A Culinary Experience of Alex Retief Wines and exceptional food by The Caterer Sydney

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The Caterer Sydney, Urban Winery Sydney and Stedmans Hospitality joined forces to present the Culinary Experience: an event where award winning wines by Alex Retief were matched with exceptional food at the Urban Winery Sydney on Thursday 9 February 2017.

The Urban Winery Sydney is located in the backstreets of St Peters in newly revived area called Precinct 75, which used to be the old Taubman’s site. It is Australia’s first large scale urban winery and consists of two rooms: a bar area and a barrel room with a long table. It has a capacity of 60 people and holds regular wine tasting and wine blending masterclasses.

Alex Retief produces a range of wines using New South Wales grapes including sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, rosé, a field blend, mataro, shiraz, tempranillo and petit verdot. Guests were served these wines with dishes that were made to match. In addition, guests were served a Rosé Spritzer made with 60ml of rosé, 20ml of elderflower syrup, 60ml of soda water and a rosemary sprig for a garnish.

The Caterer Sydney put together an exceptional menu of canapés to pair with the Rosé Spritz including: freshly shucked oysters with lemon and cracked pepper; jamon with nectarine and pursiane; blini with creme fraiche, caviar and chives; beef tartare; and truffled potato gems. They also created small dished to match all the wines including: local calamari, grilled on hibachi with peas, yuzu and wild garlic vinaigrette matched with 2014 A. Retief Sauvignon Blanc from Tumbarumba NSW; fresh blue swimmer crab in brown butter with macadamia puree and asparagus matched with 2014 A. Retief Sauvignon Blanc from Tumbarumba NSW; yabbies with tomato, shallot, tarragon vinegar, and shellfish dressing matched with 2014 A. Retief Chardonnay from Tumbarumba NSW; duck rillettes with crisp skin, confit heirloom carrots, cherry gel, oat crumble and pickled cherry jus served with 2015 A Retief Tempranillo from Gundagai NSW; wagyu rump on hibachi with white onion puree and pickled oyster mushrooms served with either 2015 A Retief ‘Field Blend’ from Hilltops NSW or 2013 A Retief Bio-dynamic Shiraz from Gundagai NSW; and bruleed fig with fresh honeycomb and black tahini yoghurt matched with 2014 A. Retief Chardonnay from Tumbarumba NSW.

Urban Winery Sydney is located at Suite 6.01, Precinct 75, 75 Mary Street St Peters. NSW 2044

For more information about the Urban Winery Sydney, go to: http://urbanwinerysydney.com.au/

For more information about Stedmans Hospitality, go to: http://www.stedmans.com.au/

For more information about The Caterer Sydney, go to: http://thecaterersydney.com.au/

 

So Frenchy So Chic in the Park – a day of celebrating French culture, food, wine and music

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Crowds packed Bicentiennial Park, Glebe on Saturday 21 January 2016 for the annual, So Frenchy So Chic in the Park, a French festival of food, wine and music.

Renault was one of the proud sponsors of the event and they provided chauffeur driven vehicles to all their guests (which included me) to travel to and from the event in comfort. On the way there, I experienced all the features of the Renault Koleos including the advanced safety features, the intuitive R-link 2 sat-nav and the premium accoustic performance of the BOSE® audio system.

At the festival, Sydneysiders had a day of joie de vivre, with French delicacies from a selection of gourmet food stalls, French wine and beer from a number of pop-up bars and live music from four impressive French bands. Kids also had lots of fun at the kids zone getting their faces painted and playing a number of lawn games.

In the Renault private picnic area, food was supplied by fine food caterer Simmone Logue. Guests enjoyed: a lunch picnic box consisting of a baguette filled with poached chicken, tarragon mayonnaise, charred peppers and butter lettuce, a braised leek and gruyere quiche with buttery creme fraiche pastry, a salad jardinere with French bean and julienne vegetables, a lemon curd cheesecake and petit four chocolate ganache tart; an cheese picnic box with a variety of cheeses (Bon-Mon-Sire, Bieu Auvergne la Veronne and Comte 6 months), accompanied by quince paste, strawberries, grapes and a crusty baguette; and a dessert box of red, white and blue macarons. All this was watered down with Laurent Perrier champagne and a selection of French wines.

