The Auswine Forum

After several decades, my six member wine tasting group, seemingly, has folded. Relocation of several members interstate/overseas, the most unfortunate and the premature death of the group's founding member, a gradual splintering and, apart from an annual memorial dinner for our departed comrade, Tom, no longer gets together as a "group" on a regular basis.

If any of the Canberra Auswine fraternity are interested in forming a regular wine tasting group, I'd be more than happy to hear from you here, or, if you prefer, via PM or email.

Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

RedVelvet wrote:Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

You would be more than welcome as a guest, Shannon.

David,
It's sad when these sort of things come to an end. I have three regular tasting groups, one weekly, one fortnightly and one monthly.

The Monday at 5pm weekly group has been giong for over 30 years and there are no original members yet, I first started attending in about 1977. I thought it was going to fold several times, but we seem to get enough new members to replace those who drift away, a couple of people have joined after hearing of it here or on my site and we have a pool of about 15 people now, over half retired, so it can be hard to get numbers over winter as the grey nomads travel to warmer climes. Usually 6 bottles over an hour or so and then some go off to try the remaining wine with Thai food.

The fortnightly Thursday group started in about 1994 and has had a few temporary cessations, but seems to get around 10 attendees most fortnights these days. Usually 6 bottles over about an hour and a half from 5:30pm.

The monthly group has it's origins in the late 70's too I think, I started in the mid 80's and it's run by an IT person and attended (by invite) by mostly IT people, although perhaps that's changing. It runs for about 2 - 2.5 hours, including traditional pizza at the end of the evening.

There is another group that a friend has been trying to get going, mostly people in the wine industry (broadly speaking), but it's been pretty irregular as it's hard to coordinate busy people.

From what I've read over the years of your dinners and tastings, you cover a wide range and a lot of imports and sometimes often in a fairly premium range compared to the wines we taste in the groups described above. The tastings tend to be mostly Australian red wines, although in recent years more Italian and Spanish reds have featured, not many French, a few South American. (There will be a bracket of 6 Italian reds from a variety of regions on Monday.) Mostly the wines are under $60pb case price, often under $40pb with a few notable exceptions. Many of the attendees don't have significant cellars and often/mostly drink wines under $20, again with some notable exceptions.

All that is a roundabout way of saying that you would be welcome at my Monday weekly or Thursday fortnightly tastings, but the format/time/wines may not be what you are looking for. Given my current committments I personally am not looking for any more regular tasting groups to join, it's hell already when all three occur in the same week.

Red Bigot wrote:All that is a roundabout way of saying that you would be welcome at my Monday weekly or Thursday fortnightly tastings, but the format/time/wines may not be what you are looking for. Given my current committments I personally am not looking for any more regular tasting groups to join, it's hell already when all three occur in the same week.

Tough RB, but I know you are the man to handle it.

Red Bigot wrote:
Given my current committments I personally am not looking for any more regular tasting groups to join, it's hell already when all three occur in the same week.

Getting old?

I'm always interested in joining a tasting group depending on the location in Canberra if it is a regular event.

RedVelvet wrote:Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

We're keen to start a group based on Sydney's lower north shore. Any interested parties ?

Cf

Davo wrote:

Red Bigot wrote:
Given my current committments I personally am not looking for any more regular tasting groups to join, it's hell already when all three occur in the same week.

Getting old?

I don't think I've ever met anyone that is getting younger...

I'd be up for it. My Wednesday night monthly tasting group seems to be lapsing in the face of unexpected twins.

I've almost finished relocating wines from different storages into one place (at the new passive coolstore at the vineyard), and it is clear that I have way too much wine. Another tasting group could be good for sharing some of that around.

nb: I am not an advanced taster.

cuttlefish wrote:

RedVelvet wrote:Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

We're keen to start a group based on Sydney's lower north shore. Any interested parties ?

Cf

Always interested.

Red Bigot wrote:

Davo wrote:

Red Bigot wrote:
Given my current committments I personally am not looking for any more regular tasting groups to join, it's hell already when all three occur in the same week.

Getting old?

I don't think I've ever met anyone that is getting younger...

Around about 10:30pm I usually feel younger but the sensation appears to have waned by the time I am trying to get out of bed the next morning

cuttlefish wrote:

RedVelvet wrote:Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

We're keen to start a group based on Sydney's lower north shore. Any interested parties ?

Cf

I am up on the Northern Beaches but would be interested.

Glen

cuttlefish wrote:

RedVelvet wrote:Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

We're keen to start a group based on Sydney's lower north shore. Any interested parties ?

Cf

Perhaps a separate thread for this one?
I'd be interested, currently in Wahroonga. The next challenge would be negotiating a leave pass and budget. The trouble with a better half who encourages the cellar's existence, she wants to come to all tasting things I go to

Boy just realised my profile said I was still in Canberra - now changed. Seven years in Canberra was enough - glad to be back in Sydney. Now if we can just get jobs to settle, find a house, build a cellar, ... then only the commute will be an inconvinence

talk about thread hijacking

DJ wrote:Boy just realised my profile said I was still in Canberra - now changed. Seven years in Canberra was enough -

Yeah, that's what everybody here says about you too.

I used to think Sydney was a nice place to visit occasionally for shopping/food, now I think it's a b@st@rd of a place to have an airport that I need to use occasionally.

redstuff wrote:talk about thread hijacking

Yeah, typical Sydney people, too lazy to start their own thread.

dlo wrote:

RedVelvet wrote:Would love to participate if Canberra wasnt a good 3hr drive away for me.

You would be more than welcome as a guest, Shannon.

Thanks David, I will certainly keep that in mind for when i next travel to Canberra.

Red Bigot wrote:

redstuff wrote:talk about thread hijacking

Yeah, typical Sydney people, too lazy to start their own thread.

started & already hijacked!!

christo

Thanks Brian for the invites and Paul and redstuff for showing interest.

If we can get a quorum (about 6 of us), I'll organise a central venue and we can each bring a bottle and go from there.

I'll contact you both in the next week or so.

+1 (maybe two) depending on night and if we can arrange for child care. My wife and I are interested in trying new wines.


(edit to fix up an unintended double entendre)

Thanks malliemcg, I reckon we have enough now to hatch our first event.

Is (the Canberra suburb of) Griffith convenient as a meeting point?

And what night suits best?

Tuesday and Thursday are not good for me - I play jazz most weeks on these nights but not next week.

Perhaps next Wednesday night?.

A couple more starters wouldn't hurt either.

Anyone else interested?

I'll see if I can rustle up another couple of people.

pstarr wrote:I'll see if I can rustle up another couple of people.

Thanks, Paul.

should be able to make that. Might be able to bring someone along.

Next Wednesday the 19th the Coonawarra Road Show is in Canberra.

Let's make it the 26th August, then?

Hi all,

I would be keen to be involved in this Canberra tasting group.

Cheers,

Jordan

Jordan wrote:Hi all,

I would be keen to be involved in this Canberra tasting group.

Cheers,

Jordan

Are you in Canberra now Jordan?

cheers

Carl

Yep, I live in Canberra these days. Havent updated the profile for awhile..... let alone posted! I think this may be my return to the forum