AFF Wine Lovers Meet-Up 6 Jan 2016 in Sydney

[Wozza]

Dear Blog Friends and Wine Lovers

This would be a good spot to arrange the odd catch up where we can meet in person, share a bottle or two from our trophy cabinets, and strengthen those blog ties.

Please feel free to post away for your city or region.

Looking forward to meeting some of you in the future.

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Dear AFF Wine Lover Friends

Beefarmer and I have agreed to meet in Sydney. I think we are looking at the first week in January when he is up this way.

I have earmarked a Pinot Noir for us to share which I hope we will both love. Anybody else want to join us?

Maybe if we have the numbers, we could each bring something special so we each get a few glasses of some nice wines.

Further details to no doubt be firmed up as we go ...

 

[penegal]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Sounds like a good idea.

Do you have a date in mind. I would be keen for a "bring a bottle to share" type event.

 

[Katy]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

I'm interested! I'm out of SYD until the 3rd so anytime from the 4th to the end of the month should be ok, work travel permitting

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Sounds like a good idea.

Do you have a date in mind. I would be keen for a "bring a bottle to share" type event.

Beefarmer - what date were you thinking? I defer to you as you are coming up to Sydney. For me, a week day would be better.

And, Beefarmer, any bottle would be fine. It doesn't need to be ridiculous in price, vintage or wine bling. In fact, it would be good to compare one of the good Fo bargains against some of the nicer ones to see whether they are really worth the money you have to outlay for them ...

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

I'm interested! I'm out of SYD until the 3rd so anytime from the 4th to the end of the month should be ok, work travel permitting

I think we are looking at a date between the 4th and 8th - that first week after NYE.

 

[TomVexille]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Nice idea. Will keep an eye on this in the future

 

[Alzoam]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Also interested so keep me in the loop, I am sure I could dig up something of interest....

A brown bag tasting would be a bit of fun

 

[Blockers]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Great idea Wozza! Back in Syd on the 3rd so the 1st of Jan week would be great timing.... good excuse to trawl through my wine cupboard

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

It's looking like we have a quorum for the week beginning the 4th of January in Sydney, which is great.

I am open to suggestions on format and venue.

Maybe we could set a challenge to pick a variety (say Pinot Noir), region (say Australasia) and price (say under $40) and see which is the nicest. The entry would need to be from a retail purchase in 2015 (and not a gift or cellared gem), and we could open or blind taste to pick a winner. If everybody acquired 2 bottles, one to taste and one to donate to the prize, the winner would walk away with some lovely wines. That would generate some serious competition in the search for 2015's best value wine variety.

It doesn't have to be a Pinot Noir. It could be another variety. It could be under $20 too to make it nice and hard.

Not sure on venue, but guess that should be reasonably easy to fix if we could find a good BYO destination. I'll certainly need some food!

Thoughts from The Floor ...?

 

[Katy]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

I think most of the Pinot Noirs that I've had taste like cordial but I'm more than willing to be convinced otherwise!

Are we thinking a lunch or evening event?

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

I think most of the Pinot Noirs that I've had taste like cordial but I'm more than willing to be convinced otherwise!

Are we thinking a lunch or evening event?

Good question Katy. I guess it could be either lunch or dinner as most people that week will be on fairly light duties, either at work or on their holidays. What would your preference be [I always feel inclined to defer to the ladies as they tend to have the more sensible opinions!!]? My preference would be lunchtime, but evening also works.

What variety would you like to pick?

I only suggest Pinot Noir as its got such a massive range of taste experiences, depending on terra, and also because its blinking hard to produce a good one at the reasonable price.

If we broadened it to say 'anything with Shiraz in it', then that would be pretty interesting as it could be a straight Shiraz or a blend making the field huge (and we would be less likely to turn up with the same purchase). But there is the Cabs Sauv's, the ... Lot's of good choices.

I am open to suggestions, as it's our get together not mine ...

