In collaboration with the New Zealand High Commission and New Zealand Wine Growers we are thrilled and delighted to announce our Australian and New Zealand Wine Society launch. This will be held at the stunning Fairmont Chateau Laurier in the elegant Quebec Room, with reception wine in the Grand Foyer starting at 7pm.

This stylish black tie event will showcase a four course meal of New Zealand cuisine paired with select wines from New Zealand for you to savor and enjoy.

Deputy New Zealand High Commissioner Felicity Buchanan will be our guest speaker.

Members $130

Non Members $138

Become a member and get a discount on this event immediately!

In every glass of New Zealand wine is a world of pure discovery. At this biannual exclusive tasting sample a whole new world of wine, pure-intense-diverse. Meet the winemakers and make this your opportunity to discover New Zealand in a Glass. Discover the sensational taste experience of New Zealand wines accompanied by a sample of fine foods and cheeses.

Get more info and buy tickets on the New Zealand Wine website.

This will be a very social fun event to celebrate Australia's national day, and our friends from the Australian High Commission will be joining us as well. Catering will be done by Epicuria, and there will, of course, be a wonderful selection of wines for you to savour as well.

We also understand that the new Australian High Commissioner to Canada is planning to stop by, and there will be an introduction and welcome by the society.

Thursday 23 February, 2012 the AWS will be celebrating the launch and merge with New Zealand's wines. This will be a formal dinner at the Courtyard Restaurant where our friends from the New Zealand High Commission will be present. More information will be available shortly, so check back.

Ring in the season early with the AWS!

Cafe Paradiso's unique atmosphere and professionalism guarantee that our special Christmas time event will be an unforgettable food and wine experience.

The Cafe's Taster's Menu has been specially prepared by the Paradiso's head chef and will be complimented by the wonderful wines selected specifically by AWS's experienced sommeliers.

Here is the planned menu:

Giddy up and register for a night out at the horse races!

Summer is well and truly here and we have reserved the patio private courtyard area at the Rideau Carleton Raceway, so dress casual, prepare to mingle, cheer on your winning horses and enjoy the harness racing as we have secured a prime position right at the track near the finishing line. We will be starting the night at 6.30 pm with bubbly followed by several Australian wines, food items will be served during the event. Some of our mates at the Australian High Commission and Ottawa Swans Australian Rules Football team will be joining us, so lets keep on enjoying this stunning summer, sink back some Aussie wines and have a fun night out at the GG's!

Directions and also information for free shuttle service to the Rideau Carleton Raceway Casino:

Shuttle Service for Rideau Carleton Raceway Casio
For your convenience a shuttle service is available from the Greenboro transit station to Rideau Carleton Raceway, compliments of OLG SLOTS. It runs every hour on the half hour from Greenboro to the facility from 8:30am to 12:30am and returns from Rideau Carleton Raceway to the transit station every hour on the hour from 9am to 1am.

Most of us have lived in Ottawa for years and perhaps only once taken the Rideau Canal Boat Tour - likely when we had guests from out-of-town. What epitomizes summer more than a boat cruise along this famous waterway? This July we were able to sip some delightful Australian wines and nibble on a selection of appetizers as we glided along the Rideau Canal in the company of fellow AWS members and guests.

A previous board member and enthusiastic supporter, Meridy Foster, organized the last AWS Boat Cruise on the Rideau Canal in July 2008. In her memory we organized this special event for all members and their guests to enjoy.

The weather was wonderful, with a slight overcast that mitigated the full heat of midsummer in Ottawa. Breeze flowed through the cabin windows on all sides of the boat as people sampled the appetizers and sandwiches. The back deck was also enjoyed by people who watched the homes, buildings, and the various canal path bikers, roller bladers, joggers and walkers.

The wines were thoroughly enjoyed by a great group of people which included members, new members, and guests. New friendships were made and old ones renewed.

Wines from both the AWS Cellar and LCBO were tasted at this event.

IN MEMORIUM OF MERIDY FOSTER A year ago, the AWS Board lost a wonderful friend and colleague to cancer. As an Aussie, Meridy loved the water, so enjoying a glass of wine whilst cruising along the Ottawa river was an event she had planned for the AWS and hosted beautifully, she was determined to be there and her smile was radiant. In her honour and loving memory, we will continue her summer tradition and will hold our glasses high, she was an inspiration to all of us. Cheers to you darl, we miss you. 'A butterfly captures our hearts from the moment they appear. They are vibrant and graceful as their presence lifts our spirits. Gone much too soon, they will never be forgotten.'

The AWS was at its first Bon Appetit event which took place in Ottawa on Tuesday May 3rd at Landsdowne Park in Ottawa.

For those of you who may not know the Bon Appetit event is a food and wine show and features over 90 restaurants and caterers and dozens of wineries and breweries. This event attracts over 2000 people who come to sample all of the products, food and wine on display. It is labeled "the best cocktail party of the year" and was a fantastic way to showcase the AWS and all that it has to offer in the interests of charity. The event varies from a traditional wine tasting as it targets a larger audience that might not necessarily attend a wine tasting but who enjoy wine. The demographic is the affluent 25-45 age group, as well as foodies and wine enthusiasts; as such this was from all accounts a great success for the AWS and Bon Appetit organizers.

The Australia Wine Society (AWS) sponsored a booth at the Bon Appetit event with the aim of promoting Australian wine and our own Society. Our ambition was to expand our membership base and turnout to AWS events. We served 1 oz tastings during the event, from 5:30 to 9:00, and as you can imagine with this kind of turnout the Board of the AWS who were supporting the booth were kept extremely busy, offering guests wine and other tid bits of information about the AWS and the various wines being showcased.

The level of exposure was enormous as was the fun and other delights on offer. We had a great time and all enjoyed our Aussie wines, we had line ups for most of the event. All in all, it was a great first entrance and will likely be considered as a regular AWS fixture in the future, so be prepared for Bon Appetit 2012 and share in the fun for a very worthy cause.