CONTEMPORARY EUROPEAN BISTRO

A place to meet, and enjoy simply delicious food

Market Wine Store Manager Peter Marchant whose diverse career includes being the state chairman and member of the national executive for Sommeliers Australia for five years.

He has consulted to many of Queensland’s leading restaurants, judged in multiple wine shows and in 2014 was selected as a scholar for the Len Evans Tutorial, billed as the world’s more exclusive wine school.

Tony said it was great to have someone who is so respected and connected to the industry.

“Through his extensive contacts, Pete loves to source special bottles for customers, curate special events and share stories about the people and places that he has hand-picked to grace the shelves at Market Wine Store,” he said.

“Not only is he committed to featuring the best products at the best price, but also to ensure that there is a focus on mostly Australian and New Zealand wines plus a significant presence of Champagne; craft beers and spirits.

“For the Single Bottle Club, Peter finds older and rarer ‘unicorn’ wines and fun verticals and horizontals and paired with four courses and special guests,” he said.

The Single Bottle Club has explored grower Champagnes, which are those grown and made by the same person; celebrated five decades of Yarra Yering Red No. 1 going back to 1977 and including the 2019 vintage which James Halliday named as Wine of the Year; and has hosted special guests.

One such guest was Michael Hill Smith, who was the first Australian to pass the rigorous Master of Wine examination, and has been awarded an Order of Australia for his contribution to the Australian Wine Industry.

He is also the co-founder of Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hills and Tolpuddle Vineyards in Tasmania, and guided guests through four Tolpuddle Chardonnays and four Pinot Noirs from 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020.

“To have someone of Michael’s calibre and with the knowledge and passion that he has for winemaking was a rare experience and a treat for wine lovers,” Tony said.

The third club just sounds like a heap of fun! The Market Lunch Club has rotating guests sharing new releases and fun and exclusive wines designed to deepen people’s appreciation and understanding of wine that’s as impressive on the palate as on the plate.

Whatever your passion or preference, Market Wine Store’s clubs offer a fun and fantastical journey into fine flavours.

I’ll drink to that! Find out more www.marketwinestore.com.au

Idée Fixe literally translates as obsession or passion and represents the latest step in the Vasse Felix story which commenced in 1967.

With Vasse Felix already wellestablished in the northern area of Margaret River and producing chardonnay and cabernet that comfortably sit at the upper echelons of both varieties in Australia, the purchase of vineyards situated in Karridale in the cooler southern area of Margaret River, where they discovered Champagne clones in the vineyard, gave rise to the opportunity to grow cool climate chardonnay and interpret that as sparkling wine.

The vineyard is sited on calcareous soils which means it is rich in calcium, a feature of the Côte des Blancs in Champagne where chalk soils are home to chardonnay grapes that feature in some of the greatest and long-lived Champagnes – think Salon, Krug Clos du Mesnil among many splendid drinks.

Whilst not putting the Idée Fixe wines at the same level as Salon et al they represent an exciting new sparkling wine range, focused on chardonnay, which promise to be a third premium string to the bow of Vasse Felix in conjunction with chardonnay and cabernet.

The two wines are a blanc which is 100% chardonnay; and the rosé which is 91% chardonnay with the addition of 9% still pinot noir, both made using the traditional method.

Let’s start with the 2019 Premier Brut Blanc de Blancs. Featuring handpicked fruit and gently-pressed free run juice; the trademark chardonnay flavours of green apple and lemon are immediately obvious. With a fine acid line and saline edge towards the back of the palate it is a wine that makes the perfect aperitif or would sit comfortably next to some freshly-shucked oysters.

The 2019 Idée Fixe Brut Rosé features 91% chardonnay stained with 9% pinot noir. On the palate the power of the pinot noir was evident, with the aged oak nuance from the pinot noir providing mid-palate breadth to complement the drive and freshness of the chardonnay. This is a wine that comfortably can be enjoyed with duck as a main course and at this early stage of its life would be better served in a burgundy glass rather than a flute to allow the wine to open up.

Idée Fixe is the culmination of the desire to produce exemplary sparkling wine in the Margaret River wine region, a fixation Vasse Felix has held for decades. The dedicated sparkling wine production facility, physically independent from Vasse Felix which lies in the northern area of Margaret River, is sure to guarantee a total dedication to extracting the highest possible quality from their exemplary vineyards. Enjoy!