5 minute read
Horse Wines
THE HUNTER'S Hidden Gem Running Horse Wines
WORDS Quentin von Essen
What’s a weekend in the Hunter Valley without finding that special place that we then take great pleasure in sharing with the world – flooding Instagram and Facebook accounts as we enthusiastically rave about our new find?
While the Hunter Valley is not short of beautiful scenery, wonderful wineries and unique wine – there is now a fascinating and ultra-cool cellar door located in the picturesque hamlet of Broke that is in a word – unique!
Ex-jockey turned winemaker, David Fromberg opened his cellar door for his Running Horse Wines label in 2018 – almost two decades after he first planted vines on his family’s 56-acre property at Broke.
With such a beautiful landscape around him, David knew his cellar door had to be something special so that visitors could appreciate and experience the wonderful views while enjoying his wine.
Designed by friend and architect David Kaunitz, the cellar door was constructed using six large stacked shipping containers that have been artfully repurposed with extensive use of glass to open them up to the surrounding landscape.
On entering the cellar door, the interior is equally as impressive with timber, glass, copper and steel featuring prominently, with a mass display of wine bottles creating an eye-catching feature along the one wall. The true centrepiece of the space, however, is a gleaming glass-topped bar, with a series of light panels that help to showcase the colour and clarity of the wine being tasted.
What’s most striking about Running Horse Wines, however, is what’s in the bottles.
David is one of the few vignerons in the region specialising in aged wines, with his range including varieties of Semillon, Verdelho, Rosé and Shiraz.
“You can go through hundreds of cellar doors and never get to look at a range of wines that are so different,” David said.
“At the cellar door, we offer vertical tastings of wines that are 12–14 years old and are still drinking wonderfully but have real bottle-aged characteristics. Semillons that are 14 years old that still look like they’re six years old, or Verdelho's that are the same, they just age fantastically well."
The uniqueness of the building and quality of the wines at Running Horse Wines is not lost on travel review sites such as Trip Advisor which has given Running Horse Wines a 100% "excellent" review rating with comments that include "Best Wine in the Hunter Region", "Unique Tasting Room and a Wonderful Host", "Best Cellar Door", "The Most Fun I’ve Ever Had at a Cellar Door" and "We Love Dave!"
Discover what everyone is talking about – it truly is a remarkable place to sit and enjoy some fantastic wines. For more information visit www.runninghorsewines.com.au
OPEN FOR TASTINGS AND SALES 7 Days, 10am - 5pm 1686 Broke Road, Pokolbin Hunter Valley PH (02) 4998 6737 • info@hunterdistillery.com.au www.hunterdistillery.com.au
RUNNING HORSE WINES
The most unique cellar door in Broke... A must visit!
Specialising in Aged Wines
ETHEREAL IMAGES Emerge from Ashes
Here’s something you probably haven’t seen before! When you visit Morpeth Gallery over the weekend of 14 and 15 March you can experience ‘Fire-Painting,’ when artist Maegan Oberhardt from Victoria will
demonstrate this unique method of art known as fumage, which was created by cavemen and has since been used by Salvador Dali.
The artist uses candles, wood and a blow torch, dancing the flames across a drawing to put carbon soot onto the image. Then, the artist uses various instruments, brushes, stones, knives and steel objects to remove parts of the carbon. Eventually, a portrait emerges from the carbon footprint left behind from the flame. The originals are always mounted under glass with matting as a safety margin. The delicate and lengthy process of painting with fire results in unique artworks that feature birds, animals and insects such as butterflies. The dark images are created from swirls of black and grey soot. It’s truly fascinating to watch as Maegan holds a flame close to the image that she has drawn on her thick artist paper – and lets the fire blacken patterns onto the surface. She then adds in extra details using a paintbrush to create the intricate portraits.
“The soot lays on the surface of the thick paper. It is very fragile at that point in the process - so fragile that an insect could walk on the surface and it would leave their trace. I can then scratch the surface by just touching it with various types of tools. I like using real feathers to draw feathers when I am working on a bird,” said Maegan.
Maegan says that the process is only as dangerous as having a candle-lit dinner: “For me, spontaneity and chance are what make my creative process effective," she added.
There is something almost otherworldly about Maegan’s Fire Art – check out her YouTube video to get an idea of the process and watch her at work with fire and soot. Then visit the gallery to see her artworks displayed on the Morpeth Gallery Walls (her works will also be for sale). Maegan will be in residence at Morpeth Gallery, 10am until 5pm on March 14 and 15. Entry is Free. You can find Morpeth Gallery at 175 Swan St, Morpeth. The gallery is open from 10am until 5pm, Thursdays through to Sundays and has free entry.
Running Horse Wines cellar door provides a new look and experience to the Hunter wine region. We at Running Horse Wines have been ageing our entire range of wines and have amassed an impressive, unique and true age worthy wine list that will take you on an adventurous ride to an unprecedented tasting experience.
The opportunity to taste and buy wines from 2005 to 2012, and also now just releasing the 2014 vintage, is very rare. Our classic aged range is comprising of the Hunter’s finest Shiraz, Semillon, Verdelho, Rosé and a Sparkling Rosé also being aged on lees for 6 years!
Running Horse Wines is open every day from 10am to 6pm. From Monday to Thursday, please do not hesitate to call and confirm arrival as these hours can fluctuate.
