“Wine is more than just a passion or a tradition for some people, it is in their blood, and that is certainly the case with well-known Hunter businessman, Peter Drayton. While he has maintained a share in the Ironbark Hill vineyard on Hermitage Rd for the past 14 years, the majority of his time and…
“Hunter Valley winery, Leogate Estate has taken home the “James Rodgers Trophy for the Best Wine in its First Year of Production” for its 2011 “The Basin” Reserve Shiraz at the 2014 International Wine Challenge. The awards were held in London last night, and the judges described the drop as a “refined, cool Shiraz style…
“LEGENDARY rocker Jimmy Barnes has announced he’ll come back to the Hunter for the second time this year as part of a concert series to celebrate 30 years as a solo artist. In a tour presented by A Day On The Green, the former Cold Chisel frontman will be backed by The Living End, Baby…
“Plenty of restaurants spawn kitchen gardens, but when Eighty Eight opens in the Hunter Valley this Saturday it’ll be the reverse – a restaurant inspired by a kitchen garden. In 2012, Roberts restaurant head chef George Francisco planted a 1.5-hectare garden.” Read more | Good Food
“Two enduring musical icons, Paul Simon and Sting, are bringing their global On Stage Together tour to the Hunter next year. The pair, who are long-time friends, conceived the idea for a co-headline tour after performing together for the first time at the Robin Hood Foundation benefit in 2013. The two singer-songwriters will blend both…
“SYDNEYSIDERS escape the rat race in droves every weekend and flock to the Hunter Valley. Do they know something we don’t know? Apparently. Wine country is worth visiting even when a big-name band isn’t performing in the vineyards. In fact, more of us ‘‘locals’’ should do it, and more often. It is less than an…
“Growing their tourist facility and encouraging the training of young people in the hospitality industry are two of the passions of this year’s Hunter Valley Legends and Wine Industry Rising Star recipient Belinda Stapleton. Belinda is the managing director of Spicers Vineyards Estate, Pokolbin, a luxury 12-room guesthouse that also operates a 50-seat restaurant and…
“IN 2009, during the global financial crisis, 24-year-old chef Troy Rhoades-Brown and wife Megan made the bold decision to open their own fine-dining establishment, Pokolbin’s Muse Restaurant. Despite having few savings, no financial backer and limited business, the couple were buoyed by a passion for food. The chef’s experience was also in their favour: he…
“Like many of the illustrious wine family names known throughout the Hunter, Pokolbin’s Philip Helé is part of a strong family legacy. For the past three decades the fourth-generation hotelier has been at the forefront of shaping the Hunter wine and tourism industry and promoting it to an international market. Now, for his service to…
“ANDREW Thomas and the grand old J.Y Tulloch wine company scored second-time successes at the 2014 Hunter Valley Legends and Wine Industry Awards on Thursday night. Known universally as “Thommo”, Andrew Thomas, owner and chief winemaker of Thomas Wines and contract winemaker for some of the Hunter top boutique wine brands, was crowned Winemaker of…