The line-up of French musicians was impressive. The four bands were: Nouvelle Vague, The Liminanas, Bertrand Belin, and Deluxe. Nouvelle Vague means new wave and are considered the royalty of French contemporary music. They have had a number famous female lead singers (including Camille, Melanie Pain and Vanessa Paradis) and they return to Sydney for the first time since 2012. The Liminanas comes from Perpignan, South of France. They sing in both French and English and echo the sensuality of 60s French pop and American rock. Brittany born and Paris based Bertrand Belin is a jack of all trades. He is an actor, writer and funk-folk musician. He has five albums and is one of France’s most fascinating singers. Deluxe comes from Aix-en-Provence and progressed from humble buskers to sell-out concerts in Europe. They were the final act and people in the crowd told me that they came especially to see them.

During the day people were enjoying their picnics and at night they were all dancing near the stage.

For more information about So Frenchy So Chic in the Park, go to: http://www.sofrenchysochic.com.au/

For more information about Renault Koleos, go to: http://www.renault.com.au/vehicles/suv/koleos/koleos/intens

           

The Grove Rooftop Bar launches in Haymarket Sydney

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Novotel Sydney Central unveiled their new outdoor bar, The Grove Rooftop Bar, to over 100 media and influencers on Thursday 19 January 2017.

The bar is located on the eighth floor of Novotel Sydney Central, Haymarket and nestled within the hotel’s outdoor garden on a converted putt-putt course.

The pop-bar has a relaxed casual atmosphere featuring fairy and festoon lighting, director chair seating, recycled timber furniture (that conceal the holes of the former mini golf course) and green synthetic turf.

The Grove Rooftop offers a selection of beers served in cans, along with a limited selection of wines and spirits. The wines on offer include: McWilliams Markview Brut; McWilliams High Altitude Pinot Grigio; Essenza Sauvignon Blanc; McWilliams Chardonney; McWilliams Bagtown Pinot Noir; McWilliams High Altitude Shiraz; and McWilliams Cabernet Merlot.

Guests also enjoyed two cocktails on the night: Solerno Serata (made of Solerno, pink grapefruit juice, orange bitters, and sparkling water) and Hendrick’s Sunburnt Fizz (made of Hendrick’s Gin, slices of cucumber, lime, mango nectar, sugar syrup and mineral water).

The menu consists of crowd pleasers such as sweet potato fries with house made truffle oil and organic honey, wedges with sweet chilli and sour cream, loaded fries topped with bacon, melted cheese and chipotle mayo, and nacho style hot chips loaded with spicy ground beef, melted mozzarella, jalapeño and sour cream.

The Grove Rooftop Bar uses five UE Boom’s Mega Boom Bluetooth speakers to deliver music to the venue. The speakers are weather and shock proof, and pump out incredible 360-degree sound.

The Grove Rooftop is open to Novotel Sydney Central guests and external patrons from Wednesday to Sunday from 5:30pm until 10pm until 31 March 2017.

For more information about the Grove Rooftop Bar visit www.novotelsydneycentral.com.au or call +61 2 9281-6888

The Sydney Festival Village comes alive with great James Estate Wines that can be matched with the food

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While many may attend the Sydney Festival to see the world’s best performing and visual arts, others are flocking to the Sydney Festival Village to sample the food and wine on offer.

The Sydney Festival Village (running from 7 – 29 January 2017) has plenty of delicious eats and exceptional James Estate Wine at the heart of the city at Hyde Park.

James Estate Wines is the official wine partner of the Sydney Festival and has introduced their 2016 wine varietals to the Festival including their Chardonnay, Verdelho, Sweet Surrender (a sweet Semillon), Rose, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and, the most popular drink this summer, Frosé (frozen Rose). The whites are crisp and vibrant and the reds are the richest varietals.  James Estate wines are 100 percent grown in the Upper Hunter region of Baerami, and each wine is a reflection of the varietals the Hunter does best.

These wines can all be purchased from the Sydney Festival x James Estate Wine Bar for $9.50 with a $2 deposit on the glass, which is refunded when you finish your last drink and return the glass.

The Sydney Festival x James Estate Wine Bar is the perfect place to kick back in the afternoon after work during the warm summer nights. You can grab your favourite wine and match it with the food from the food outlets.

Below, I matched the wines from the following food outlets: Sake Restaurant, Mary’s Newtown, Fratelli Fresh and Bodega..

The most common grape grown in the Upper Hunter Region is the Chardonnay grape. The wine is characterised by its rich, oaky flavours and with peachy and cream notes. Chardonnay can be paired with a variety of food including poultry, pork and seafood, especially those with a heavy cream and butter base. Also, oysters, salmon, crab cakes and cheeses match well.

