Long-Standing Tradition Fused with Contemporary Innovation

WORDS LIANE MORRIS

The history of Hungerford Hill winery is long and complex. Home to the only twohatted restaurant in the Hunter Valley, Muse Restaurant, the quality of the experience for visitors to the cellar door is second to none, backed up by winemaking tradition and innovation led by Chief Winemaker Bryan Currie. Hungerford Hill is tradition fused with innovation at its finest.

Originally a Hungerford family owned and run cattle farm that spread to the current site of Hunter Valley Gardens and Cypress Lakes Resort, Hungerford Hill was established as a vineyard by accountant and entrepreneur John Parker in 1967. The Australian wine industry was experiencing a renaissance at the time, with many professionals and investors keen to explore the new interest in table wine as an accompaniment to food, with sherry and port becoming less popular. Parker opened a cellar door in 1970 and developed the first wine tourism complex a couple of years later. By 1985 however, Parker lost control of the business in a hostile takeover, and the winery was purchased by Southcorp, who also acquired vineyards in the Tumbarumba and Hilltops regions to add to the label. Despite this, the brand languished until James Kirby purchased the property in 2002.

Under Kirby, the label flourished, and the iconic cellar door at One Broke Road was built. Then, in 2016, Kirby sold to Sam Arnaout of Iris Capital, now the current owner

When Arnaout took over at Hungerford Hill, he employed Bryan Currie as Winemaker. Currie had worked at Calabria Wines and McWilliams for many years and had spent some time in China, where his wife was working. He was attracted to the role because it was based in NSW and utilised fruit from Tumbarumba.

"I'd been working with fruit from this region all my career, and I wanted to continue to do that," said Bryan.

"At the same time, I loved the idea that Hungerford Hill had fruit available from several different climates, enabling us to create a full range of wines."

Bryan also spent his early career in Southern Italy, which has provided invaluable experience in working with fruit from hotter and drier climates.

"The last decade has seen an expansion of Southern European varieties that work in these hotter climates. Our climate is changing, and I'm enjoying experimenting with varieties such as Tempranillo and Graciano. Most of our wines are single vineyard with a concentration of character that shows the terroir and place that it's grown in. It's important to me that the personality of the wine comes from the place, not the winemaker."

The Hungerford Hill vineyard is heavy dark clay soil that produces a blacker, denser wine and is home to the iconic cellar door, Muse restaurant and Sculpture Courtyard. Hilltops is a cool climate with granite-based soil and grows Sangiovese, Tempranillo and Malbec. Tumbarumba is a cold climate that produces softer fruit for Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

"We're having a lot of fun creating Spanish-style wine using the early ripening Tempranillo and balancing that out with the late-ripening Graciano from Hilltops. It's a very different wine from our standard with no real oak influence. It's a balanced wine, and combining the two varieties; it works better."

"We’re proud to offer a wine for every palate and every occasion with wines from multiple regions – the full NSW experience. In terms of red wine, we’ve got our Classic, Single Vineyard, Epic Shiraz, Heavy Metal and Museum Release. The Heavy Metal is a classic Aussie blend of Shiraz Cabernet - a richer, tannic style of red, and we blend from different vineyards for that one. Our Epic Shiraz is the best red wine of each year. It’s carefully selected and has hailed from Sweetwater for the last three or four years. It’s the best fruit, from the best batch from the best barrels – we really pick the eyes out of it to make it truly special.”

In 2020 Bryan began experimenting with creating vegan-friendly wines.

“Traditionally, when you’re fining or softening the wine, you use animal proteins like milk or egg white. With the number of people identifying as vegan increasing every year, we decided to create a wine that everyone can enjoy, including vegans. It’s an attempt to increase accessibility. We’ve been experimenting with plant proteins like pea or potato starch. It hasn’t affected the taste of the wine at all, and it’s wonderful to be able to offer a vegan-friendly wine.”

“Similarly, we are aware that a lot of people are seeking preservative-free wines because they may have reactions to sulphites. Unlike plant proteins, going preservative-free alters the wine's taste and texture. It’s less fruity, loses intensity and is more textural and savoury. It’s almost a different category of wine altogether, but we’ve been creating preservative-free wines for some time now.”

Hungerford Hill has a strong foothold in the history and traditions of winemaking in the Hunter Valley, with world-class, award-winning wines representing the full range of styles and regions. So, what’s next?

“I’m keen to push the envelope,” said Bryan. “What other styles of wine can we make? Some of the greatest wines in the world are often blends, so I’m excited to be experimenting in this area. In addition, we’ve got some impressive changes coming to the site at Hungerford Hill. We’re looking to develop the site so that it is closer in intent to the original design. Like the Opera House, the building at One Broke Road was never fully realised to the architect’s design; they ran out of money at the time. The architect, Walter Barda, had a grander vision which we’re hoping to achieve sometime in the near future.”

“To be successful in these challenging times, it’s important to be flexible and to be able to adapt. The Hunter Valley has always been a tricky place to farm, and it’s no different with a vineyard. It can be subtropical in summer and dry and cold in winter. This variability in seasonal climate makes the Hunter Valley wines stand out, and the trick is to be relaxed and not too stressed about it. Our different growing regions, all within NSW, give our wines the character that defines them.”

A Standard Tasting at Hungerford Hill is just $10 pp and includes wines from an extensive list with knowledgeable staff on hand to talk you through all your selections. Bookings can be made through the website at www. hungerfordhill.com.au

However you choose to experience Hungerford Hill, its long-standing tradition coupled with innovation, the sheer breadth of choice that represents the full spectrum of the wines of NSW and the dedication to quality will guarantee an enjoyable occasion that you will want to repeat time and again.

This vibrant 6 pack highlights the long and complex history of Hunter wines. From the classic styles and varietals to the punchier alternative styles pushing onwards in the contemporary era. A pack of province; wines with heritage, and flavours to appeal to all red wine lovers.

This special pack contains: 1 X 2019 Heavy Metal Shiraz /Cabernet, 1 X 2021 Preservative Free Shiraz, 2 X 2020 Classic Shiraz, 2 X 2020 Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Valued at

Valued at $270 - available for $195 with no delivery charged.