Alex Cassegrain - Wine Time

focus_contributor. wine

TIME

with ALEX CASSEGRAIN

From Cassegrain Wines

FAMILY ‘BOUTIQUE’ WINERIES with the advantage.

Making the ‘perfect’ wine can be a challenge with each year being different one way or another and these challengers are what make the wine industry unique. In the end we as winemakers need to ensure the customer enjoys the wine, but just as importantly illustrate the journey of that wine and this is becoming increasingly sought after by the customer. Many wineries fall into this category but one that I would like to mention is Pierre’s Wines in the Hunter Valley which many people may not have heard of before. The winemaker and owner Peter hand picks all his fruit before gently processing it. His passion for the wine industry and sharing his knowledge is what separates him from many others and this is evident in the way he speaks with his customers. His speciality is Methode Traditional sparkling which to put in simply is the method of fermenting the wine in bottle just like they do

There are in Champagne many wineries (France) and I that fall into this would encourage category but one people to take that I would like to the time to try mention is Pierre’s these wines and Wines in the hear his story. Hunter Valley He has several which many people wines to choose may not have heard from and I have before.. no doubt there is something there for everyone, in particular the 2015 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir which spent 6 years on yeast lees before being disgorged. This wine has an abundance of complexity but still shows freshness and youth making this wine a great addition to anyone’s cellar for the special occasion.

DAVID GEARING

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) PORT CITY BOWLING CLUB

David Gearing is the new CEO at Port City Bowling Club. With exciting things on the horizon at the club we talk to David not only to get to know him, but see what he has in store for the club.

Tell us a bit about yourself

and your background in the industry?

I grew up on the North Shore in Sydney, mainly around Longueville and Killara. After fi nishing school, I worked briefl y on the old Sydney Futures Exchange as a junior trader. Once the exchange went online, I moved away from the fi nance industry and found my passion for hospitality. I worked for the North Sydney Leagues Club and the Vegas Hotel. I then went to Victoria living on Phillip Island and in Melbourne operating and owning Pubs, Clubs, Hotels, Nightclubs and Resorts. I really did enjoy my time in Victoria with a lot of success with the businesses but always missed NSW and I’m so happy to be back.

What was it that attracted you to Port Macquarie?

Over the last few years, I made up my mind that I wanted to move north for a change of lifestyle and a warmer climate. My parents moved here fi ve years ago and each year I came to Port Macquarie I enjoyed it. Once the opportunity came up at Port City Bowling Club, it was an easy decision to be closer to my family and of course the beauty of Port Macquarie.

Some exciting changes are taking place at the club, what’s in store?

Yes, the Club is preparing for more changes which we are very excited for. After the success of the Drift Café, the Club prior to COVID-19 prepared for an extension of Drift to gain a further 90 seats. Hopefully, this will allow us to cater to the growing demand that we seem to be fi nding most days of the week. The extension will go out onto our bowling green closest to Owen Street, so we are preparing to merge this green with the little social green at the back. It is great that the Club can retain all three of our greens to cater for the large tournaments at the Club. We have also seen great growth in the ever-popular barefoot bowls particularly with corporate events such as Jack Attack. The extension to the Club will take around fi ve months. We will be relocating Drift to the upstairs area for the fi ve months to make sure that we continue to operate. It is exciting to see the Club continue to grow and I look forward to the next few months with the upgrade.

Port City Bowling Club has grown and come such a long way over the years, why do you think this is and what makes Port City such an important and popular part of the community?

Port City is locally owned and operated giving us a total community feel. We pride ourselves in our customer service knowledge and experience with all aspects of hospitality. We as the Port City Bowling Club have implemented a continuing strategy to enhance our facilities for the benefi t of the community. We aim to meet the ever-changing needs of our local demographic consistently and reliably, setting us apart from other businesses within our industry. The level of customer satisfaction Port City has attained can only be achieved if the entire team, in our case more than 80 employees, are doing an outstanding job. We encourage our team to put themselves out there, in front of customers and to dedicate themselves to prioritising customer satisfaction above all else.

Other than the extensions, what else do you have in store for the club over the next few years?

The Club is currently putting the fi nishing touches on a fi ve year strategic development plan. As previously mentioned, the fi rst stage is the renovation and extension of Drift. Upon completion, we will have a blank canvas upstairs with which to make our own. We are extremely excited about the prospect of this space and without giving too much away I think that the residents of Port Macquarie and surrounds should be as well. We also have a commitment to look after our most important assets being our staff. Plans include development of stateof-the-art offi ce spaces to support our growing business, as well as revamping our function spaces to cater for corporate events right through to social gatherings. In the nearer future we are also looking to establish an allinclusive outdoor entertainment area which will be family-friendly and accessible to members and visitors alike.