Cool event to showcase cool-climate wines

Lovers of cool-climate wines might want to put Piers & Pinots into their calendar. 

 
Twelve producers from the Mornington Peninsula will be showcased at the immersive afternoon event on May 2. 

The venue will be Blairgowrie Yacht Squadron and offers the chance to meet some of the talented winemakers behind some famous labels, offering insights into how the region’s maritime influences from Western Port, Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait define the local wines. 

There will be over 40 wines to taste, along with a charcuterie and cheese station. 

Detailed tasting notes will be provided and there will also be a live acoustic singer-songwriter performance (somewhat distracting I would have thought). 

The event will run from 2pm-5pm and tickets are $120 per person (includes GST, plus booking fee)

Participating wineries are Baillieu, Dexter, Elgee Park Wines, Foxey’s Hangout, Handpicked Wines, Kyberd Hills, Ocean Eight, Portsea Estate, Pt Leo Estate, Rahona Valley, Stonier and Yal Yal Estate.

See www.mpwine.com.au

Glasses of rosé at $6 make for a very happy hour or two

So your budget is tight, but you still fancy a pre-Christmas treat?

Sydney folk can check out the new Six Til 6 offering at French-accented Armorica in Surry Hills - a happy hour that features $6 glasses of the Dominique Portet Fontaine Rosé along with some budget-priced snacks.

Running from 4-6pm daily, the Six Til 6 also showcases charcuterie items starting from just $6.

The happy hour is billed as "the perfect opportunity for after-work catch-ups, pre-dinner drinks, or simply indulging French style because… why not?"

Armorica, named after an ancient region in what is now France, is a French-style brasserie on Crown Street. 

See https://www.armorica.com.au/ 

French lessons for leading charcutier

Melbourne meatsmith Sascha Randle is the inaugural winner of the Saskia Beer Churchill Fellowship, which will allow her to obtain specialised training in the skill and techniques of traditional French charcuterie production

The fellowship commemorates Saskia Beer, the late daughter of Australian culinary legends Colin and Maggie Beer, who died two years ago.

Randle's Dutch grandparents had their own continental butcher shop in Melbourne and she has been fascinated with charcuterie for much of her life.

She will use the fellowship to obtain specialised training in the skill and techniques of traditional French charcuterie production.

“I am heading to France next April to work with industry greats Gilles Verot in Paris and Sebastien Zozaya in Bayonne - both world-renowned charcutiers with acclaimed maisons," Randle said.

“Here, I will learn the art of producing exceptional pâtés, saucissons and hams and bring that knowledge back to Melbourne and the broader community. It’s an art I never want to die out.

“I believe it is so important to retain the techniques of smallgoods making here in Australia, as currently there is no further charcuterie training for professional butchers at any institution in this country.

"It’s so important that we highlight the applications charcuterie has in reducing waste in the breakdown of animal. Through this, we can educate the community on the importance and benefits of whole animal charcuterie, and smallgoods making.”

Randle has been cooking for 25 years and has worked with several key figures, including with Philippe Mouchel in the late 90s and with the Andrew McConnell group.