AFF Wine Lovers Meet-Up 6 Jan 2016 in Sydney

[DrSammyLee]

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

Anyone else heading to the Rootstock fair this weekend? I'll be there for the Saturday evening session and grabbing some food afterwards.

 

[Sedimental]

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

Is there, or has there been, a Brisbane chapter of AFF Wine Lover Meet-up?

 

[Wozza]

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

Is there, or has there been, a Brisbane chapter of AFF Wine Lover Meet-up?

Not organised through this thread, but I am sure there will be interest ...

 

[JessicaTam]

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

Subscribing - just in case.

 

[QF WP]

Is there, or has there been, a Brisbane chapter of AFF Wine Lover Meet-up?

Not sure about the Brisbane chapter, but I'd be in for either a BNE or Sunshine Coast chapter - we could dovetail in with the restaurants thread. Now my new business is starting to take shape (should be in by 21st Dec at worst), then I'll need to be coming back up to the Sunshine Coast for a couple of day trips or an overnighter (probably staying at Tewantin).

Back on topic of this thread, I'd be an outside chance at getting to SYD that early in the year, more likely in mid to late Jan or mid to late Feb, so have me down for the next one.

 

[QF WP]

I have also added in the subject "SYD" for ease of all...

 

[penegal]

Is the date for this locked in? I should probably think about booking something

 

[Wozza]

Dear all AFF Wine Lovers that intend to come / are thinking of coming to the AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016] SYD, including Penegal who has just asked today.

We are definitely locked in for Wednesday 6 January 2016 for an evening dinner.

Katy has kindly stepped in to help me finalise the venue, as I have some significant work commitments over the coming days. Suffice to say, we are looking for the most central place we can that will allow BYOW on that night (there are lots in the suburbs, but not so many open that day or willing to do BYOW, in the city). We'll get one.

We have narrowed the list down. We just need to finalise the booking, so please work on the basis the date is fixed - it won't change, otherwise we will miss Beefarmer. And I am sure many of you will want to meet Beefarmer as much as I do!

To whet your appetite, here's the low-down on the wine for the night:

1. Theme for the night: In the Sweet Spot - Wines with a vintage of 2008 to 2010. They can be red, white, pink, bubbles - whatever you want from those vintage years. They can be from the Bordeaux to the Barossa - in other words - wherever you want from around the world. That way we are less likely to turn up with the same wine.
2. Price? Well that's up to you. You just have to stick to the vintage years of 2008, 2009 or 2010. They can be a mof_ bargain, a Dan Murphy's Cellar Release, something from the trophy cabinet or the darkest recesses of your cellar, or something a bit different or special. You decide.
3. You must bring 2 bottles of the same wine. One will be tasted by the group. One will go into the prize draw. All wines will be blind tasted to make it more interesting (and to stop Eurovision style preference voting!).
4. Each person in the group will vote on their favourite of the night (5 points), second favourite (2 points) and third favourite (1 point). As we will be blind tasting the wines, you can vote for your own wine if you can pick it amongst all the others!
5. The order we try the wines will be decided purely by lot (that's to avoid any unfair advantage for the early, middle or late tasters). If we ordered them correctly, then somebody would need to evaluate them and grade them for an order which would add an element of bias. So we'll drink them according the lots drawn to avoid that.
6. We'll try (try!!) to hold back some of the bottle, so people can have a second try when seeking to narrow down their three choices.
7. There will be a winning bottle, second placed bottle and third placed bottle, based on the total number of points each wine receives. The person who brought the winning wine will get to randomly choose [x] bottles, the person who brought the second placed wine gets to choose [x] bottles, and the person who brought the third placed wine will get the rest. The [x] number will depend on those that turn up on the night. So for instance, if we have 12 people, the winner takes away 5 bottles, second place 4 bottles, and third place 3 bottles.
8. If we have a really large group and a bottle won't go around that group, then we may need to split into two competitions and have a winner and runner up by group. We'll see.
9. The least favourite wine will get - well ... the accolade of bringing the least favourite wine!
10. If there is a draw on points between two bottles, then we'll back count the number of 5 points each got to get the winner. If they both have the same number of 5 pointers, then we'll back count the number of 2 pointers each has received, etc., until we get a winner.

