NEWSLETTER OF THE BEEFSTEAK AND BURGUNDY CLUB INCORPORATED
WWW.BSB.ORG.AU PO BOX 124 DERNANCOURT SOUTH AUSTRALIA 5075
Word from the President, Robin Matters
Dear B&B Members
Halfway through the calendar year and for most clubs the end-of-the financial year leading up to AGMs. A busy time for committees and office-holders,
especially secretaries and treasurers. It is times like these when we pause and think of the wonderful contribution that a number of our members make
voluntarily through their service in their role to us other members. They are very much appreciated and warmly thanked. They are what makes the Beefsteak
and Burgundy Club a great organisation in that we have such members who keep things going for the benefit of others who are able to gather together and
enjoy and learn about good food and wine (and I am sure these office-holders appreciate these benefits too). Well done.
Talking of benefits, we wine lovers currently are enjoying the benefit of accessing a range of very good wine at very accessible prices. These are not
necessarily the big premium producers, but the smaller wineries who also produce high value wines. Hopefully clubs who have cellars are gaining the
benefits especially, but also clubs who don’t through the wines selected and purchased for their gatherings. At the same time, we are cognisant of the
impacts the drop in wine demand is having on producers, so we encourage support of those struggling.
Not long to go to the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club Convention at Innisfail/Mission Beach, hosted by the Innisfail Club (144). The organising committee is
working hard to bring final arrangements to a successful conclusion to ensure this will be a wonderful experience for those attending. Certainly the
location will play a huge role in that but also the top-class food and wine. I look forward to catching up with those attending.
Best Regards,
Robin Matters
President
Greetings from the General Secretary, Vin Thomas
Dear Fellow Members
In the last B&B News I mentioned I was visiting several clubs in the coming months and you will see evidence of that in this
B&B News below. I have made a point of visiting clubs to introduce myself but also to get to know the clubs.
In doing so, I see the common culture and ethos that defines us, essentially around the three Objects of experiencing good food and wine, being educated
about them and enjoying each other’s company.
At the same time, I see differences between clubs, whereby each has its own characteristics and expression of their club. As one can see from the Handbook,
there are differences in whether they meet for lunch or dinner, when and how often that meet and what attire members wear.
Some clubs are female only (currently 14), others are Mixed (currently 38) and the remainder are male only (currently 122). Since the founding of the
Beefsteak and Burgundy Club on 9 August 1954 there have been 18 female only clubs, giving a continuance rate of 77.78%, 83 Mixed clubs giving a continuance
rate of 45.78% and 193 male only clubs giving a continuance rate of 63.21%. The total clubs of 294 does not match the fact that the latest charter given was
302 because six of the charters were awarded to convention clubs for insurance purposes and two of the charters were skipped over by error.
Clubs have been in existence for varying number of years. 18 of the current 174 chartered clubs were established in the 1950s, 47 in the 1960s, 44 in the
1970s, 21 in the 1980s, 14 in the 1990s, 10 in the 2000s, 10 in the 2010s and 12 in the 2020s. Female 18
At their meetings, some clubs have a toast, while others do not. Those that toast range from King and Australia, to Australia, to The Beefsteak and Burgundy
Club, to our club, to Members past and present, to Australia and to the countries of members present.
Most lunch clubs have two courses with 4 or 5 wine flights, and most dinner clubs have 3 courses and six flights of wine. The wine quantities vary from club
to club ranging from 600ml to 900ml per person. Around half of clubs have their own cellar. There are some clubs that focus on wines across the world, while
others focus on their local region(s).
Some clubs are a bit different in their format, particularly as I recently experienced in Canada. The Sudbury Club has a dinner meeting twice a year, but
their other monthly meetings are a tasting experience of six masked wines with an emphasis on wine education. The Stonetown Club at St Marys has a welcome
wine with cheese while members gather followed by a sit down tasting of four wines and comments followed by main course with an accompanying red and then
dessert. So, a combination of a tasting and a meal.
Finally, some clubs mask their wines or some of them, others don’t. Some of those that mask have a quiz for members to complete, although most don’t.
