Message from the President

What joy. This fine sunny morning brought 53 cases of vintage wine from the wine regions of France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal to my home in Australia, having been shipped several months ago from the UK. It is not an exercise for the faint hearted, given the shipping delays due to the continued conflicts in the Middle East and the steep excise duty payable in Australia. However, now the wines are all safely stored in the cellar, it will be worthwhile and doubtless a party awaits members of the IWFS New South Wales Branch.

I was, alas, unable to attend the May launch in London, fittingly on International Tea Day, of the wonderfully informative and highly readable monograph on ‘The World of Tea’ by Will Battle but I commend it to all wine lovers, given the similarities between tea and wine. I especially recommend it to those members, who enjoy low or no alcohol beverages. Do note, however, the need to ensure the use of fresh water and boiling it to the correct temperature in order to enjoy to the full the complex flavours of your chosen tea.

I trust members are also enjoying the pleasures of the table through the Society and will continue to do so this year. I understand the Europe Africa trip to the Loire Valley went well with outstanding food, good wines and excellent venues. There is much still to enjoy with the Hong Kong Festival, organised by the Asia Pacific region, in November (which I shall be attending) and, before then, the Americas run European cruise. Attendees are assured of a memorable time with continuous laughter and pleasure thanks to our diverse and dedicated membership and, particularly, our tireless volunteer organisers.

Chris Bonsall
President