuillatte -Brut Extrem...a zero-dosage blend

This week's question is...

Who makes a wine with a left hander?

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

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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.

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OLD & RARE WINES HOURS
 

Tuesday-Friday
11:00am - 7:00pm
 

Saturday
11:00am - 5:00pm

Sunday & Monday

Closed

CONTACT

03 9698 8001 or

KIOSK TRADING HOURS
Monday-Friday
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WINE EVENT CALENDAR

European Friday Tasting, Friday 14th 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.