At the Festival, the 2016 Estate Chardonnay matched with the Sake’s famous prawn shumai with spicy ponzu from Sake Restaurant, the Duck Ragu pasta with orange, bitter chocolate and grana padano from Fratelli Fresh, and the fried chicken wings from Mary’s Newtown.  It also would have matched with the Grilled Chicken pie (leek and tarragon pie with creamed corn) from Porteno, which I did not try.

  

The 2016 Estate Verdelho has tropical aromas of banana and peach with a dry palate of passionfruit and grapefruit and a zesty finish.  It matches perfectly with spicy Asian dishes and seafood.

At the Festival, the 2016 Estate Verdelho was matched with the Yeah Dog (pork hot dog, fried onion, mustard, ketchup, cheese sauce) from Mary’s Newtown.

The 2016 Sweet Surrender (a sweet semillon) is partially fermented and bottled. It has tropical notes of passionfruit, green melon, and peach with a lingering citrus flavour. Due to the partial fermentation, it is great as an aperitif served with canapes and cheeses.

At the Festival, the 2016 Sweet Surrender was matched with Fratelli’s crispy squid loaded hot dog with Italian seasoning, lime aioli, parmesan fross in a brioche bun.

The 2016 Estate Rose is a blend of Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. It has aromas of fresh strawberries, watermelon and a hint of cinnamon and a juicy palete of red berry fruit and spice. It is perfect with a cheese platter or a barbecue lunch.

At the Festival, the 2016 Estate Rose matched with Caprese Salad (heirloom tomato, burrata, buffalo mozzarella, basit oil, croutons from Fratelli Fresh or a Mary’s burger.

 

Shiraz is the most popular red varietal drunk in Australia and the Hunter Valley has the most oldest vines. Shiraz is best served with beef and pork dishes.

At the Festival, the 2015 Shiraz was matched with Kirin Braised Lamb Ribs with furikake spice, Kirin-Ake sauce and Japanese slaw from Sake Restaurant. Mary’s burger and Mary’s cheese burger would have also matched.

Similar to the Shiraz, the Cabernet Franc is best served with roast chicken, pork, roasted and grilled beef, duck, sausage, lamb and veal. You could also try it with hearty fish dishes and soft and hard cheeses.

At the Festival, the 2015 Cabernet Franc was matched with the Chimichanga Pibil (deep fried buritto with pork, rice, beans and cheese) from Bodega.

Food such as fries match perfectly with champagne, sparkling or beer (of almost any kind). However, matching it could be tricky when there are toppings. These fries are from Fratelli Fresh and were covered with Italian seasoning, truffle aioli and parmesan. For simplicity, I enjoyed them on their own.

The popular drink this summer is the Frosé (frozen rose). This drink is perfect for a hot summers day. I enjoyed this drink alone without matching it to any food.

The bespoke James Estate licensed bar is open from 4pm daily (but closed on Monday), and will also be served at The Domain Symphony Under The Stars, as well as VIP events throughout the festival.

Head to www.jamesestatewines.com.au or www.sydneyfestival.org.au to find out more!

 

Ibis Kitchen Sydney Airport launches their new summer menu

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Ibis Kitchen Sydney Airport provided an exclusive preview of their new summer menu to a group of food bloggers on Wednesday 14 December 2016.

The menu is created by head chef Tharaka Sooriyaarchchi and food and beverage manager Marc Tricca, and is inspired by the finest Australian ingredients. It is designed to cater for all types of travellers, and includes traditional comfort food and modern dishes. The quality of the food far exceeded my expectations.

The restaurant is an 80-seat dining room which has been newly remodelled into a stylish contemporary hotel restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week.

Guests were first given a tour of the hotel, which included the newly remodelled hotel rooms, followed by arrival canapes and a sit down dinner.

The newly renovated Ibis Sydney Airport is a three and a half star hotel in the Sydney Airport region that offers the ideal blend of convenience and affordability for executive travellers.

Arrival canapes included: cream cheese bruschetta; prawn, lime and chilli skewers served on a watermelon base, calamari filled with risotto; and sliders.

For the sit down meals, guests were served: lamb kofta (char-grilled spiced lamb, mint yogurt, zucchini pickle and sumac); Portuguese chicken breast with five bean ragout, and mint yogurt sauce; Thai beef salad (marinated beef strips tossed with green papaya, Asian greens, julienne vegetables and cos lettuce); and roast lamb with roast chat potatoes, root vegetables, salsa verde, and jus.

