NEWS DESK
Students ‘connect’ to find work after school JOB ConneXions is a new pilot project to help Rosebud Secondary College VCAL students make the transition from school to work. Over the next 10 weeks mentors from local businesses will share their knowledge and skills with students, helping them to access community networks and career opportunities. The year 11 VCAL students are matched with a mentor who has experience in their chosen industry. “This real world mentor experience is helping the students to understand the practicalities of their initial career choice, and the potential to gain local employment in a particular industry, extending their skills and knowledge beyond the classroom,” teacher Derek Kirk said. The mentor program is one of four
parts of the Job ConneXions project being piloted by Seawinds Community Hub, Rotary Club of Rosebud Rye and the college and paid for by Mornington Peninsula Shire. The mentor program runs for 10 weeks. Heather Barton, CEO of Seawinds Community Hub, said that through Job ConneXions students will be “enabled to create a smooth transition into their preferred jobs”. “Employers will be connected with job-ready, local young employees and young people will gain real world career information and experience,” she said. “They will develop the employability skills that employers want.” Students Luke Jansen, left, and Angus Calvert, right, with mentor Nick Arnott. Picture: Yanni
Cool climate wines appeal to judges A WINE from Nazaaray Estate, Flinders, won the People’s Choice Award at the 17th Cool Climate Wine Show at Mornington Racecourse last week. The Meakins Rd winery’s reserve pinot noir 2015 was judged best in its class. More than 540 wines – up 30 per cent on last year – were judged by a 16-member team chaired by master of wine Meg Brodtmann. The 29 classes include sparkling wines, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, pinot grigio, riesling, pinot noir, shiraz and two new Italian classes. “It is good for the region to host these winemakers and judges and to give our local wineries a wonderful opportunity to benchmark their wines against other cool climate wines from Australia and overseas,” organiser Alva Hemming said. Foxeys Hangout, of White Hill Rd, Red Hill, had dual success. Its sparkling white was judged Best
Mornington Peninsula White, while its Scotsworth Farm pinot noir 2016 was judged Best Mornington Peninsula Red. Merricks Estate, of Thompsons Lane, Merricks, won Best Chardonnay 2014. The judges’ award for best vintage overall went to Shaw Vineyard Estate Reserve, Merriman, Canberra, for its cabernet sauvignon 2015. “The Cool Climate Wine Show is internationally recognised as Australia’s foremost show for cool climate wines,” project manager Rebecca Davis said. “Many are from smaller vineyards where grapes are handpicked and wines handcrafted by winemakers with a passion for exploring terroir and the true expression of the grape. “It gives winemakers an opportunity to benchmark in a show where like is judged against like, where elegant wines with restrained fruit are seen
at their best, and where diversity is encouraged and rewarded. “The peninsula’s wine retailers, restaurateurs, sommeliers, cellar door staff, wine educators and wine enthusiasts see the show as an opportunity to taste an extraordinary breadth and depth of cool climate wines.” At a public tasting and awards dinner on Friday night wine lovers had the chance to sample wines from 2013-16 (and older vintages in some classes), compared wines of the same grape variety from different regions, and assessed wines from specific regions and vintages. Other winners: Best Italian Wine: Vinosalvo Vignailio Maremma Toscana Levitas Sangiovese 2015 Best Italian Varietal (Aus/NZ): Hollick The Gondolier Barbera 2014 Best White Wine in Show: Soumah of Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2016 Best Red Wine in Show: Berrigan
Mount Benson/Robe Syrah 2015 Best Wine in Show: Soumah of Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2016 Best Sparkling: Brown Brothers ‘Patricia’ King Valley Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2010 Best Riesling: Tamar Ridge Tasmania Riesling 2016 Best Sauvignon Blanc: Villa Maria Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 Best Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio: Karrawatta ‘Sophie’s Hill’ Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio 2016 Best Chardonnay 2016: Soumah of Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2016 Best Chardonnay 2015: Villa Maria Reserve’ Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 Best Rose: Bird in Hand Adelaide Hills Pinot Rose 2017 Best Pinot 2016: Anthem Discover Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016 Best Pinot 2015: Narkoojee Gippsland ‘Valerie’ Pinot Noir 2015 Stephen Taylor
Taste test: Judges Toby Stephens, far left, and Cynthea Feldheim sampling wines arranged by Jonathan O’Sullivan. Pictures: Gary Sissons
THE RYE HOTEL
Gallery talks A SERIES of artist talks with Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery curator Danny Lacy will be held at the gallery over the next three months. In the first, on Wednesday 7 June, Zoe Croggon will talk about her work and how she considers the relationship between the kinetic body and its surroundings. The Melbourne-based artist will draw on her personal experiences of studying ballet and dance, discover how includes shape, silhouette, bodies and architecture in her work. Lucilla Wyborn D’abrera will talk about her mother – modernist Australian painter Constance Stokes – on Wednesday 26 July. Stokes’ work will be presented as a major retrospective exhibition at the gallery from 21 July. Find out more about Stokes, a leading artist of her generation, directly from her daughter. Minna Gilligan will speak on Wednesday 30 August about her practice which includes 1970s psychedelia, technicolour dreams and fleeting personal encounters with nostalgic romanticism. The gallery is presenting an exhibition of her collages from 21 July, following on from colourful exhibitions at Heide Museum of Art and Castlemaine Art Museum. Details: Talk times are noon-1pm. The cost for individual talks is: members $12, general $15. The cost for the three talks is: members $24, general $30 (includes light buffet lunch, tea or coffee and a sweet treat). Those attending should meet at the gallery cafe, Civic Reserve, 350 Dunns Rd (corner of MorningtonTyabb and Dunns road), Mornington. Online ticketing is available. Visit mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au or call 5950 1580. Bookings are essential for most events as numbers are limited.
2415 Point Nepean Road, Rye Beach www.ryehotel.com.au | 5985 2277 Southern Peninsula News 30 May 2017
PAGE 3