Set against the rocky foothills of the Brokenback Ranges, the Hunter Valley is mainland Australia’s oldest wine region. The famous wine district enjoys a world class reputation for dry semillon wines driven by terroir and inventive winemaking.
Unoaked Hunter Valley semillon is a classic Australian style with high acidity and exceptional longevity. It is harvested early and contains relatively low alcohol. In its youth, the wine is vibrant, fresh and lemony. It develops a classic golden hue and toasty, honeyed complexity over time.
Distinctive Hunter shiraz is soft, medium bodied and savoury in style with earthy notes of leather and truffle. The region also makes rich, peachy chardonnay and a tropical style of Verdelho. A number of other varieties are scattered throughout the district.
Vineyards were first established in the Hunter Valley in the 1830’s. The famous semillon of the region was sourced from the original James Busby collection of 1832. The sizeable district boasts over 4,000 ha under vine today. Located to the north of Sydney, the valley is often thought of in terms of the upper and lower Hunter, joined by the Hunter River. The region incorporates the official sub regions of Broke Fordwich, Pokolbin and Upper Hunter Valley. The district enjoys a warm climate moderated by cloud cover and a faint ocean breeze from the South Pacific. Heavy Summer rains can be challenging in some vintages. The landscape is comprised of alluvial flats and rolling hills with sandy alluvials, red duplex and fertile silty loam soils.
The Hunter Valley has a reputation for gourmet cuisine and regional restaurants in and around Pokolbin at the centre of New South Wales wine country.
Watch Stuart MacGill uncork the Hunter Valley