Desserts included: vanilla crème brulee; rocky road and Nutella shimmy shakes (topped with cream, rocky road and crispy pretzels); and salted caramel shimmy shakes (topped with cream caramelised popcorn and chunks of waffle. The restaurant also has strawberry pavlova shimmy shakes (topped with cream, pavlova meringue and fresh strawberries).

Forget the stereotypes you have about hotel restaurants being nothing more than a convenient, albeit expensive way to eat average quality food while staying at the hotel. The restaurant is inexpensive and the quality is high. The starters range from $10 to $15, the mains range from $20 to $37 (for the 350g rib-eye), and the desserts were $7.

This restaurant is open from 5:30am to 10:30pm to both hotel guests and the general public. There is also a Grab ‘n Go menu available outside these hours.

Ibis Kitchen is located at 205 O’Riordan Street, Mascot NSW 2020. It is one kilometre from the Domestic Terminal, four kilometres from the International Terminal and a five-minute walk from the Mascot train station.

For more information about Ibis Kitchen, Sydney Airport, go to: http://www.ibissydneyairport.com.au/en/dining-in-sydney.html

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Mizz B’z Food and Wine opens with IronChef Masahiko Yomoda at the helm

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Mizz B’z Food & Wine launched on Wednesday 7 December 2016 at the St James Centre at 111 Elizabeth Street Sydney with French-trained Japanese IronChef Masahiko Yomoda as executive chef.
Masahiko Yomoda has 22 years experience in the industry having worked at Three Michelin Star venue Joel Rubuchon and Restaurant l”Osier before joining Restaurant Arbace where he helped it acquire a one Michelin Star in its first year. He then moved to Australia in 2008, where he has worked at a number of fine dining restaurants including Galileo, Bathers Pavilion, Est, and Sake Restaurant.
The venue is owned by husband and wife team Stuart and Bupta Page. Stuart Page has thirty years experience in the industry and owns hospitality college, Evolution Hospitality Institute. The restaurant is named after his wife, whose idea it was to open a restaurant to provide students training in the hospitality industry.
The canape menu of the launch party was smaller portions of some of the dishes on the ordinary menu and included: Karaage chicken; Mizz B’z mini burgers; oysters with pickled ginger, salmon cavier and herb dressing; snapper and kingfish cerviche; smoked eggplant cavier with asian mushrooms and shaved parmesan; Hokkaido scallop and cucumber cerviche; beef tartare with charred onion and nastartiam; prawn wraps in kataifi pastry with yuzu mayo; avocado crab tart with tapioca crisps; massaman curry lamb cutlet negi; peking duck croquettes; panko clamsed tofu, mango sesame and jalapeno sauce; and hickory smoked tuna with rice paper crisps and edible flowers.
For dessert guests were treated to: matcha puddings; pineapple pina collada puddings; mini fruit tarts; and chocolate mousse cones with italian meringue.
For drinks guests were served: Red Panda cocktail (made from Tanqueray10, aperol, raspberry syrup, lemon juice, rosewater, ginger beer, pineapple and orange slices and edible flowers); Tanqueray gin and tonic with grapefruit; Kirin beer; Champagne Dalamonte; Circuit Pinot Gris (New Zealand); Gris Blanc 2014 Rose (South of France); and Domaine de Beauvernay Julienas Recolte 2013 (France).
For more information about Mizz B’z Food and Wine, go to: http://www.mizzbz.com.au/
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Hyatt Regency Sydney launches with a spectacular light show

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The Hyatt Regency Sydney unveiled the result of a $250 million redevelopment at an event on Thursday 1 December 2016 which included: a cocktail reception at their Maritime Ballroom; and an outdoor light projection video on the wall of their 2,800 square metre building.

Hyatt Regency Sydney is Australia’s largest upscale hotel that has just undergone a redevelopment to include a brand new 24 storey tower, additional premium rooms, a lavish rooftop bar, state-of-the-art meeting and event spaces and a new Regency Club Lounge. It is a five star hotel that caters for business, leisure and event travellers. It is located at the doorstep of both the city’s business and entertainment districts.

Guests were welcomed into the Maritime Ballroom and got to sample food created by a host of fine dining chefs and wine selected by expert sommeliers from four live food demonstrations. The food and wine included: Sydney Rock, Coffin Bay and Pacific Bay oysters served with three dressings and paired with NV Perrier-Jouet Grand Brut from France; handmade gnocchi with truffle and sage basil paired with 2013 Yering Station pinot noir from the Yarra Valley; seared venison fillet paired with 2014 Grant Burge Miamba shiraz from the Barossa Valley; and Harvey Bay scallops paired with 2015 Yering Station Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley.