The venue choice will be updated very soon.

What do you need to do next?

a. Book the time out in your diary.

b. Book any travel and accommodation you need.

c. Start to think about your killer wine from 2008, 2009 or 2010 that you will bring. Maybe you already have it in your cellar. Maybe you will be hitting the auction or retail sites to hunt it out between now and the 6th.

d. Please let me know in the next few days if you intend to come. Katy and I will need to lock in numbers with the venue. I will PM you details if we need to put a holding deposit down.

It should be a great night. And I am really looking forward to meeting many of you.

With warm regards,


Wozza

 

[burmans]

Have fun guys, I'm in Japan.

 

[UpInTheAir:)]

Wow wozza.. Could only have been written by a lawyer!
Have a great time

 

[Deleted member]

Not sure about the Brisbane chapter, but I'd be in for either a BNE or Sunshine Coast chapter - we could dovetail in with the restaurants thread. Now my new business is starting to take shape (should be in by 21st Dec at worst), then I'll need to be coming back up to the Sunshine Coast for a couple of day trips or an overnighter (probably staying at Tewantin).

Back on topic of this thread, I'd be an outside chance at getting to SYD that early in the year, more likely in mid to late Jan or mid to late Feb, so have me down for the next one.

I'm up for that. And it doesn't have to be a restaurant either. I enjoyed having the little QF WP's running around at the last Windsong Bar and grill event with Buzz. (we still have a nice bottle of his keeping cool in the cellar) , and happy to travel to the sunny coast

 

[Wozza]

Dear all AFF Wine Lovers that intend to come / are thinking of coming to the AFF Wine Lover Meet-Up [6 Jan 2016] SYD, including Penegal who has just asked today.

We are definitely locked in for Wednesday 6 January 2016 for an evening dinner.

Katy has kindly stepped in to help me finalise the venue, as I have some significant work commitments over the coming days. Suffice to say, we are looking for the most central place we can that will allow BYOW on that night (there are lots in the suburbs, but not so many open that day or willing to do BYOW, in the city). We'll get one.

We have narrowed the list down. We just need to finalise the booking, so please work on the basis the date is fixed - it won't change, otherwise we will miss Beefarmer. And I am sure many of you will want to meet Beefarmer as much as I do!

To whet your appetite, here's the low-down on the wine for the night:

1. Theme for the night: In the Sweet Spot - Wines with a vintage of 2008 to 2010. They can be red, white, pink, bubbles - whatever you want from those vintage years. They can be from the Bordeaux to the Barossa - in other words - wherever you want from around the world. That way we are less likely to turn up with the same wine.
2. Price? Well that's up to you. You just have to stick to the vintage years of 2008, 2009 or 2010. They can be a mof_ bargain, a Dan Murphy's Cellar Release, something from the trophy cabinet or the darkest recesses of your cellar, or something a bit different or special. You decide.
3. You must bring 2 bottles of the same wine. One will be tasted by the group. One will go into the prize draw. All wines will be blind tasted to make it more interesting (and to stop Eurovision style preference voting!).
4. Each person in the group will vote on their favourite of the night (5 points), second favourite (2 points) and third favourite (1 point). As we will be blind tasting the wines, you can vote for your own wine if you can pick it amongst all the others!
5. The order we try the wines will be decided purely by lot (that's to avoid any unfair advantage for the early, middle or late tasters). If we ordered them correctly, then somebody would need to evaluate them and grade them for an order which would add an element of bias. So we'll drink them according the lots drawn to avoid that.
6. We'll try (try!!) to hold back some of the bottle, so people can have a second try when seeking to narrow down their three choices.
7. There will be a winning bottle, second placed bottle and third placed bottle, based on the total number of points each wine receives. The person who brought the winning wine will get to randomly choose [x] bottles, the person who brought the second placed wine gets to choose [x] bottles, and the person who brought the third placed wine will get the rest. The [x] number will depend on those that turn up on the night. So for instance, if we have 12 people, the winner takes away 5 bottles, second place 4 bottles, and third place 3 bottles.
8. If we have a really large group and a bottle won't go around that group, then we may need to split into two competitions and have a winner and runner up by group. We'll see.
9. The least favourite wine will get - well ... the accolade of bringing the least favourite wine!
10. If there is a draw on points between two bottles, then we'll back count the number of 5 points each got to get the winner. If they both have the same number of 5 pointers, then we'll back count the number of 2 pointers each has received, etc., until we get a winner.