Whether masked or not, members are asked to speak on the wines, generally after each course, although some like the Singapore Club do it at the end. They do
not identify the menu and wines either in the meeting invitation or on the table. Some clubs have nominated tables speak on different wine flights rather
than leaving it to one person.
So, different experiences as determined by the clubs to accommodate how their members like their meetings to run. However, visiting clubs can give other
ideas of how to do things, which causes me to continue to emphasis that one of the great advantages being a member of a Beefsteak and Burgundy club is that
you are always welcome to attend another club’s meeting if you happen to be in the vicinity at the time. I have found this to be very common with the clubs
in the Asian and SE-Asian regions.
The Beefsteak and Burgundy Club gives wonderful experience. It has its common purpose and ethos so one feels at home attending any club, but each club has
its differences in how they conduct their meetings.
Finally, I look forward to the Convention at the end of this month and to catching up with those attending.
Warm Regards
Vin Thomas
General Secretary
Word from the Editor, Dr Vin Thomas
This thirtieth edition of the B&B News generally focuses on some club events and news,
including another club, Nagambie (6) celebrating its 70th anniversary.
It also recognises the sad passing of one our stalwart members, Jim Freebairn.
I apologise if some of the photos caught part of people or missed them entirely!
I invite any readers to send in any suggestions, or letters, to add to the content of the B&B News. Happy Reading
Vin
INCORPORATION NEWS
Committee members are reminded that with incorporation, should there be any action against the club, either insurance, if the claim is monetary (such as
damages for alleged defamation), or the club assets, if it is a non-monetary court claim (such as reinstatement of membership after expulsion) will be used
either to defend or pay out the claim, rather than the personal assets of the committee members.
Currently, forty-one clubs have incorporated in recent years, eight in NSW, eight in Queensland, four in Tasmania, nine in Victoria, two in Western
Australia, one in NT and nine in South Australia. Added to the 47 previously incorporated this makes a total of eighty-eight overall, out of 142 clubs in
Australia, or 62%.
Those previous 47 clubs (17 in SA, 1 in ACT, 6 in NSW, 2 in NT, 9 in Qld, 10 in Victoria and 1 in WA) were incorporated with a constitution adopted at the
time undoubtedly not accommodating of changes to the relevant Incorporation Act since they incorporated, or to current processes, say around dispute
resolution. These clubs should consider updating their constitutions. The General Secretary would be more than pleased to assist with this updating.
HISTORY OF THE BEEFSTEAK AND BURGUNDY CLUB 1954-2024
Club secretaries were sent the index of the book which shows the pages on which clubs and people are mentioned. Every club is mentioned in the book, a
number with 20-30 or more references.
To encourage more members to read the history of the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club the Club Committee is offering a special price to purchase a copy, $30
for a soft cover or $45 for a hard cover. Go to the Home Page of the B&B website to order one or use the link below.https://www.bsb.org.au/history_book/
Some clubs order a book for new members or as a gift to new Life Members. A couple of clubs have even bought a copy for each of its members! Consider doing
one of these options in your club.
BRIEF HISTORIES OF ALL THE BEEFSTEAK AND BURGUNDY CLUBS
These brief histories are posted on the website for your interest. They can be found by going onto the B&B website and following this
path: Home>About>History and then the first line on the History page is:
A consolidated history of individual Beefsteak and Burgundy Clubs can be found here (with the here hyperlinked).
Some clubs' histories are reasonably up-to-date, while others just have their beginnings. If yours is the latter, then please send an update to the General
Secretary. The history document on the website will be changed periodically to reflect these updates.
CONVENTIONS
2026
The 2026 Beefsteak and Burgundy Club Convention is being hosted by the
Innisfail Club. It is centred on Mission Beach/Innisfail and is being held from Friday 31 July to Sunday 2 August.
It is being well supported by clubs in Queensland, led by the Brisbane Club with 15 attending. Other Queensland clubs attending are Blumers (6), Broadbeach
(5), Fortitude (5), Mackay (2), Manly Harbour (1), Maryborough (2), Maryborough-Wide Bay (3), Toowoomba-Wheatsheaf (1), Townsville (5) and Townsville Ladies
(5)
Other clubs giving good support are Ad Astra One (6), Alice Ladies (7), Alice Springs (5), Echuca (7), John Bowen (10), Sheoak Hill (6) and the two Whyalla
clubs (7).