Guests were also treated to two Hyatt Regency Sydney signature cocktails created by mixologist Grant Collins, who will also be overseeing the opening of the Rooftop Bar later this month. The cocktails included: the Lemongrass and Lillet Spritz (made from Lillet Rose, grapefruit bitters, lemongrass syrup, Villa Jolanda prosecco and soda water); and the Scrumpy Cider Apple Gimlet (made from apple infused Tanqueray gin, apple cider syrup, Apple Thief cider and cold pressed apple juice).

Speeches were made by MC Matt De Groot and General Manager Malcolm Zancanaro who revealed that guests were going on an inside-out tour of the hotel that included a harbour cruise.

At this cruise, guests were surprised further with a spectacular outdoor video that was projected onto the enormous 2,800sqm harbourside wall of the freshly rebranded hotel. Guests watched the journey of two business and leisure travellers through the Hyatt Regency Sydney. It was projected onto the building using 16 projectors and a total of 28,348,800 pixels.

The rooftop bar, the brand new 24 storey tower, along with the exclusive Regency Club Lounge is due to open at the end of December 2016.

The Hyatt Regency Sydney is located at 161 Sussex Street Sydney NSW 2000.

For more information about the Hyatt Regency Sydney, go to:  https://sydney.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html

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Wuliangye hosts VIPs for a opulent night of food, drinks and entertainment at their Annual Sydney Gala

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Wuliangye kicked off their ‘World Shine Journey’ cultural tour with the Wuliangye Annual Sydney Gala on Friday 25 November 2016 at The Star Event Centre.

Wuliangye is China’s top selling white spirit. It has won numerous awards worldwide including the 100 year anniversary gold prize at the 2015 Milan World Expo. It is brewed in China’s wine capital, Yibin, which has a warm and wet climate, and rich soil. Wuliangye dates back thousands of years but only got its name in 1909 when noted scholar Yang Huiquan called it Wuliangye.

Wuliangye literally means five grains liquid and is made from sorghum, glutinous rice, long-grain rice, wheat and corn. With an alcohol content of 52 percent, it is pungent on the nose and burns in the throat. It has various flavours and fragrances. On the palate, it is fruity and the finish is dry.

The event was attended by Chinese dignitaries, Australian politicians, Australian corporate executives, celebrities, media and other VIPs, who enjoyed cocktails and canapes on arrival, a three course meal and variety of entertainment throughout the night.

The event commenced with Wuliangye cocktails in the foyer of The Star Event Centre. The cocktails were a Wuliangye version of a watermelon daiquiri and lychee martini.

Inside the ballroom, guests enjoyed a three course dinner that was designed to compliment the flavours of Wuliangye. For entree, guests were provided an alternate serve of: cured Atlantic salmon with mango puree, lime and coriander emulsion and pickled cucumber; or grilled king prawns with Sze Chuan Chilli gel, compressed watermelon and lemon curd.

For the main course, guests had an alternate serve of: steam gold band snapper fillet with steamed bok choy, gingery lemon soy sauce and lotus crisps; or Range Valley wagyu beef tenderloin with braised white radish, Kai Lan and roast garlic soy sauce.

For dessert guests were served either: a date and ginger pudding with coconut poppy seed ice-cream and cinnamon toffee analgise; or lychee and matcha cream.with mandarin, mint sorbet, and cashew nut crackers.

There were a number of speeches made by Chinese dignitaries, Australian politicians and the Chairman of the Wuliangye Group Company, Tang Qiao, who made the keynote speech. The Australian television and radio presenter, Scott Tweedie, was the MC for the night.

The entertainment included violinists, dancers, drummers, martial arts performers, and Chinese opera. There were also videos shown of China and the Yibin region in which the liquor is brewed.

The centre of the room was decorated with a giant ice sculpture of the Wuliangye bottle made by Mammouth Ice and the table centrepieces were ice pedestals with Wuliangye bottles on top.

For beverages, guests drunk: NV Domaine Chandon Brut; North of South Sauvignon Blanc; Leo Buring ‘Leopold’ Riesling; Beautiful Somewhere Shiraz; and Penfolds Koonunga Hill Cabernet Sauvignon.

Most importantly, guests had Wuliangye at their table to drink throughout the night.

Wuliangye is a luxury liquor that is drunk neat or with a meal.

Wuliangye is sold for around $200 at Dan Murphy’s and other alcohol retailers.

