Hello my friends. I am in desperate need of help.

The organization that I work for has decided to have an Austrailian themed wine tasting fundraiser. Which is a problem for me, because Number 1, I don't know anything about wine, anytime I have wine someone usually selects it for me. Number 2, I don't know anything about Austrailia. So can you please enlighten me.

What would be an over the top catchy name for this event, keeping the theme in mind? Some of the board members are selecting the wines and cheeses, but if you have some favorite wines (moderatly priced, of course), please advise. Is there a dessert that is commonly used over there? Tell me everything.

What about decor? One person on the event committee wants the servers to dress up with the cargo shorts, vest, hat that sort of thing.

Please give me all your great ideas. Thank you.

Okay one of my board members suggested “Billabong” Wine & Ale Tasting",

What do you think?

Pavlova! That's probably the quintessential Australian dessert.

Favourite wines - personally any Western Australian Margaret River Region Sav Blanc or chardonnay (Evans and Tate is a great label), the Rutherglen region for fortifieds such as port and muscat (Campbells), I'm not really much of a red drinker, nor do I like sweeter whites like Rieslings and moselles - Brown Brothers are good for those. Just dont make it Coolabah casks! We have some great cheeses too - King Island is great for those.

Shorts and vests and hats? Groan. But I guess that's probably the most obvious, internationally recognizeable kind of look, but believe me, Australia is really the same as the UK or America, most of the population lives in coastal cities and we dont get around looking or talking like Steve Irwin or Crocodile Dundee. We're almost civilised. A beach theme, where the waiters dressed as surf lifesavers in speedos, zinc cream and hats could be good!

For a name, you'd have to have a play on the words Downunder or Great Southern Land (there's a great Icehouse song from way back when that ought to be our national anthem), Waltzing Matilda, other sort of Aussie words such as Billabong, Tuckerbox, Swagman, etc etc.

Wonderful.

Now, forgive my ignorance, but what is Pavlova? How is it prepared? Tell me more...

My favorite moderately priced Australian wine is Penfold's Koonuga Hill Shiraz-Cabernet vintage 2004.

Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet : Koonunga Hill Range : Penfolds Wine Collection

I bought a case for my wife, as a holiday present, and it is already gone. :rolleyes2: In NJ, it is about $12 a bottle.

Classic Pavlova recipe - Best recipes

Pavlova or "pav" is just meringue base topped with loads and loads of whipped cream and fresh fruit. I actually cant stand it, lol.

Classic Pavlova recipe - Best recipes

Pavlova or "pav" is just meringue base topped with loads and loads of whipped cream and fresh fruit. I actually cant stand it, lol.

Oooh, sounds soooo good. Thank you. Keep on posting any and all your great ideas.

My favorite wine is Rosemont Estate Shiraz...the chardonney is good as well.

Pardon my spelling...

Rain

I love this site, I can always count on ya'll for everything.

Don't let this thread fall to the bottom. I'm heading home now, but am already looking forward to logging on tomorrow and hearing everyone's ideas for this. Since I am so darn wine incompetant.

Beer wise, you'd have to have some VB's!! (Victoria Bitter). Four X, um, Fosters, though I dont know I've seen anyone drink Fosters in a long long time, Carlton Draught, we have some great boutique beers too but I'm way back in the 80's with Redbacks, I'm no beer connoisseur so someone else will have to suggest what boutique beers are around these days. Cascades and Boags are Australian too I think.

Hey Jachut, she shouldn't forget the lamingtons either to go with the pav, although nothing beats good pavlova with oodles of fresh cream and strawberries!! (or kiwifruit or mandarin segments or peach slices...any soft fruit really.)

Some great wine labels to look for:

Jacob's Creek

Jane Brook

Leeuwin Estate

Cape Mentelle

Goundry

Evans & Tate

Houghtons

This site might give you some ideas:

West Australia Wines

And you'll have to do some Tim Tam Slams!

Tim Tam Slam - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

although I have grown up referring to this practice as a tim tam orgasm. Better than the really thing because you can do five or six in a row!

Of course the irony is Arnotts (who make Tim Tams) is now owned by an American company as is our iconic Vegemite.

I've always called them Tim Tam Bombs and yes, they are an essential for the evening. I sent a friend in the US a box of Tim Tams and a tin of Milo, complete with instructions for making the Bombs, for Christmas :tt1: Only problem was the postage cost three times as much as the goodies!!

You girls are the bomb. Thank you, so very much.

Layer Cake Shiraz. It's just......mmmmmm.

Open it and let it rest for about 30 minutes before you start sipping.

I like Yellowtail wines. They aren't very expensive but they are pretty good. I've only mostly had their reds, I got one sparkling white wine and it wasn't all that great in my opinion. I can get that at my supermarket. I don't know if you have a store where you live, but at least in California there is a store called Bevmo (also bevmo.com) that has wines sorted by region as well as type.