With a bit over three weeks to go, Ben Heath and his Innisfail organising committee are busy completing the final details to ensure it will be an enjoyable
time in the sun for those attending.
2027 The host of the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club convention in 2027 will be announced at this year's convention in 3 week's time. It will be held in Asia in the
latter part of 2027. So, start thinking of a week or two holiday that includes the convention. Those who attended the convention in Shanghai in 2015 will
remember the wonderful time that was had, enjoying both the usual wonderful convention experience but in a different culture and place outside the norm.
Keep an eye on the announcement which will be sent to all clubs after the convention.
LIFE MEMBERS
Recently the following members have been awarded life membership:
975 Alan Long
Brisbane (17) 28
April 2026
976 Anthony
Bilbrough
Brisbane (17) 28 April 2026
977 Chris Fresle
Ararat (90) 17 May
2026
978 David Hosking
Ararat (90) 17 May 2026
979 Jack Miller
Frome (95)
16 June 2026
980 Bill Walker
Frome (95)
16 June 2026
Congratulation to these members on this significant recognition of great service to the Club.
Life Membership Criteria that the Club Committee Use as a Guide for Approval of Nominations
Life Membership is generally awarded for at least 15 years or more as a member of the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club (which may be served across more than one
club – not at the same time - but the life membership is then related to the current club of membership, which ideally should be the longer membership
period) unless there are exceptional circumstances that cause the nomination to be approved with fewer than 15 years membership; service to the club through
committee membership, including being an office-bearer, ideally; and above and beyond service, such as having introduced several members to the
club, mentoring new members - other than casually, hosting the club’s wine cellar, organising club trips, being a regular attender of Club conventions,
fostering a significant initiative for the club and the like. A member doing a number of these but not serving on the committee could also be a strong
candidate for life membership.
To be awarded a Life Membership, a member must be nominated to the General Secretary for the attention and approval of Life Membership by the Club
Committee after having been approved for nomination by the members of his/her club.
So as not to devalue the merit of a Life Membership the Club Committee expects that a club does not nominate more than two in any one year, unless
there are exceptional circumstances.
VALE
Jim Freebairn – Nital (72)
Jim died on Wednesday 13 May 2026 after a period of gradual deterioration in his health.
He had been a member of the Nital Club (72) since 1984. At the club’s 1985 AGM he was elected as its Winemaster. He occupied every position in the club over
the years as well as being club Auditor. He had had the honour of working with the late Mervyn Ziebell, the club founder, the force behind Jim’s Branch Life
Membership in 2005.
The Nital Club moved from being a male-only club to a mixed club and so Jim’s wife Jill was able to also become a member, as well as serving a term as
President of the club. Jill continues as a member of the club.
One of Jim’s and Jill’s great enjoyments has been visiting other clubs. In this way Jim, in addition to the Freebairn Report, has contributed as well by
promoting the interconnections and friendly companionship of Beefsteak and Burgundy Club membership.
Jim gave great service to the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club particularly through his report, the Freebairn Report. This report, on each convention, was made
available to the General Secretary for any reporting to clubs on the particular conventions and was a good resource for Chapter 10 on the Club convention in
the 70 Year History of the Club.
Jim and Jill first attended a convention in 1986, the tenth one, held in Adelaide. All-in-all he attended 27 conventions consecutively, with the last one
the 2022 convention in Echuca. Jill has attended the two since, the 2023 convention in Darwin and the 2024 convention in Adelaide, giving a total of 29
attended. She is registered to attend the 2026 Convention at the end of this month, making 30 attended, a record unlikely to be matched.
Jim was a person of great humour and cheer. He brought joy to any interactions with him. He will be held in fond memory. His funeral was held on 26 May
attended by a large number of people recognising his contribution across many facets of his life.
