Bar & Bites: Shorehouse sommelier Nina Throsby tickled pink with The Rosé Dinner for Global Champagne Day

Kailis Hospitality Group sommelier Nina Throsby Is fizzing with excitement. Not only has she returned from a fact-finding mission to Europe armed with intel with which to create a mind-blowing wine list for Gibney — George Kailis’ latest venture in South Cottesloe — but the full-bottle also has something very special planned for Global Champagne Day on October 27. Once again Throsby teams with Vin de Champagne award winners Tracy Mann and Lexie Thompson for a sparkling dinner event at the Shorehouse, but this year there’s a pink twist. The Rosé Dinner will see the three “queens of champagne” present eight benchmark-quality champagnes from small domains and the grand marques paired with a five-course dinner, courtesy of chef Pali Singh. “It started as a joke, a challenge almost,” Throsby told Bar & Bites. “Why don’t we just do it all pink?” Rosé champagne is no joke and sales in Australia are increasing, even if the style was initially called “tainted” champagne after being produced by accident at the House of Ruinart in 1764. Quoting wine writer Nicholas Faith, who said “rosé champagne is a serious wine often drunk far too carelessly”, Throsby adds that the misunderstood style Is “unfortunately seen by some as being a simple, seasonal fizz” rather than impressively versatile, especially with food. “We will be showcasing both lighter, minerally, citrus-driven, chardonnay-dominant rosés and more dramatic, powerful, bold styles with our dinner so our guests get a better understanding of what rosé can do in a menu,” she explains. The Rosé Dinner will star bottles from Billecart-Salmon, Laurent Perrier, Louis Roederer, Pol Roger and Bollinger, alongside magnums of Franck Bonville brut rosé grand cru. “The only constant that these bottles share is the shade of blush pink in the glass,” Throsby laughs. So, what’s her favourite “tainted” tipple? “It is of course a rosé champagne and it is Louis Roederer’s Cristal rosé made by chef-de-cave extraordinaire Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon,” Throsby says. “Right now, I’d take the 2013 vintage, but the newly released 2015 Cristal rosé is magnificent.” And what about that “fact-finding” mission to Europe — in particular, getting to scramble around the tunnels and cellars of Bollinger and other champagne houses? “It was a dream trip,” Throsby gushes. “Champagne was everything I wanted it to be and more. “I have returned excited, inspired, full of intel and ideas, ready to unleash them on our new wine list for Gibney.” The Rosé Dinner is at the Shorehouse on October 27 and costs $295 per person. GUESS WHO’S BACK? After forsaking Australia for the uber-trendy glitz and glam of Los Angeles’ NeueHouse group in 2021, Perth chef Nic Wood is back in town. He also returns to QT Perth, where he was executive chef when the city hotel opened in 2018. Now his title is “creative culinary lead” of Santini Bar & Grill alongside exec chef Dario Pompucci. Wood, who will also oversee the kitchens at QT Melbourne as exec chef, says he plans to “reaffirm Santini’s culinary identity as a destination for Mediterranean classics with Italian flair”. Highlights of Wood and Pompucci’s spring menu include pan-seared Shark Bay pink snapper with Tuscan white beans, grape tomatoes and lemon; and a Caprese salad starring La Delizia Latticini mozzarella. In good news for Santini fantinis (sorry), the Abrolhos Island occy dish from Wood’s first menu at QT Perth remains a signature dish. DOWN ON THE BEERFARM While Burnt Ends has parted wings with Beerfarm, the Metricup brewpub is stoked to unveil new head chef Hayden Vink — a South West local (ex-Black Brewing Co) with a penchant for smoke, fire and dishes from around the world. Specifically, Mexican and Asian. Vink also has experience in provincial France and Portuguese asadores, which bodes well. He also doesn’t mind a bit of Japanese or South-east Asian tucker. The key, of course, is fresh local produce. “For me, the plan is clear,” Vink says. “Maintain the quality of food using local produce that we all know and love, build on it with tantalising specials, and redesign the seasonal menu to keep things fresh and exciting for our patrons.” The chef’s arrival coincides with the installation of a purpose-built kitchen at Beerfarm as well as the return of global tourism to Margaret River. The new kitchen is due to fire up October 30, with Vink’s summer menu rolling out mid-November. WEBER KEEPS HOME FIRES BURNING After a well-earned family holiday around Europe, Chase Weber of Dandelion, the Royal Hotel and the Standard fame has landed a new gig as culinary adviser at Kaarla Wood-Fire Grill. Located on the 51st floor of the CapitaSpring tower in Singapore, the fine diner specialises in wood-fired Australian cuisine. Weber’s first menu, called A Taste of Australia, features Fremantle octopus, salt-cured and smoked kangaroo, WA Kinross lamb rack, sourdough “crumpets” and, of course, a passionfruit pavlova. The chef tells B&B that he’ll be based in Perth and will hit Singers quarterly for menu updates and staff training, leaving the door wide open for a fresh project here in WA.