BRYAN CURRIE PHOTO BY ELFES IMAGES
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Long-Standing Tradition Fused with Contemporary Innovation
WORDS LIANE MORRIS
The history of Hungerford Hill winery is long and complex. Home to the only two-hatted restaurant in the Hunter Valley, Muse, 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. HISTORY 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.
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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 John Kirby purchased the property in 2002. Under Kirby, the label flourished, and the current iconic cellar door at One Broke Road was built, designed by architect Walter Barda, meant to resemble a wine barrel. The next period saw the brand develop a reputation for premium quality wines, and then, in 2016, Kirby sold to Sam Arnaout of Iris Capital, now the current owner. Arnaout also acquired Sweetwater vineyard and Wyndham Estate in addition to the Dalwood brand. Dalwood was the original name of Wyndham Estate, which is widely recognised as one of the oldest surviving vineyards in Australia, having been established by George Wyndham in 1828. The opportunity to return the Dalwood brand to the property is an acknowledgement of the property's importance to the viticulture history of the country and is a wonderful legacy for Arnaout.