Photo supplied by close friend Phil Yaxley, Secretary Broadbeach Club
Jim Freebairn
CLUB CELEBRATIONS Clubs who have had, or are having, a significant milestone celebration this year are:
70 Years
Burnside (3) SA 20/02/2026
Nagambie (6) VIC 18/06/2026
Sydney (7) NSW 6/08/2026
Norwood (9) SA 27/08/2026
60 Years
John Bowen (65) TAS Hobart 19/05/2026
The Cellarman Sunshine Coast (66) QLD 19/05/2026
Whyalla Monarch (67) SA 14/07/2026
50 Years
Walkerville (163) SA 7/07/2026
Tinakori (166) NZ 8/11/2026
Alexandra (167) SA 8/11/2026
40 Years
Middleback (210) SA 8/08/2026
30 Years
Brazil (235) BRAZIL 12/08/2026
Yarrawonga-Mulwala (236) VIC 4/11/2026
25 Years
Les Femmes Rouges (247) Whyalla SA 12/09/2026
Congratulations to all these clubs on achieving these significant milestones,
an important one of which, Nagambie’s 70th was reached recently
.
NAGAMBIE 70th Following on the Foundation Club, Brighton (1), Lockleys (2) and Burnside (3), the next club to celebrate its 70th anniversary was Nagambie, which was
awarded the Club’s sixth Charter at the Club’s committee meeting on 18 June 1956. The celebration was held at Tahbilk Estate on Saturday 27 June 2026.
Nagambie is a town one hundred and twenty kilometres from Melbourne in the centre of an historic wine region, with the most well-known winery being Tahbilk,
Victoria’s oldest family-owned winery.
It was fitting that the celebration was held at Tahbilk because its owners, the Purbrick family were instrumental in the founding of the Nagambie Club. The
driver was Eric Purbrick, grazier and vigneron who became the first Winemaster, while the first President was John Purbrick, station manager, the
grandfather and father respectively of Alister Purbrick the current winemaker of Tahbilk.
The Nagambie Club was the first chartered outside of Adelaide. (Apart from Charters 1, 2 and 3 listed above, 4 was the Edwardstown club which unfortunately
ceased in 2019 after 63 years and 5 was the Angas club in Adelaide which ceased in 1966 after 10 years). It is believed that this came about because of the
wine connection between Eric and the Hardy family.
There were 67 present at the celebration, including life members, present and past members, partners, six members of the Shepparton Club (57) – which had
its beginning through the initiative of Will Ferguson a member of the Nagambie Club in 1965 – Doc McDonald and Sandra from the Echuca Club (245) – Doc had
been a member of the Nagambie Club for 20 years before becoming a member of the Echuca Club, which he has been for a bit over 20 years. Also present, on
behalf of the Beefsteak and Burgundy Club, was its General Secretary, Vin Thomas, who was pleased to recognise on behalf of the Club the Nagambie Club’s
significant achievement and present the certificate of recognition. He was also pleased to present a copy of the 70 Years History of the Beefsteak and
Burgundy Club from the Nagambie Club to Alister Purbrick in recognition of the fundamental role played by the Purbrick family in the beginnings and ongoing
support of the Nagambie club.
The food and wine for the occasion were chosen by Alister, with a number of aged wines coming from the Tahbilk cellar. Alister spoke about the winery, some
of its history, particularly with the Marsanne variety and then on the wines being served during the night.
The menu and accompanying wines were: Pre-Dinner 2005 Tahbilk Couselant Sparkling Marsanne
Entrée
Kingfish Ceviche, jalapeno, coconut, hot mint and shiso 2008 Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2019 Tahbilk Estate Marsanne
Main
Lamb cutlet Milanese, pesto, rocket, preserved lemon, onion, herbs and quinoa salad with ranch dressing. 2016 Tahbilk Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 Tahbilk ESP Cabernet Sauvignon
Cheese
Mixed soft and hard cheese with quince and fresh fruit 2016 Tahbilk Estate Shiraz 2016 Tahbilk ESP Shiraz
Tea and Coffee
Petite Chocolates Tahbilk Grand Tawny Port
The night was thoroughly enjoyed by those attending (who wouldn’t have with the lovely wines and menu above!), especially within the historical setting so
closely connected with the beginning of the club.