 

[Katy]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

I'm good with whichever! The only thing is I'll need to take a half-day at work if we do a lunch because we're a dry workplace but I'm sure that won't be too much of a hardship

Anyone else have some thoughts?

 

[DrSammyLee]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

It's looking like we have a quorum for the week beginning the 4th of January in Sydney, which is great.

I am open to suggestions on format and venue.

Maybe we could set a challenge to pick a variety (say Pinot Noir), region (say Australasia) and price (say under $40) and see which is the nicest. The entry would need to be from a retail purchase in 2015 (and not a gift or cellared gem), and we could open or blind taste to pick a winner. If everybody acquired 2 bottles, one to taste and one to donate to the prize, the winner would walk away with some lovely wines. That would generate some serious competition in the search for 2015's best value wine variety.

It doesn't have to be a Pinot Noir. It could be another variety. It could be under $20 too to make it nice and hard.

Not sure on venue, but guess that should be reasonably easy to fix if we could find a good BYO destination. I'll certainly need some food!

Thoughts from The Floor ...?

I'm interested but Jan is ages away and I might forget.

Good PN under $40 is already pretty difficult XD

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

I'm interested but Jan is ages away and I might forget.

Good PN under $40 is already pretty difficult XD

I'm with you, DrSammyLee - I will forget too! Although I won't, as we are arranging January in honour of Beefarmer who is up in Sydney in that first week after NYE!

We could do an impromptu meet up before the silly season begins.

If anybody in Sydney is up for that, then just say below ...

 

[Blockers]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

It's looking like we have a quorum for the week beginning the 4th of January in Sydney, which is great.

I am open to suggestions on format and venue.

Maybe we could set a challenge to pick a variety (say Pinot Noir), region (say Australasia) and price (say under $40) and see which is the nicest. The entry would need to be from a retail purchase in 2015 (and not a gift or cellared gem), and we could open or blind taste to pick a winner. If everybody acquired 2 bottles, one to taste and one to donate to the prize, the winner would walk away with some lovely wines. That would generate some serious competition in the search for 2015's best value wine variety.

It doesn't have to be a Pinot Noir. It could be another variety. It could be under $20 too to make it nice and hard.

Not sure on venue, but guess that should be reasonably easy to fix if we could find a good BYO destination. I'll certainly need some food!

Thoughts from The Floor ...?

Sounds great Wozza! We have to start somewhere so why not Pinot Noir? I think your suggestion re mechanic/prize etc would work well - open to what price point ($20/$40) will go with majority...
In terms of venues where are you thinking? CBD/North/East? I'm sure we can find a little BYO gem! There must be a cheeky little Italian joint that would go well with Pinot!

 

[DrSammyLee]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

We could do an impromptu meet up before the silly season begins.

If anybody in Sydney is up for that, then just say below ...

I do wine bar outings in Sydney with friends every 2-3 weeks just to explore (and to blog on my wine review site). I'd welcome AFFers if anyone else wants to join the fun.

 

[Wozza]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Sounds great Wozza! We have to start somewhere so why not Pinot Noir? I think your suggestion re mechanic/prize etc would work well - open to what price point ($20/$40) will go with majority...
In terms of venues where are you thinking? CBD/North/East? I'm sure we can find a little BYO gem! There must be a cheeky little Italian joint that would go well with Pinot!

Italian sounds good. The CBD makes sense as it's central, but I doubt there are many BYO options - are there?

Might need to think suburbs - Crows Nest, Neutral Bay, etc - that are in easy to reach places and not too far away ...

 

[Blockers]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

There's Ezzelino's in Neutral Bay and Peter Pan's (I can confirm they do good pizza ) in Crow's Nest. Both are BYO.

 

[Katy]

re: AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016]

Italian sounds good. The CBD makes sense as it's central, but I doubt there are many BYO options - are there?

Might need to think suburbs - Crows Nest, Neutral Bay, etc - that are in easy to reach places and not too far away ...

Tetsuya's has BYO