The venue choice will be updated very soon.

What do you need to do next?

a. Book the time out in your diary.

b. Book any travel and accommodation you need.

c. Start to think about your killer wine from 2008, 2009 or 2010 that you will bring. Maybe you already have it in your cellar. Maybe you will be hitting the auction or retail sites to hunt it out between now and the 6th.

d. Please let me know in the next few days if you intend to come. Katy and I will need to lock in numbers with the venue. I will PM you details if we need to put a holding deposit down.

It should be a great night. And I am really looking forward to meeting many of you.

With warm regards,


Wozza

WE HAVE A VENUE! [Thanks to Katy]

We have booked Sky Phoenix in Sydney Westfield:


Source: Gourmantic - Charlie & Co Burgers, Reuben & Moore, Via del Corso | Gourmantic

We'll be having yum cha, and depending on numbers will likely book one of their excellent private dining rooms.

The cost is likely to be around $50 a head, including corkage, again depending on numbers and people's appetites.

It's a great location on Level 5 of Sydney Westfield in Pitt Street Mall, right in the centre of Sydney CBD, and will be an easy, central spot for everybody to get to and de-camp home or back to hotels.

Looking back up the list on this thread, we have some definites and some maybes, including:

1. Wozza (me!)
2. Katy
3. Beefarmer
4. Penegal
5. Alzoam
6. GPH
7. Nolzy
8. DrSammyLee
9. Blockers
10. KPC
11. TDC
12. Moa999
13. [and last be by no means least ...] Dr Ralph (I hope you can make it. It would be lovely to meet you in person)

I am sure (and hope) there are many others. Please let me know this week ...

I am getting excited.

 

[penegal]

5. The order we try the wines will be decided purely by lot (that's to avoid any unfair advantage for the early, middle or late tasters). If we ordered them correctly, then somebody would need to evaluate them and grade them for an order which would add an element of bias. So we'll drink them according the lots drawn to avoid that.

This could influence my choice somewhat.

e.g. A Pinot Noir immediately after a big SA red with tannin would taste like #&*&%.

 

[TDC]

Sky Phoenix does yum cha at night? Interesting.

I'm a definite and so is "he with whom I share bottles".

 

[QF WP]

I'm (still) at the bottom of the maybe's pile, a lot will depend on how my move to new premises goes on 21st Dec (and whether the IT and telephony are set up properly the first time!). Would be very handy if I stay in the CBD...

 

[Wozza]

I'm (still) at the bottom of the maybe's pile, a lot will depend on how my move to new premises goes on 21st Dec (and whether the IT and telephony are set up properly the first time!). Would be very handy if I stay in the CBD...

Fingers crossed the stars align for you, QF WP. Here's hoping for a smooth transition ...

 

[Buzzard]

This could be the Event of the Year

 

[TDC]

I hope the year doesn't peak that early!

 

[kpc]

OK...I'm a starter for this

 

[DrSammyLee]

Sky Phoenix does yum cha at night? Interesting.

Most Yum Cha places turn into a standard Chinese restaurant in the evening. I have to say I wasn't that impressed with their yum cha selection and service when I went a month ago. East Phoenix over at Zetland (same chain) had much better service and a bit more variety in comparison.

Anyway, we're there for wine and good company, the food will be secondary