CLUB NEWS
TOKYO (126) The Tokyo Beefsteak and Burgundy Club held its April meeting at L’Ignis (hearth in Latin) in the Ebisu area of Tokyo. The restaurant focuses on wood-fired
meats. The meeting was a lunch meeting on Friday 17 April. President Andrew Chapman called the 43 attendees to order, 23 members and 20 guests, one of whom
was the General Secretary, Vin Thomas. He was amazed at the number of guests who were friends and colleagues, in the main, of the members present. The club is very hospitable and has no problem keeping its membership full. Another of the guests was Adrian Overholser, a long-time stalwart of the
Victoria Hong Kong Originals Club and more recently a member of the Bangkok club.
The club does not have its own cellar but is well-served by having two wine retailers amongst its members who ensure the club has access to wines at good
prices. The wines on this occasion were all Australian sourced through one of the retailers, Richard Cohen.
On arrival members and guests were greeted with a NV d’Arenberg Pollyanna Polly sparkling wine from Mclaren Vale, South Australia.
With the Starter of Brazilian Sourdough and From the Sea, Tasmanian Salmon Carpaccio with Tobiko, citrus vinaigrette and Hassaku was served the
2024 Elderton Eden Valley Chardonnay, from South Australia.
The pasta dish of Penne all’arrabbiata with homemade semi-dry tomato attendees was served with a 2024 Margan Breaking Ground Barbera from
the Ceres Hill Vineyard in the Hunter Valley.
From the wood fire grill came the L’Ignis signature dry aged sirloin, as well as the Wanderer free range barley finished striploin, a contrast between
Japanese grown meat and Australian meat. They were served with cracked potato, red wine jus and a selection of vegetables. The wine served with the beef was
the 2022 Moss Wood Amy’s, the Bordeaux blend from Margaret River, Western Australia.
The assorted cheese plate was followed by a dessert of Gateau au Chocolat with smoked milk ice cream. The dessert wine was the
2024 d’Arenberg Noble Wrinkled Riesling.
It was a very good meeting with thoughtful and entertaining comments by members on the food and wine. The club showed its vitality and camaraderie.
Beefsteak and Burgundy is alive and well in Tokyo.
CLUBS in CANADA The General Secretary, Vin Thomas, and his wife Lyndall were very pleased to both visit the two clubs in Canada and to also use that as an opportunity to
visit Canada for the first time taking in many beautiful areas such as the Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island and the spectacular Niagara Falls. The 400km
drive from Toronto north to Sudbury and the 170km drive from Toronto west to St Marys, where the Stonetown Club is where also very beautiful drives (once
off the Canadian speedways, er highways!).
As mentioned in the General secretary Report above, the two clubs there have a slightly different approach to their meetings.
The Sudbury Club has two dinner meetings, with the remainder of the monthly meetings held as tastings, with a strong emphasis on learning about wines. These
tastings are put on by members in turn and often have a thematic note to them, as can be seen below.
The Stonetown Club has a combination at its monthly meetings of a tasting and meal. Members enjoy a welcome wine, then sit down to a tasting of four wines
and then enjoy an accompanying wine with their dinner meal.
Both clubs are vibrant and Vin and Lyndall were made most welcome. That would be the case with any visitors, as both clubs would be very pleased to have
members from other clubs joining them at a meeting. The Stonetown Club has had some members visit clubs in Australia and Asia and would be pleased to
reciprocate. Visitors would also see beautiful scenery and the two towns of Sudbury and St Marys.
SUDBURY (193) The club’s committee members and the General Secretary and his wife were able to have an early dinner at which they enjoyed lovely food matched with very
good wines from the Niagara wine region. Following that the group travelled to the venue for the club meeting. First, the President, Anna Fratini, conducted
the club’s AGM, which went efficiently and smoothly with the usual office-holder reports.
Membership numbers are very strong and as can be seen from the photos below there has been a revitalisation of the club and there are many youthful members.
Maybe having tasting meetings and their lower cost is an attraction.
The wines for the tasting were masked and there was good discussion around the tables that came close to what was later revealed.
CHATEAUCLINET 2010 The definition of poised and confident, this has pretty much consistently delivered since the very first taste during En Primeur.