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The inaugural Royal Croquet Club launches at Bondi beach

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The weather at Bondi beach was perfect on Thursday 24 November 2016 for the launch of the inaugural Royal Croquet Club – an 11 day lifestyle festival of food and music.

Celebrities, VIPs and media gathered for drinks and a game of croquet on opening night at the Pol Roger Champagne Garden and Pimms Bar.

Celebrities that attended included: Home and Away star Nic Westaway; The Saddle Club actress Sophie Hensser; My Kitchen Rules winner Steve Flood; Big Brother’s Aisha Jade and Lisa Clarke; The Bachelor’s Keira Maguire and Kiki Morris; The Bachelorette star Matty Johnson and celebrity make-up artist Michael Brown.

Food was served from the pop up restaurants on site which included: Southern fried chicken from Butter; Frying Nemo burgers from Milky Lane; fried fetta balls, falafel and kefta from Old City Kitchen Bar; fluffy filled steamed buns and duck fries from Bao Stop; chicken satay skewers and roti from Mamak; bbq meats from Hoy Pinoy, and ice-cream served in look-alike Campbell soup tins from Gelato Messina. This food will be available for purchase for the duration of the festival.

There will also be a number of music acts during the festival including: Bag Raiders, Dope Lemon (Angus Stone), Electric Fields, Hayden James (DJ Set), Hugo Gruzman, Jarryd James, Jimmy 2sox, Kilter & Klue, KLP (DJ Set), San Cisco, Thandi Phoenix, Tom Tilley, and Wealth.
The 11 day festival will take over North Bondi from 24 November 2016 until 4 December 2016.
For more information, go to: https://royalcroquetclub.com.au/

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World-class winemaker, House of Arras, hosts intimate lunch at Chiswick Restaurant

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On Thursday 24 November 2016, media and influencers attended the opulent House of Arras sparkling lunch to sample the exceptional cold climate Tasmanian sparkling on offer.

The menu was designed by head chef at Chiswick Restaurant, Tom Haynes, to compliment the flavours of the wine. All produce was sourced from Tasmania, which is not only the home of House of Arras but also Australia’s capital of sparkling wine.  Ed Carr, head winemaker of House of Arras, worked with Tom Haynes to ensure each wine matched the food perfectly.

Many Australian sparkling wines can stand on their own against French champagne and Italian prosecco, and one such brand is House of Arras who rivals the French options in terms of quality and value for money.

House of Arras has won numerous awards in Australia and internationally, including winning this year for the House of Arras Grand Vintage 2007: the ‘Grand Champion Wine of Show’ at the Royal Queensland Wine Show (which is the first time a sparkling wine has ever been awarded this top accolade); the ‘Best Wine of Show’ at the Sydney Royal Wine; and gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards and Decanter Asia Wine Awards. Further, the House of Arras Rose won best sparkling at the National Wine Awards.

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Guests were greeted and ushered into a private dining area for canapes of: Barilla oyster, lychee; and sorrel, and smoked eggplant, black garlic and chickpea that were served with House of Arras Brut Elite NV Cuvee 901. This cuvee has rich flavours of white peach, lychee, spices and fresh oysters.

The entree was Tasmanian yellow tail kingfish, peach, almond and succulents matched with House of Arras Blanc de Blanc 2007.  House of Arras Blanc de Blanc 2007 exhibits flavours of truffle, oyster, exotic spices and honeycomb.

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The second course was duck, cherry, artichoke and dandelion matched with House of Arras Grand Vintage 2007.  House of Arras Grand Vintage 2007 is a dry style of sparkling with complex nuance of exotic spice, truffle, meringue and natural yogurt.

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The main course was Greenham sirloin, Australian mushrooms and madeira matched with House of Arras EJ Late Disgorged 2002.  House of Arras EJ Late Disgorged 2002 has complex flavours of honey, nougat, sourdough toast and truffle.

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The dessert was shortbread, strawberries, black pepper and lemon fromage blanc matched with House of Arras Rose 2006.  This Rose is dominated by fresh strawberry and cream flavours but has secondary favours of toast, fresh mushrooms and lychee.

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if your looking for a Christmas gift under $100, try the House of Arras Rose ($82.99) or the House of Arras Grand Vintage 2007 ($76.99).  For a gift under $50, try the House of Arras Brut Elite NV ($49.99).

House of Arras is available through most major liquor merchants nationally.

Their wines are definitely going to be my favourites to enjoy this summer and over the festive season.

For more information about House of Arras, go to: http://houseofarras.com.au/