Chardonnay is one of the most thrilling and complex varieties in the world and gives the winemaker the opportunity to stamp their trademark style in the winery.

Join the Wine Education Centre’s Blair Hill and Old Bridge Cellars proprietor Jay Beeson for an educational and entertaining evening as they go head-to-head, pitching Chardonnay’s from these iconic regions against each other across four different price brackets to see which will reign supreme.

Jancis Robinson recently tasted the best of the best from Margaret River and was quoted as saying

“but all I can say is that the results are thrilling. The Cullens, Kevin John Flower Day wine had all the intensity you would expect of a top Grand Cru White Burgundy.” Blair will introduce Burgundy and Jay Margaret River, before the first bracket, setting the stage for a fascinating tasting journey.

Across the night, you’ll taste eight wines – two per bracket – with the final round showcasing bottles worth over $300 RRP. Between brackets, enjoy a grazing board designed to complement the richness and structure of Chardonnay

In the words of Jancis Robinson … “The greatest Pinot Noir is the greatest red burgundy, without any shadow of a doubt. In fact the Grands Crus of the Côte d’Or, the heartland of Burgundy, tower in my opinion much further above their counterparts outside France than Bordeaux’s top wines do above the best Cabernet Sauvignon of regions like Napa Valley or Margaret River.”

Widely regarded as the Holy Grail of grape varieties, there is simply no other variety quite like Pinot Noir. Renowned for its heady perfumes and thrillingly pure red fruit characters, it offers an alluring spectrum of flavours including raspberry, mulberry, plum, strawberry and pomegranate. It responds beautifully to French oak maturation and, with bottle age, develops extraordinary complexity, revealing savoury nuances of truffle, game and forest floor.

Join us as we explore the viticulture and winemaking behind this remarkable variety, examining why it is both one of the most challenging grapes to grow and one of the most rewarding to drink.

The tasting will feature eight wines from some of the world’s most exciting Pinot Noir regions. Examples will include benchmark expressions from the New World, Australia (Tasmania), New Zealand (Central Otago) and South Africa (Elgin), alongside classic Old World wines from the spiritual home of Pinot Noir – Burgundy, and the emerging Pfalz region of Germany.

This promises to be a fascinating journey through the many faces of one of the world’s most captivating grape varieties.

Contact Person: Blair Hill
Telephone: 0417 987 461
Email enquiries: [email protected]

The Wine Essentials Course is held over four consecutive weeks, the course covers six wines per session.

The course provides the necessary information for all wine enthusiasts who are looking to increase their wine knowledge and approach to tasting. It is also an appropriate course for those about to enter or are in the wine trade.

• Week One – Learn how to taste and assess a range of wine styles and understand the wine show system in Australia.
• Week Two – White wine production, styles and botrytis cinerea (noble rot).
• Week Three – Red wine production, styles, importance of oak and cellaring potential of wine.
• Week Four – Food and wine matching to be held at Samsons Paddock restaurant, Mosman Park.
• Plus a Saturday vineyard visit to the Swan Valley or Perth Hills and the Essential Wine Tasting Guide.

Contact Person: Blair Hill
Telephone: 0417 987 461
Email enquiries: [email protected]