Deeply layered, textured, confident and powerful, both very Pomerol and very 2010. Coffee beans and bitter chocolate are the dominant flavours alongside
cassis and blackberry autumnal berry fruits. Both gourmet and restrained. (97/100- Decanter)
2018 One of the star Pomerol names showing us how it's done in 2018. This wine absolutely stands out, being beautifully
vibrant and very polished, where you feel the individual strands of flavour and know it's clearly going to age. Here you get licks of salted rosemary sprigs
right on the nose followed by a silkiness and round mouthfeel that speaks to the alcohol, but you certainly don't feel it. It's well judged, very Pomerol,
and on the dark side of the fruit scale, perhaps because this is Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, not Cabernet Franc. (97/100- Decanter)
2020 Dark and heady, smooth yet still lean with a sense of seriousness, with firm tannins that fill the mouth. Lovely high acidity
offsets the powdery, chalky texture, with perfumed blackberries and cherries alongside hints of liquorice and cola. Rich and quite dense, but with lovely
persistence and energy. (95/100- Decanter)
CHATEAUGAZIN 2018 This is a good-quality, serious wine. It has some firm tannins and a ton of fruit, and underneath it all the luxurious feel of a
quality Pomerol. 50% new oak. (Decanter- 97/100)
2019 A rich, full and heady nose. On the palate there's ripe blackcurrant, red cherries, raspberries and strawberries but also some
mint, black pepper and truffle. Excellent precision and density with a seductive dark chocolate edge. Feels well handled with a sense of classicism. A
powerful, muscular and confident wine, but with suppleness-this has density but also grace with a cooling finish comprising liquorice, mint and soft
salinity. A great wine. (Decanter-95/100)
2020 Supple and juicy, but still quite tight in terms of texture. A little reserved perhaps, the coiled and muscular mid-palate stops
some of the push from the fruit which is really well defined with a crystalline aspect to it. Real purity and freshness, tannins have an appealing grip with
a salty, cola, liquorice, dark chocolate and coffee powder edge to them. Lots of nuance and complexity. (Decanter - 94/100)
VINTAGE INFORMATION 2010 Dry but not warm season led to powerful wines. Merlot sports slightly higher alcohols; Cabernet Franc excelled.
2018 Rainy first half of season tapered off sooner than the Left Bank, with dry conditions in the second half favoring clay and
limestone soils, yet the wines are more inconsistent overall, with some beautiful examples, but others showing slightly austere, herbaceous profiles;
late-ripening Cabernet Franc a key player.
2019 Hot and dry conditions and heat waves in June and July favoring cooler terroirs with good water retention - Pomerol with its clay
soils and St.-Emilion with its limestone, both yielding superb wines. Very inconsistent outside of the elite areas.
2020 A rainy winter gave vineyards ample water reserves, but the rain stretched into spring, leading to severe mildew pressures.
Summer turned hot and dry, but the Right Bank escaped the heavy August rain, with Pomerol looking particularly strong; clay soils were key.
As can be seen, the Sudbury takes wine education very seriously and experiences very good wine. At the same time, it is obvious that members have a good
time together as well.
STONETOWN (227) The Stonetown Club at St Marys, a town of about 8,000 west of Toronto Canada. It is quite historic and pleasant sitting on the banks of the Thames River.
The town is known as the Stone Town because of its famous limestone quarry which contributed to many of its buildings back in the day, Obviously that is
where the B&B Club took its name.
The club is an all-male club, but for its May meeting, giving the attendance of the General Secretary and his wife, partners were included for this meeting
(they have a couple of partner meetings during the year). The club was founded by Pierre Chateauvert as a result of spending a year or so as an exchange
teacher in the South-east of South Australia where he joined a B&B Club. Upon his return to St Marys, he set about establishing one there.
Unfortunately, Pierre was away at the time of this meeting but graciously left a note for the General Secretary who was keen to catch up with him.
The club was very welcoming and extremely generous. There was a good sense of connection and members and partners obviously enjoyed the occasion, which was
held at a farm just outside St Marys, the Red Mill Farm, which is a special occasion venue, AirBnB and retreat.
The evening began with a Tawse Spark Limestone Ridge Organic Brut Sparkling Riesling, with a cheese table available for grazing to
accompany the sparkling. The cheeses were locally made by Chris and May Woolf from Stonetown Artisan Cheese. The ones provided were their “Wildwood”,
“Homecoming” and “Limestone Legend” varieties.
Upon everyone being seated, Claire Sherwin, president, hosted the evening and welcomed everyone introduced speakers. Wines for the evening were selected by
the club’s wine steward, Jere Bukich, with the help of Bob Latham (founding member), Fred Jewson (founding member), Mark Oliver, Tom Bishop and Braden
Furtney. Greg Bettger, Jere, Mark and Tom served the wines.
Those who had selected wines spoke to attendees about them. The wines were:
2023 Volta Amphora Ramirez Vineyard Chardonnay, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
Then followed a lovely meal featuring Canadian pork.
Menu
Mini Ciabatta Buns & Butter
Assorted Pickles & Olives
Broccoli, Bacon & Cheddar Salad
Garden Salad w/ Ranch, French, Italian & Raspberry Dressings
Roast Stuffed Pork Loin with an apple cranberry bread dressing w/ Assorted Mustards - Grainy Dijon, Honey, Regular - Sweetened Applesauce & Gravy,
Creamy Mashed Potatoes and Honey Glazed Baby Carrots
Classic Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Icing
New York Style Cherry Cheesecake
Pecan Pie
Lemon Meringue Pie
The meal was accompanied by a Henry of Pelham Bacco Noir Old Vines red wine from St Catharines Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. For
interest, the Baco Noir variety is a French-American variety hybrid red grape developed in 1894 by French breeder Francois Baco. He crossed the French white
grape Folle Blanche with a wild American vine, Vitis riparia. Its flavour has notes of plum and blueberry and often has caramel or spicy overtones.
Overall a very interesting and enjoyable night. It was St Marys Canada but whether attending from Australia, Asia, Europe or South America one would be
immediately at home with the usual B&B experience. Next time you are in Canada go to Ontario and catch up withe Stonetown and Sudbury clubs. You won't
regret it, not just the experience there but the journey getting to them.
CLUBS in AUSTRALIA JOHN OXLEY (48) The John Oxley Club every year or so has a wine weekend away in a wine district with many members and partners taking part in the weekend. A number of
clubs do or have had such wine education trips. However, maybe not with the range of the John Oxley Club’s trips with them travelling from their Brisbane
home to all parts of Australia and even to New Zealand.
This year’s trip was to Adelaide on the weekend of 1-3 May 2026. They visited the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale wine regions. On the Sunday evening they
held a dinner at the Penny Blue Restaurant at the Marriott Hotel where they were staying. They very kindly invited the General Secretary to join them, which
also gave him a chance to catch up for a chat with the President, Scott Kitching, and Secretary, Carl von Vivenot. The club is very vibrant with a full and
active membership.
The menu and wines enjoyed by those attending were: Starter
Grilled whole SA Jumbo King Prawn, Nduja Glaze, Burnt Lemon Aioli 2023 Ashton Hills Piccadilly Valley Chardonnay, Piccadilly Valley, SA 2023 John Duval Plexus Marsanne Roussanne Viognier, Barossa Valley SA
Main
Signature Beef Wellington
Wagyu Eye Fillet, Truffle Mushroom Duxelles, Chicken Liver Parfait, Prosciutto, Madeira Jus, Vine-ripened Cherry Tomatoes, Truffle Mash with Shared Sides of
chips, chargrilled broccolini, sumac yogurt, dukkah, roasted Kent pumpkin, chilli maple glaze, Persian feta and pine nuts 2021 Seppeltsfield Great Terraced Vineyard Barossa Grenache, Barossa Valley SA 2015 Shaw and Smith Aged Release Shiraz, Adelaide Hills, SA
All in all, a most enjoyable evening with great conversations and fun, befitting a wine weekend away.
BRISBANE (17) Normally the Brisbane Club has lunch meetings, but for their June meeting they held a special black-tie meeting on Saturday 13 June at their usual meeting
venue the United Services Club. A special feature of the night was the presentation of Life Membership to two longstanding members who have given great
service to the club. The General Secretary was pleased to attend and be part of the recognition of these members, Alan Long and Tony Bilbrough.
The food and wine enjoyed by attendees on the night were:
Amuse Bouche
Smoked chicken and corn macaron.
Pickled baby beetroot, candied orange, marinated fetta. GF Penfolds Champagne, France
Entrée
Seared duck breast carpaccio, tatsoi pesto and leaves, confit cherry tomatoes,
chilli dust, Grana Padano. 2024 Charles Melton Rose of Virginia Krondorf, SA
Main course
Slow roasted Black Angus beef sirloin and braised brisket, cauliflower cream, sauté forest mushrooms, dukkha seasoned baby carrots, beef jus. 2019 D’Arenburg Dead Arm Shiraz, McLaren Vale, SA 2022 Rockfords Wines Rifle Range Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley, SA
Dessert
Baked lemon tart, burnt sugar, berries, cream. 2019 Le Tertre Du Lys D’or Sauternes Bordeaux, France
Australian cheese platters
COONAWARRA (170) Pipers Restaurant of Penola in the Limestone Coast of South Australia closed its doors at the end of June this year.
Renowned for its exceptional cuisine, Pipers opened 26 years ago. For 20 of those years. It has been under the management and guidance of chef Simon Bowen
and his wife Erika.
Well known throughout the region, Pipers was the “go to” restaurant for visitors to Penola and Coonawarra.
Winner of many regional and state awards for excellence, Pipers hosted the Coonawarra Beefsteak and Burgundy Club for its recent annual general meeting.
President Charlie Goode, as a genuine show of appreciation from the members, presented Simon and Erika with a gift to remind them of the many years of fine
meals enjoyed at Pipers by the club.
Club member Tony Altschwager summed up the feeling of members towards Pipers with the words: “So long, so good and so consistent”.
L/R Life Members Sid Kidman, Jock MacFarlane and Brian Smibert, Simon Bowen, Erika Bowen, Life Members Mal Redman and Rick Paltridge.
The final menu was excellent as always, with numerous wines being sourced from the Club’s cellar.
Pre-Dinner 2018 Côte Adelaide Hills Blanc de Blanc Sparkling
First Course
Roasted Abrolhos Island half shell scallops, pig's ear curry leaf with white miso butter crisp nori 2019 Patrick Piuze Les Forets Chablis Premiere Cru
Second Course
Seared duck breast pureed burrata toum, roasted flat beans local black truffle and crisp potato and jus 2023 Domain Chantemère Chablis
Third course
Roasted 2GR 5 score Wagyu rump cap medium rare, smoked artichoke purée, ragoût of braised beef cheek, shimeji and shiitake mushroom 2006 Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015 Koomilya Estate McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
Dessert
Apple, brown sugar terrine, vanilla brandy anglaise, whipped vanilla cream cheese and pecan brittle 2016 Famille Hugel Classic Gerbert Gewürztraminer Alsace
A very fitting farewell to a wonderful restaurant.
The Coonawarra Beefsteak and Burgundy Club held their May dinner at the local Coonawarra Penola RSL Club for the first time.
In true reflection of the Club’s unorthodox approach to dinner venues, this was the 17th different venue that the Club had been to in the last 5
years!
This is extraordinary as the Club only meets every alternate month!
The dinner was a celebration of two milestones: life member Mal Redman celebrated his 25th year as the Club Treasurer and new member David Ward was
inducted into the Club. It would be an interesting challenge to all BS&B Clubs if they have a member of their executive who has held the same portfolio
for as long as Mal Redman!
It was an appropriate venue as David is the current President of the Coonawarra Penola RSL.
L/R New member David Ward and Life Member Mal Redman enjoying the History of Beefsteak and Burgundy Club 1954 – 2024. (Editor's note: Yay!)
On a final note long time stalwart and Life Member of the Coonawarra Beefsteak & Burgundy Club Tom Porter was caught having a well earned “nap” late
last year. Being a member of a syndicate of a particular horse he was extremely happy to cuddle up to both the 2025 Caulfield Cup as well as the 2025
Melbourne Cup. Both won by the same horse!
Tom’s health isn’t as good as it should be so all members of the Coonawarra Beefsteak & Burgundy Club wish Tom Porter all the very best. (Editor: As do
I am sure, all B&B Members)
